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Affalterbach Additions Transform Benz’s Heavy-Hitting Droptop

Saint-Tropez is a charming town in southeastern France nestled along the Mediterranean Sea. Internationally recognized as a summer playground for the wealthy and famous, it is also famed for its “clothing optional” beaches where more than just noses and shoulders get burned in hot weather. While still a couple months shy of warm weather and the influx of tourists, Mercedes-Benz chose to get an early start on the topless party by flying us to the Côte d’Azur for some seat time in its newest high-performance droptop, the 2013 SL63 AMG Roadster.

Our first taste of the new SL-Class was behind the wheel of the standard SL550 in Spain less than two months ago. The two-seater impressed us with its stout chassis, strong engine and lavish appointments – but it failed to stir our emotions. The base SL long ago steered away from being a driver’s car, and its latest incarnation proved no different. It was, in effect, just a very capable and posh GT.

But the SL63 AMG, boasting upwards of 557 horsepower thanks to a burly twin-turbocharged V8, still seems promising. Its luxury appointments are nearly identical, yet it wears AMG attire and its entire powertrain has been upgraded to appease warm-blooded automotive enthusiasts. Do fresh duds and a new muscular system make a more compelling athlete? We roughed in the French Riviera to find out.

Continue reading 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG [w/video]

2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG [w/video]

Just don’t answer. The question is neither relevant, nor is it even the crux of the column. Get past the clicky smelling headline, and what you have here is a combination of two news stories, one new and one old, both of which you’ve likely already come across.

We’re going to play nice here and not knock over Salon columnist David Sirota’s house of cards, because this is a good read and he’s a talented writer – even if, off the top of our heads, we can name several popular vehicles that offer a fuel economy benefit to those willing to row their own, from the Volkswagen Jetta to the Chevrolet Sonic to the BMW 3 Series. But the guy does have a point that’s probably of great benefit to many Salon readers: If a smug sense of superiority is what you’re after, opting for a manual transmission is no longer a sure bet. (Locally sourced organic produce and craft beer, for the win!)

In the end, Sirota is smart enough to come to two conclusions that most of us would agree to. The first being that driving a manual is fun, and the second, that it’s hard to text while steering, operating all three pedals, and working that stick.

On second thought, maybe you should answer with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’. See below for our completely unscientific poll.

View Poll

Salon columnist asks, “Is it ethical to drive stick?”

Before financial Stargate opened in September of 2008 and transported us to an entirely new economic dimension, it was oh so common to read about domestic automakers hammering Tier One suppliers to lower their prices. Of course, suppliers are still asked to find efficiencies, but pre-2008, it seemed a point of honor to hold a supplier’s feet to the fire. No more: in the latest Working Relations Index survey of suppliers by Detroit firm Planning Perspectives Inc., General Motors and Chrysler rocketed up the charts to bring the bunch much closer together.

Admittedly, the two companies are still in last place, with GM just ahead of Chrysler and Toyota and Honda still up top. But perspective and improvement is the issue here: in 2005, Toyota scored 415 and GM scored 114. In this year’s survey, Toyota scored 296 and Chrysler scored 248. It is the first time in the 12 years of the survey that the six automakers covered have been separated by less than 50 points. Chrysler’s jump was led by the efforts of the the late Dan Knott, whle GM’s improvement has been led by Bob Socia.

And yes, this is also a matter of the perennial leaders, Toyota and Honda, suffering a dip: in 2010 Toyota scored 327 and Honda 309, two years later, Toyota has dropped 31 points. Every automaker, however, from top to bottom acknowledged that they still have work to do with supplier relations. The benefits of good feelings are that suppliers tend to present their newest tech to, and make better parts for, the automakers with whom they have the best relationships. Naturally, it has been found that the reverse is true as well.

Nissan and Ford make up the middle two spots, where they’ve been for years. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Hyundai aren’t on the list yet; PPI feels it doesn’t have enough data on the Germans to yet to officially include them, and it doesn’t have enough data on Hyundai to rank it at all. If the data gathered on the Germans was included, though, they would sandwich the rest of the field: BMW and Mercedes at the top, Volkswagen at the bottom a point shy of Chrysler.

Toyota, Honda top supplier survey with lower results, GM and Chrysler improve

“We are ready to make this car the top seller if the customer agrees.”

Nissan started Job One production for the 2013 Altima sedan at its Smyrna, Tennessee plant today.

Nissan has big plans for the fifth-generation Altima, which was the number-two selling car in the United States in 2011. The company is adding a third shift at Smyna, and shifting models around between this plant and its Canton, Mississippi plant with an eye toward the Altima passing the Toyota Camry as the top-selling model in America.

Toyota sold 308,510 Camrys last year, compared with Nissan’s 268,981 Altimas.

“We haven’t built and designed this car the way we have, and made all these changes with a goal of being number-two,” said Nissan Americas vice chairman Bill Krueger. Krueger admits that the consumer will vote on whether the Altima becomes the top selling car. “But we are ready to make this car the top seller if the customer agrees.”

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam chimed in on the rivalry. “We are going to give the folks down in Georgetown [Kentucky] a serious run for the money,” said Haslam, speaking of Toyota’s plant in the neighboring state.

Nissan definitely has the capacity to pass the Camry, as it builds Altimas at two plants.

Krueger says he is not willing to cut and slash profit margins to chase the top-seller number for Altima. Nissan has long been more aggressive in incentive spending than its Japanese rivals in large part because it does not have the brand cachet and reputation for durability and quality that Toyota and Honda have.

Nissan built 570,000 vehicles in the U.S. last year and is adding a third shift to Smyrna. Nissan executives, however, won’t pinpoint what total capacity is for Smyrna and Canton for competitive reasons. But it definitely has the capacity to pass the Camry’s sales, as it builds Altimas at both plants.

Driving impressions of the 2013 Altima are embargoed until May 25, but we are allowed to tell you about a new feature we think is pretty cool. The tire pressure monitoring system not only tells the driver specifically what tire is low, but when you inflate each tire to the ideal, manufacturer-specified level, the car’s horn sounds. Pretty neat, huh?.

2013 Nissan Altima production kicks off in Smyrna, aims to pass Camry for #1

The door has not yet closed on Saab. Hoping for yet another 11th hour stay of execution, the defunct carmaker’s chief union, IF Metall, has written directly to President Obama, asking him to intervene, according to Just-Auto. While on the surface, this may seem silly, it’s actually rather clever, even if it has little likelihood of working.

With the United States government still owning 26 percent of General Motors, the Swedish union is hoping it can appeal to Obama to pressure General Motors into granting licenses to continue manufacturing Saab vehicles, according to the report. It’s this sticking point that has torpedoed every attempt to forestall Saab’s dissolution, as GM fears that were it to allow continued production of Saabs developed under GM’s ownership, it would open up the possibility of intellectual property conflicts, particularly if a Chinese manufacturer that competes with GM’s own Chinese partner, SAIC, acquires Saab.

You have to admire Saab loyalists, as they clearly have not given up hope. But in this case, they just don’t have any other options: Unemployment in the Saab hometown of Trollhättan has hit 40 percent, according to the report.

Saab union asks Obama to pressure GM for licensing deal

Mark Heidaker’s Hennessey Ford GT is back to work snagging records. Sean Kennedy once again took to the wheel of the machine at the Houston Half Mile Shootout, and just as before, the duo didn’t disappoint. Kennedy was able to pilot the wicked GT to an astonishing 212.9 miles per hour in a mere half mile, successfully snagging the world record in the process. Not too shabby.

As you may recall, this same team walked away with the standing mile world record back in March. At that time, Kennedy shot the GT to 257.7 mph in the allotted distance. We have to wonder what these guys have up their sleeves for the next stunt. Click Scroll down to check out the understandably quick half mile video for yourself.

Continue reading Hennessey Ford GT hits 212.9 mph in the standing half-mile

Hennessey Ford GT hits 212.9 mph in the standing half-mile

If you thought Mercedes-Benz has expanded its range of luxury automobiles to gargantuan proportions, well… you’re right. But its commercial vehicles division hasn’t been missing a step, either. The German truckmaker is still in the process of launching the new Citan urban delivery van, and is already working on its next offering to the truckers of the world: the Antos.

Designed from the get-go as a short-radius distribution truck, the Antos pioneers a new class of maneuverable and versatile workhorse. Still in the development phase, the Antos will be revealed in full at the Commercial Vehicle IAA this coming September, at which point it will be made available in a staggering array of configurations. Mercedes-Benz plans to offer the Antos in two cab styles, with no fewer than thirteen powertrain options (ranging from 238 horsepower up to 510) and a whopping 67 wheelbase lengths to make it almost infinitely adaptable to whatever use its owners and operators have in mind.

The possibilities with a truck like this are virtually endless, extending to refrigerator boxes, flat beds, high cubes and beyond. Scroll down below to read more about it in the full press release.

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz launching new Antos short-radius distribution truck

Mercedes-Benz launching new Antos short-radius distribution truck

Every year the Formula One calendar incorporates new races at more far-flung locations around the world. Recent additions have brought the series to such locales as Abu Dhabi, South Korea and India. But the purists know that, no matter where it may roam, F1 is essentially a European series.

With the grands prix in Australia, Malaysia, China and Bahrain now behind us, the circus has come back home for the European section of the calendar that kicked off this weekend in Barcelona, Spain. Keep reading to see how it unfolded.

Continue reading A rookie challenges the champions at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix [spoilers]

A rookie challenges the champions at the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix [spoilers]

The American Le Mans Series headed to Monterey, CA this weekend for the third round of the season following Sebring and Long Beach. The annual race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is normally scheduled as the season finale in October, often leading to nail-biting finishes. More often than not, though, the team and drivers’ championships were wrapped up before the last event, meaning that the Laguna Seca was essentially inconsequential. The schedule change to an earlier spot in the year ensures that each and every team fights for points.

With a highly competitive GT field – perhaps more than ever – spectators were almost ensured fantastic racing from the likes of Corvette, Porsche, Ferrari, BMW and Aston Martin. We can’t wait until the new SRT Viper GTS-R is thrown into the mix as well. BMW and Corvette split the first two races of 2012, although it seems that any team and any car could pull out a win at any time.

It’s a different story in the prototype classes, where the Honda HPD ARX-03a run by Muscle Milk Racing looks to be the runaway favorite in the P1 class. The team lost out at Sebring due to fueling problems, but had a dominating performance in Long Beach. Likewise, the Honda HPD ARX-03b of Level 5 Motorsports has swept the first two races of the season and look like the team to beat. However, the big news in Monterey for the prototype classes was the debut of Dempsey Racing’s new closed-cockpit Lola B12/87 running in the P2 class. Patrick Dempsey himself would be making his ALMS debut.

Scroll down below to read more about the American Le Mans Series race in Monterey.

Continue reading GT cars thrill at ALMS race in Monterey

GT cars thrill at ALMS race in Monterey

If you want to get your hands on the Ultimate version of the Aston Martin DBS, you’d better act fast, and come with cash in hand.

The DBS Ultimate, as you may recall, is Gaydon’s way of saying goodbye to what has been (notwithstanding the comings and goings of the One-77 and V12 Zagato) its mainstay flagship model for five years now. It’s distinguished by such special touches as a painted rear decklid spoiler, carbon-fiber wing mirror caps, darkened grille, smoked taillamps, Zircotec-coated tail pipes, special badging, and a choice of yellow, black or red brake calipers.

Its interior has likewise been upgraded with red or silver diamond-quilted stitching on the leather seats and Alcantara headliner, and can be ordered in manual or automatic, coupe or Volante convertible, and in one of three colors: Carbon Black II, Quantum Silver or Silver Fox.

Aston has now confirmed that only 100 examples will be offered globally, on a purely first come, first served basis, with no specific allotments for individual markets. The order books are open now with production slated for early June, with American pricing pegged at $287,576 for the coupe and $302,576 for the Volante. Aston also released a fresh batch of images, which you can browse above.

Aston Martin prices limited-edition DBS Ultimate

The crew from Cool Hunting finally got around to stopping by the Icon headquarters for a little chat with founder Jonathan Ward. The man has made a name for himself by crafting some of the most detail-oriented interpretations of classic cars on the planet.

The Icon Bronco features all of the vintage style of a late ’60s SUV with a hand-built frame, modern running gear and electronics underneath. We are, needless to say, smitten with the creation. Ward gave Cool Hunting the complete tour, including showing off a number of Icon Bronco models in various stages of completion.

Ward brings up an interesting point about modern vehicles about halfway through the clip. He says that with manufacturers continuing to pile on unnecessary technology, today’s machines are almost guaranteed to be obsolete in five years or so. In contrast, Ward says he builds each Icon to be durable enough to last decades without needing serious revision. We like his style. Scroll down below to watch the video.

Continue reading Icon Bronco dissected in detail

Icon Bronco dissected in detail

As expected, the so-called auto bailout of 2009 has become a major talking point in the run-up to the 2012 Presidential Election. Somewhat surprisingly, however, both sides of the aisle are taking credit for the success seen by General Motors and Chrysler since the two automakers were pushed through a structured bankruptcy process.

Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney has said he deserves “a lot of credit” for the resuscitation of the auto industry due to his suggestion of a managed bankruptcy of the two automakers. President Obama, on the other hand, points out that Romney was very vocal in his opposition to the auto bailout, frequently citing the editorial he wrote for the New York Times in 2009 titled “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt,” in which he said the auto industry was “virtually guaranteed” to fail if Obama’s bailout proceeded.

Building on previous advertisements highlighting the auto bailout of 2009, the Obama campaign has released two new videos touting the success of the automakers since the dark days of bankruptcy. Scroll down below to watch the videos for yourself.

Continue reading Obama’s latest campaign ads highlight auto recovery

Obama’s latest campaign ads highlight auto recovery

While the investigation of the Fisker Karma that toasted a Texas garage is not over, pundits have begun to weigh in. Automotive News has found a particularly credible one in Jon Bereisa, CEO of Auto Lectrification and the chief engineer of the General Motors EV1 and systems architect for the Chevrolet Volt. And according to Bereisa, the poor packaging of the Karma’s internal combustion engine is what likely caused the fire.

“The engine is shoehorned into that bay, because they had to use a larger engine, because it was too heavy a car,” Bereisa told AN. “As a result, there’s no room for exhaust routing and heat shielding to route the heat away.”

The Karma uses a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine sourced from GM. In the Karma, however, the Ecotec does not drive the wheels, but acts as a generator to supplement and recharge the batteries. The report says that a fluid leak, combined with tight engine compartment confines and the resultant high heat from the gasoline engine’s exhaust and the would have been enough to cause the fire.

Fisker is maintaining that it is not the car’s battery pack that is at fault, and has pointed to other potential sources of the blaze, according to the report, telling AN that, “There are myriad combustible materials that could be in the garage, in the wheel arch, or picked up on the roadside.”

Engine packaging to blame for Fisker Karma garage fire?

Few automakers can produce the kind of sports sedans that the Germans do. And for most of the country’s automakers, those performance vehicles can be recognized by one letter (or a combination of a few): M for BMW, RS for Audi, AMG for Mercedes-Benz… and R for Volkswagen. The relatively new performance division at Wolfsburg has now gotten its hands on the Passat, and these are the results.

Well, almost, but not quite. You see, this isn’t a full-on R performance variant, but an R-Line model that gives the midsize sedan (and wagon) a sportier look and an upgraded suspension, but without the engine mods you’d expect to come with it.

It also isn’t the same Passat as the one we get here. Ours is made in America (Chatanooga, Tennessee, to be specific). This is based on the European model, and as such is available (in Europe, anyway) in both sedan and wagon form. In either body-style, the Passat R-Line includes a new aero kit (complete with sportier bumpers front and rear, side skirts, rear diffuser and deck-lid spoiler), 17-inch alloys, a sport-tuned suspension and a cabin decked out with sports seats, stainless steel trim and a flat-bottomed steering wheel.

The R-Line model stands as a separate trim level atop the Passat range – selling for €30,225 in Germany (equivalent to about $39k) – but buyers of the Comfortline and Highline trim levels can also specify the aero kit for an extra €990 (~$1,300). Check it out in the high-res image gallery for a closer look.

Volkswagen gives the R-Line treatment to European-model Passat

Bloomberg reports that if U.S. auto sales continue at their current pace, 2012 will mark the best year for the industry since 2007. The news comes after word that both Ford and Chrysler have slimmed or entirely eliminated the traditional summer shutdown at their manufacturing facilities to keep pace with demand.

All told, sales may reach 14.3 million cars and light trucks, according to analysts, thanks to factors like a gradually improving economy and easier credit. If the pace continues, 2012 will mark the third year of 10-percent gains, which marks only the fourth time that’s happened since the Great Depression.

Car sales stalled in 2008, and 2009 saw manufacturers move just 10.4 million units. As Bloomberg points out, that’s the lowest number since 1982, but buyers took home 11.6 million vehicles in 2010 and 12.8 million in 2011. The industry saw a 10.3-percent increase through the first four months of this year. As a result, General Motors, Ford and Toyota have adjusted their yearly sales forecasts accordingly.

2012 U.S. auto sales on pace to be best in five years

BMW has long had an advantage over Mercedes-Benz and Lexus when it comes to maintenance and ownership costs that it has hardly ever advertised – free maintenance for the first four years of ownership. The secret will be no more as the company is about to unleash a major ad push behind the program known as BMW Ultimate Service.

The ads, done by BMW’s ad agency, Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners, which took BMW’s whole ad account assignment last August, are set inside a BMW dealership and draw on comedy to depict the surprise and even incredulity that four years of free maintenance comes with every new Bimmer. In one spot, for example, a woman thinks the promise of free maintenance is a come-on, and she reminds the salesman that she is married. In another spot, a man buying a BMW thinks he has to give the salesman sports tickets in order to get the deal.

BMW’s marketing chief Dan Creed says the ad campaign, for which there are 27 different possible endings to the vignettes between salesman and customer, is timed right for a market of luxury buyers, which, though seemingly fully recovered from the economic death march of 2008-2010, is still looking for value along with their luxury.

“The expectation and widely held belief that BMW has very expensive maintenance costs is still a big factor in why people bypass us when shopping, and we think we have a very efficient way of changing that perception here,” says Creed. “Mercedes, Lexus, and our other competitors don’t have this, and we are going to use it as a meaningful point of difference.”

Scroll down below for more on BMW’s upcoming ads and to watch the videos.

Continue reading Olympics + 3 Series + Free Service: Enough for BMW to keep luxe lead in 2012?

Olympics + 3 Series + Free Service: Enough for BMW to keep luxe lead in 2012?

Buick wants you to know that the 2013 Enclave is smart and sexy and has enlisted the aid of Marissa Miller to help get the point across. The redesigned crossover seems more distracting than anything when Miller’s in the picture, but we’ll assume that’s in a good way. And since we don’t expect she comes with the car, buyers should be able to focus on the smart and sexy part.

To see the video of the Enclave and Miller behind the scenes, you know where to go.

Continue reading Buick takes us behind the scenes with Marisa Miller

Buick takes us behind the scenes with Marisa Miller

When General Motors put down several of its brands in recent years, it also let loose thousands of brand-loyal customers who will eventually need another car.

R.L. Polk Associates estimates there are more than 18 million cars from 16 discontinued makes on the road today. Those “orphan owners” have sales-hungry competitors seeing dollar signs. GM is offering Saturn owners $1,000 cash toward a Chevy Cruze, Caddillac CTS or a GMC Acadia. Ford is giving its Mercury lease customers a chance to get out of their contracts with no early-termination penalty and offering to waive six remaining payments if they drive off in a Ford or Lincoln.

Edmunds.com research shows the efforts are paying off somewhat for GM, with 39 percent of Pontiac owners, 37 percent of Hummer owners and 31 percent of Saturn owners taking delivery of another GM-branded vehicle. But that leaves as much as 69 percent of owners going elsewhere. Ford, Honda and Toyota seem to be attracting many former GM owners.

As Forbes points out, if you’re driving an orphaned nameplate, you just might be able to use that to your advantage when shopping for a new vehicle.

Automakers tussle over owners of ‘orphan’ makes

Things are good again at Toyota, which reported a $1.5 billion profit for the quarter, wrapping up a fiscal year in which it made just $3.5 billion, according to Business Week.

While Toyota saw sales growth in Europe, Africa, and its home market, North America was a weak point. Sales revenue for the fiscal year totaled $232 billion, down two percent, according to the report.

Though the company still beat its forecast of $2.5 billion, the real excitement surrounds its projections for the next 12 months. As predicted by analysts, Toyota says it expects to make $9.5 billion in the year that extends through March of next year, showing that the automaker has fully recovered from the effects of last year’s tsunami, according to the report.

Toyota releases financial results, predicts profits will double in 2012

Ferrari is not an outfit that would miss out on the enormous opportunity presented by the Chinese market. Having won the grand prix there three times out of the first four it was held, the Prancing Horse marque launched a special-edition 599 there in 2009, followed by an even more exclusive porcelain-finish one-off.

For 2012, Ferrari created a special-edition 458 Italia to mark the year of the dragon, and to launch it, the local dealership in Nanjing rented out a section of the Great Wall. It’s what they did with it, however, that has local authorities seeing red in more ways than one.

Apparently at some point during or after the demonstration, an employee of the dealership got behind the wheel of the limited-edition V8 supercar and pulled some smokey donuts. The problem is that the stunt left tire marks burnt into the ancient surface, leaving authorities understandably upset. What repercussions will ensue remains to be seen, but we certainly wouldn’t want to be ticking off China’s notoriously strict government.

Scroll down below for the video report.

Continue reading Ferrari dealership in trouble for burning rubber on the Great Wall of China

Ferrari dealership in trouble for burning rubber on the Great Wall of China