The two groups, which have already moved ahead with a multitude of joint projects such as the upcoming Renault-based Mercedes Citan van, the production of Mercedes engines at Nissan's Tennessee plant, and the development of a common platform for the Smart and Renault Twingo, added another task to their list.
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Parent company Daimler has already revealed that the new iteration will arrive in the market in 2014 and that for the first time ever, it will be built on North American soil at its Tuscaloosa plant in Alabama. Currently, the C-Class is manufactured at Mercedes plants in Germany, China and South Africa.
These first photos of the 2014 model suggest that the new C-Class will get sportier proportions with a shorter tail and front overhangs, and a swoopier roofline. Like the new A-Class, Mercedes-Benz's BMW 3-Series rival will adopt many styling cues from the F800 study showcased at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.
The place is packed with both modern and classic exotics. Lamborghini fans would be most delighted as there are quite a few Aventadors, many versions of the Gallardo, Murcielago and Diablo from standard models to racing cars, as well as three rare Miuras and an LM002 SUV.
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On the outside, Brabus has prepared an aero kit that comprises a front spoiler that attaches directly to the front bumper and a rear apron housing a diffuser and the new quad tail pipes.
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The owner of the German SUV obnoxiously squeezes his (or her) way between parked and moving cars hitting a Lada sedan in the process. What's more surprising is that the ML driver couldn't care less about the damages caused and continued to drive!
Luckily there was more traffic up ahead and the owner of the Lada was able to catch up with the ML.
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This is not the first time we've snagged the sleek-looking estate model as our spies have captured both photos and a video of prototypes while testing in Europe, the only difference being now the burgundy shade of its lightly camouflaged body.
The CLS Shooting Brake will be less roomy than its E-Class Estate sibling, but at the same time offer a larger boot and increased practicality over the CLS sedan while retaining the latter's elegant lines.
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The base model features a 5.5-liter bi-turbocharged V8 engine rated at 518HP and 516 lb-ft. Even though these numbers represent an increase of 15HP and 44 lb-ft over its predecessor, the new ML63 AMG's combined fuel economy of 16 mpg is 33 percent lower.
If you need more power, Mercedes offers an optional AMG Performance Package that boosts output to 550HP and maximum torque to 560 lb-ft.
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In spite of the fact that Mercedes-Benz does not mention it in its press release, the automaker had previously revealed that the small van was developed in partnership with the Renault-Nissan alliance as part of their strategic collaboration, which includes several more projects such as the Twingo/Smart platform and powertrain cross-supply.
The Citan broadens Mercedes-Benz's offerings in in the lower weight classes of the van market, which include the Vito (2.77 to 3.2 tons), Sprinter (3.0 to 5.0 tons) and Vario (6.0 to 8.2 tons).
The German company said that the small van segment has picked up in sales these past couple of decades and has now grown to around 700,000 units in Europe alone. It added that it plans to gain a market share of four to five percent in this segment with the Citan, which equals to 28,000 to 35,000 units a year in Europe.
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Naturally, they obliged. For example, Honda flew in the FCX Clarity from California, Kia brought the Optima hybrid and Mercedes-Benz a fuel-cell car. Carmakers also brought along their top brass to discuss green technologies with the President.
As Bloomberg reports, the problem is that Obama, who had half an hour in his disposal, ignored foreign manufacturers.
Instead, he spent most of his time with domestic brands, posing for the press with the Dodge Dart, the Chevrolet Malibu, the Ford C-MAX Energi, the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 (not pretty fuel efficient those two, by the way…).
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It seems that the German premium carmaker was at the island to shoot video and pictures of the luxury compact model for its press material.
The A-Class seen here is the five-door hatchback model, which will be the first body style to be launched onto the market. Mercedes has already confirmed that the 5-door version will make its world premiere at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show in early March. A sportier looking three-door model will follow, possibly withing the next year.
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In yet another wild incident from Russia that was captured on camera, a middle-age man in a Mercedes-Benz was squabbling with an elderly man in a hatchback.
The talk quickly escalated and the person in the Merc stepped out of the car and began attacking the other driver, initially punching and then kicking him with all his strength.
At that point, a young man in an Audi SUV stopped over and came to the scene and said something to the Mercedes driver who brushed him away. Seconds later the Audi driver runs back with a metal bat in his hand and whacks the tough guy on his legs putting him down. He then rushes to the Mercedes and breaks the mirror and windows before returning to his Audi and driving off!
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Last year, Mercedes sold 1.36 million units, around 300,000 less than BMW. According to Manager Magazin, Zetsche plans to reach the number one spot by almost doubling the three-pointed star’s production to 2.7 million vehicles by 2020 and increase its operating profit beyond 10 percent.
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To make things a bit more interesting, we learn that Mercedes will put several camouflaged 2012 A-Class hatchbacks in circulation in various German cities as part of a competition that will see one contestant winning a trip to the car's unveiling in Geneva.
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Today we also learn that the police seized a number of assets from the founder of MegaUpload, Kim Schmitz, aka Kimble, aka Kim Dotcom, including an amazing collection of automobiles with some rib-tickling license plates from his estate in New Zealand.
Twitter user Elliot Kamber was on hand to take a few shots of the cars that were seized, while we've also added a video after the break.
Among the vehicles taken from Schmitz's garage were a 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM with "Good" number plates, a 2010 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG with a "CEO" plate, a pink 1959 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible, a 1989 Lamborghini LM002 and a 2010 Maserati GranCabrio. The cars are estimated to be worth over $6 million.
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The prototypes retain the usual camouflage though the video footage provides a better view of the new A-Class model's proportions and stance.
For the third generation A-Class, Mercedes-Benz has changed the formula switching to a regular platform and a traditional five-door body style that will be followed later on by a three-door model, which will resemble the A-Class Concept shown in New York and Shanghai last year.
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Lying under the hood of the AMG-branded SLK is a naturally aspirated, direct-injection V8 engine with a displacement of 5.5-liters that produces 421-horses at 6,800rpm and 540Nm (398.2 lb-ft) of peak torque at 4,500rpm.
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Following its most recent makeover, the G55 AMG from Mercedes-AMG is now even more attractive. Boasting an upgraded performance of 373 kW/507 hp, this offroad classic has also been given a fresh look, incorporating a reworked radiator grille and new 19-inch AMG light-alloy wheels. Inside, the exclusive interior features the latest generation of telematics equipment and optional climatised seats in combination with designo leather upholstery for enhanced passenger comfort.
The inclusion of some of the latest technology has made this classic from the AMG stable fit for the future. Thanks to the integration of a new engine control unit, the performance of the supercharged AMG 5.5-litre V8 engine has been nudged up from 368 kW/500 hp to 373 kW/507 hp, with maximum torque remaining at 700 Nm. Likewise unchanged is the vehicle's effortless performance, with the Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG accelerating from zero to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds and peaking at a top speed of 210 km/h (electronically limited).
With the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG Performance Studio, the AMG Performance Studio, opened in 2006, showcases its expertise in helping realise the dreams of individual motorists, offering exclusivity at the Affalterbach location. The very special M-Class features a combination of uniquely detailed fittings typical of the vehicles designed in the AMG Performance Studio.
Matching its "metallic Peridot brown" exterior paintwork, the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG Performance Studio features 21" high-sheen AMG light alloy wheels with a double spoke design, painted the same colour as the car. Wide-base 295/35 R 21 tyres ensure the necessary road surface contact. The high-gloss chrome trim on the upper body edges at window level is another eye-catching detail.
