As this auction result shows, it’s not only Ferraris that have a lock on the staggering amounts that collector cars sell for nowadays. At a recently concluded Gooding and Company auction, a 1955 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing garnered a $4,620,000 bid that made it the top seller for that auction. In comparison, a Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider changed hands at the same auction for $3,905,000. What made this Gullwing so expensive is the fact the it’s practically a museum piece in terms of condition. Being one of only 29 alloy-bodied 300 SLs was also a major factor in making the car so desirable. Aside from the rarity of such a body, finding one on the open market is also a very rare occassion, so much so that the buyers who desperately wanted the car ended up in a bidding war. View original here:  1955 Gullwing Sells For A Princely Amount

The primarily competitors in the luxury segment are all on a sales rampage. Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have posted record sales in 2011. BMW took the top spot in the United States and globally. Growth at Mercedes-Benz has trailed both Audi and BMW though. Sales and profits are still on the increase, just not as rapidly. The business is thriving, but Mercedes isn’t content to leave it at that – they want to be on top in the global sales race. Audi wants to achieve this goal too. At this juncture, Audi looks like they have a better chance of succeeding in that pursuit. Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche recently wrote a letter to employees about this, saying: “We can’t be content to be in a solid second or even third place. We are Daimler – we should be far ahead of the pack…..if it requires something we don’t have, we’ll identify and develop it…some of our competitors are now growing faster and more profitably than we are. Granted, those are just snapshots in time and should not be overestimated. After all, many of our best new products are yet to come.” Some of those products he is referring to are apparently the new small front-wheel drive platform that will include the A- and B-Class as well as a new four-door sedan. German magazine Manager Magzin states that Zetsche plans to increase Mercedes sales to 2.7 million units by 2020, with profit margins reaching 10 percent. These are all ambitious goals to be sure. What’s more is 2.7 million sales doesn’t sound all that “premium” to us! Increasing sales by these margins is going to require added production. The approach to doing that is two-pronged. Daimler is spending over $2 billion on an upgrade of its Tuscaloosa, Alabama plant. There Mercedes produces the M-Class, but it is expanding to include the C-Class and next-generation R and GL-Class SUVs. The big news though is yet another factory, located in the United States or Mexico. The plant would produce the next-generation of the A-Class and front-wheel drive cars, coming online in 2017 or 2018. Related posts: The New Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class Mercedes-Benz Planning New FWD Models for the US Mercedes-Benz Can’t Quit The R-Class Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts...

Volkswagen has always been known as “The People’s Car.” As in, affordable and ubiquitous. VW’s Das Auto advertising campaign has been highly effective – that slogan has permeated the public consciousness in a big way. While the company strayed from its roots in the past (VW Phaeton, anyone?) with upmarket intentions, VW has returned to its original mission. The Up! Concepts over the past few years have illustrated this. The production three-door was released a while back, but the five-door is making an appearance today. The Up! is the smallest VW, coming in below the Polo. It aims to be the Beetle of the 21st Century, with its small size appealing to buyers in packed urban centers. The Beetle was highly successful all around the world for many years because of those reasons. For modern times, VW aims to do it by offering a supermini that isn’t like a penalty box. We don’t know about that (it’s not exactly sumptuous in there) but it is better than a lot of alternatives. And, reviews coming in have been good. The new five-door sticks to the same formula as the three-door – retaining the same dimensions and engine options. It hasn’t been stretched to provide more legroom for rear seat passengers. Weirdly enough, the rear windows don’t roll down either. What is Up! with that? One engine is available – a 1.0-liter three-cylinder in two power guises: 60 and 75 horsepower. For the two added doors, VW will charge you a bit north of $600 extra. The Up! five-door starts at about $13,300 at current exchange rates. The Up! will first go on sale in Germany beginning in March. Availability will spread across the rest of Europe by summer time. VW doesn’t have any plans to bring the Up! over to the United States as of yet. Across most of the country it probably wouldn’t sell too well, but a limited availability program could work. New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and other cities like that could be potential markets. Related posts: When Does a Coupe Have Four Doors? 2012 Volkswagen Passat Reveal with US Pizazz Volkswagen Shows off Golf GTI Edition 35 Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts Read the original here:  Volkswagen Up! Adds Two Doors

Mercedes-Benz released the first teaser video of the 2012 A-Class wrapped in QR Code ahead of the Geneva Motor Show More here: 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Teaser Video

Spy photographer Palbay spotted a 2012 BMW 328i in the Luxury Line with the Mineral Gray Metallic paint. The car was spotted near Spartanburg just weeks before it hits the floors of BMW dealerships. The base price of the 2012 328i Sedan is $34,900 while the top-model, 335i, starts at $42,400. This represents a $300 and $350 base price increases versus the outgoing model. The 3 Series now includes standards features such as 6.5” display with iDrive controller, Bluetooth connectivity, USB/iPod interface, 8-Speed Automatic Transmission, Automatic Start/Stop, Dynamic Driving Control with ECO PRO Mode, Brake Energy Regeneration, and a 1” standard wheel size increase. The Modern Line (ZML) and Luxury Line (ZLL) will sell for an additional $2,100 for the 328i and $1,400 for the 335i model. The Sport Line (ZSL) will make you spend $2,500 for the 328i and $1,700 for 335i. The following exterior colors are available for the new BMW 3 Series: Melbourne Red, Glacier Silver, Imperial Blue, Mineral Grey, Black Sapphire, Mojave and Alpine White.  An optional M paint is also offered – Estoril Blue. As we mentioned in the past, the styling of the 2012 BMW 3 Series is considered to be an evolution of the previous model. The styling follows the design language seen in the new 5 Series, with concave and convex shapes providing a sporty stance and image. The flanks of the  car  are shaped by an eye-catching double character line running alongside each other. At the front, the headlights have been completely redesigned. For the first time, the lights end directly in the kidney grill, providing a 3D look. The kidney grill also inherits the 3D aspect as seen on the new 6 Series. The rear lights continue the BMW L-shaped design positioned at the outer edges of the rear – accentuating the broad face of the wheels and wide track of the new BMW 3 Series Sedan. Read the rest here:  Real Life Photos: 2012 BMW 328i

Considering that French automaker Peugeot hasn’t sold cars in the U.S. for 20 years—and has no immediate plans to return—you’d think the company’s decision to end its participation in big-time endurance sports-car racing, effective immediately, wouldn’t have much impact on the American racing scene. Au contraire: The American Le Mans Series was counting on Peugeot’s presence at the season-opening Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Sebring race, where in 2011 Peugeot took first and third. And while the season-ending Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta is presently not a part of the new FIA World Endurance Championship—Sebring is, however—the ALMS and its fans were holding out hope that Peugeot and arch-rival Audi would make an appearance in Atlanta this fall, where last year Peugeot took first and second. Neither Audi nor Peugeot bothered to cross the ocean for regular-season ALMS races. In Peugeot’s case, that makes perfect sense; if you don’t sell cars here, what’s the point of vying for the championship? So what happened to cause Peugeot to abandon its motorsports program? Two things, the first being pretty obvious: Money. Only Formula 1 requires greater development investment than do Le Mans–style prototypes, with their ever-increasing technology and ever-changing rules. Peugeot’s parent company, PSA Peugeot Citroën, may not be on the financial ropes, but it nevertheless has felt the effects of the tough economy like every other manufacturer, with massive layoffs and cost-cutting needed to fund substantial investments in new products. It has been no secret in the racing community that Peugeot has been inquiring about having privateer teams either assist or take over the effort entirely for 2012, but clearly no deal could be made with an appropriate team. The second factor is that Peugeot is facing not only the usual tough competition from Audi, but also new efforts from Toyota, which is returning to prototype endurance racing after having left Le Mans in 1999, the same year Audi arrived. BMW and Mercedes-Benz departed at that time, too, giving Audi a near-clear path to victory until Peugeot joined the fray five years ago. Porsche also will be joining the series in the near future,...

Daimler Vans USA and its network of both Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner Sprinter dealers sold a total of 16,577 vans View post:  2011 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van Sales Up 94 Percent

Leave it to Lexus to deliver me a convertible as soon as it’s too cold to put the top down. Of course, I did anyway, for the sake of testing. Despite looking like an idiot with the the top down, both windows up, and the heat on full blast, I had to experience the car in full so I could report it to you, faithful Automoblog readers. Okay now, top up for the rest of the test. The nice thing about retractable hardtops is when the top is up, it looks and drives like a standard coupe, and provides (almost) the same amount of protection from weather and road & wind noise. If you want a convertible, it seems like it’s the way to go. Of course, they aren’t without their downsides. First, they’re heavy – the IS 250C is about 400 lbs heavier than its fixed-roof sedan cousin. They’re also expensive, and the not-so-pliable aluminum roof takes up extra space when it’s folded up in the trunk. A lot of extra space, actually. To put the top down, you have to open up the trunk and move a cargo cover into the right spot first, reducing cargo room from a decent 10.8 cubic feet to a measly 2.4. Once everything’s in place, it’ll take 20 seconds for the top to fold back and into that 8.8 cubic ft. The Lexus IS-series hasn’t changed their styling in a few years, which isn’t a bad thing – it’s a good-looking car. The IS-C lacks some of the sharp lines of the fixed-roof IS and replaces them with a stretched ass-end, throwing some proportions out of order for the sake of the folding top. It’s still a good-looking car, but looks awkward from certain angles. If you’ve always wanted a two-door Lexus IS though, it’s the only way to get one. I would like to see a proper IS Coupe one of these days, preferably via the IS-F. If you’re looking for something a little sportier, you can add plenty of F-Sport options to the IS, including 19-inch alloy wheels and tires, and a big brake kit. While inside, you’ll get the typical Lexus treatment – a beautifully designed interior, comfy leather seats, steering wheel audio and cruise controls with power tilt/telescope, four power windows, Lexus’ 8-speaker audio system with Bluetooth and USB input, and plenty of other Lexus-y standard...

Some people just have no respect for the Mercedes engineers who spend hundreds, if not thousands, of hours testing and tuning the carmaker’s products for the best performance. And that’s actually a good thing, because if there were no tuners like RENNtech who seek to obtain the ultimate performance from cars they lay their hands on, we wouldn’t be seeing this video. Billed as the world’s fastest Mercedes-powered Mercedes, this video shows a RENNtech-tuned Mercedes SLR McLaren doing a 10.31 in the quarter mile. With a trap speed of 136 mph, it’s pretty quick, considering that the mods done to it consisted only of bolt-ons. Combining a smaller supercharger pulley, upgraded intercoolers, revised ECU and a sports exhaust resulted in an output of 770 horsepower. As you can see, the tuner left well enough alone but even with these relatively minor mods, the resulting performance was enough to turn in a pretty quick time.   See the original post here:  RENNTech SLR Shows Extreme Performance From Minimal Mods

Filed under: Comment The official unveiling for the latest Mercedes SL might have only been just the other week at Detroit , but this hasn’t stopped the new car appearing in a bizarre fashion week video. Starring opposite David Walliam’s model missus Lara Stone, the story appears to be a modern take on The Wizard of Oz . Personally, I’m not really sure how the new Mercedes fits into this story, apart from looking good in the background. See what you think of this fashion film by Alex Prager below:   Read more: No place like home: Mercedes SL features in new fashion advert Go here to read the rest:  No place like home: Mercedes SL features in new fashion advert

Filed under: Latest News MPs were attacked yesterday in the House of Commons for not understanding just how costly young drivers’ accidents can be. Nick Starling, president of the Association of British Insurers (ABI), blasted MPs saying that they’re “failing to grasp the nettle” on young drivers’ accident rates (and the damage done) and that the government sees them “merely as voters”. Mr Starling informed the House of Commons Transport Committee: “Claims of up to £20million have been made. It’s not unusual to have three or four people injured in a car crash who will need care for life.” He went on to say that up to 20% of young drivers have had an accident. Road safety minister Mike Penning rebuked the accusations, commenting: ” Insurers are completely wrong to suggest that this Government does not care about young people or tackling young driver accident rates, which have fallen significantly in recent years… We have made the driving test more realistic and less predictable, and are considering how to improve training for drivers after they pass their test to help them develop their driving skills and knowledge.” The Metro has reported that Direct Line settled ’such a figure’ as the £20million figure Mr Starling referred to. The company added that eight-figure settlements aren’t unheard of. Insurance costs are undoubtedly rising , especially for young drivers who have admitted to lying to reduce their premiums. The average insurance quote for a male driver aged 17-22 is around £2,977, far more than the national average of £907. Source: The Metro   Read more from the original source: Young driver accidents can lead to £20million claims Here is the original post:  Young driver accidents can lead to £20million claims

Filed under: Consumer The new SLK’s been around for a while now . It seems to be going down well. It doesn’t look as ‘girly’ as the previous model and it comes with some pretty jazzy tech – like a folding glass roof that can change from see-through to solid at the press of a precisely engineered button. But it’s been missing something: Power. Well, the SLK350 is pretty quick, but the 55 AMG comes packing a bonkers 421bhp and a naturally aspirated 5.5-litre V8 engine. In a car the size of an overnight bag. As you can expect, it’s rather quick and now it’s a steal at £54,950. To put its price in to perspective… you can have six (and a bit) Citroen C1s, three used Lotus Elises (S2s) or a brand spanking new BMW M3 for that money. Yes, it’s smaller than the M3, but at least you won’t look like an accountant on the road. Some may say it’s a girls’ car, but we don’t think the new SLK is overly effeminate. It’s quite butch, really. Its 421bhp is good for getting the SLK from 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds and on to 155mph, but that’s not what’s impressing us. Our inner (and outer, come to mention it) geeks are amazed at the economy figures on offer. The 5.5-litre V8 will, apparently, manage 33.6mpg and only farts out 195g/km CO2. That’s seriously clever engine management tech. There are, naturally, lots of options available on the SLK 55 AMG, too many to list here, but there’s one that caught our eye: the AMG Driver’s Package. That particular package gets you an invite to an AMG Power and Passion event (dramatic name, right?) and raises the car’s top speed. If you’ve decided that this is the car for you, head down to your nearest Mercedes dealership with your £54,950 in hand as soon as you want.   See more here: Mercedes SLK 55 AMG has a price on its head View post:  Mercedes SLK 55 AMG has a price on its head

Among the rich and famous, Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars have always been a preferred mode of transportation. These are cars that no one else can afford. You can be a luxury pretender with ownership of a BMW or Mercedes-Benz, thanks to entry-level models. Prestige is garnered by years at the top. Maybach was Mercedes-Benz’ effort to break into this market, which has two establishes players. As most of us probably know, it didn’t go as well as Mercedes had oped. Quite a few celebrities jumped on board with the car though, and according to Automotive News , Bentley is making an effort to go after them. Bentley Chief Executive Officer Wolfgang Duerheimer said as much at the Detroit auto show: “The withdrawal of Maybach is a business opportunity for us and we’re going to use it.” Rolls-Royce was less zealous: “We naturally welcome any current Maybach customers…..but seeking them out and hunting them down is not the Rolls-Royce way.” Duerheimer says he’s hearing from Maybach customers, and they feel abandoned. Analysts think that these buyers wanted something more exclusive than a Mercedes-Benz in the first place, and won’t be heading back to the more plebeian brand. To win them over, Bentley is inviting high-profile customers to its factory in Crewe, England for a VIP tour. It isn’t clear if this offer is being extended to Maybach owners going years back, ones recently are just a certain select few. 200 Maybachs were sold last year, but a whole lot more than that was sold over the car’s lifespan, making it a potentially big market opportunity. What’s more than the actual sales too is product placement from high-profile customers. Maybach owners include the Sultan of Brunei, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and the Spanish monarchy. If a good percentage move over to Bentleys thanks to a letter writing campaign by the CEO and a few VIP trips to England, it will definitely be more cost effective than any advertising campaign. Related posts: Mercedes-Benz Kills Maybach; Plans For S600 Pullman Acura to Rival Bentley, Maybach Daimler Weighs Future of Maybach Brand Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts Go here to read the rest:  Bentley Sees Opportunity Amid Maybach Closure

Filed under: Humour A couple of pick-ups aren’t the first thing that comes to mind as a tool to demolish an old showroom. However, when it is a Chevrolet dealer using its own Silverado pick-ups, it is a perfect excuse for tyre smoke and promotion. John Watson Chevrolet in Utah, was the dealer that used the pick-ups to make the decisive mark on its showroom demolition, but I wonder if the not very well hidden orange excavator might have done the hard work beforehand? Check out the Chevy demolition action below:   Go here to read the rest: Chevy dealer shows ingenious way of pulling down showroom Original post:  Chevy dealer shows ingenious way of pulling down showroom

Acknowledging that diesels are making inroads in terms of acceptability in one of the world’s largest markets, Mercedes-Benz of North America is planning to introduce a diesel GLK, concurrent with its plans to also introduce a diesel-powered C-Class. Today’s crop of diesel engines are far removed from their predecessors, which deserved their reputation as oil burners with their unmistakable clatter. Nowadays, diesel engines rival gasoline engines in terms of smoothness and power generation, while significantly offering higher levels of fuel efficiency with much lower harmful emissions. For the 2013 model year, Mercedes’ GLK diesel model will sport a 2200 cc common rail engine with an output of 170 hp and almost 300 lb-ft of torque. To be known as the 220 CDI 4Matic, this CUV has already passed US emission laws. With the increased acceptance of diesels, Mercedes-Benz North America head Steve Cannon looks forward to sales figures in the “high 30s”, as opposed to the previous year’s sales of 24,300 units. View post:  GLK Diesel To Be Made Available In The U.S.