Mercedes-Benz Viano Vision Pearl Concept

We first reported on Mercedes-Benz's Frankfurt auto show-bound Viano Vision Pearl Concept just last week, but since then, the German automaker has released a slew of new photos detailing the luxury people carrier.

But for those that simply want the skinny on the design concept, Mercedes-Benz crafted a deluxe passenger van out of its Viano model with most changes taking place inside.
These include a full leather treatment in a two-tone white and gray color theme, wood flooring and matching side trim, brushed aluminium accents and a bespoke Bang & Olufsen sound system.
On the outside, there are some modest touches such as the unique "magno pearl grey” and a revised front end featuring LED daytime running lamps.

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Mercedes-Benz Wants to Take Top Spot from BMW

If Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche's dream comes true, Mercedes-Benz is on course to become the world’s leading premium car maker both in sales as well as in profits. As Automotive News reports, Zetsche sent a letter to the firm's employees admitting that chief competitors Audi and BMW are growing faster than Mercedes.
"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" Zetsche wrote in the letter.
But he didn’t stop there: “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! And if it requires something we don’t have, we’ll identify and develop it”.
Currently the premium car market is enjoying great success mostly due to the boom in China and the rebound of the US market. However, Mercedes-Benz global sales, despite increasing by 9.7% to 610,531 units in the first half of the year, still trail those of BMW (689,861 deliveries) and Audi (652,970 units).

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Mercedes Previews 2012 B-Class Mini MPV's

Earlier in July, Mercedes-Benz outline the shape and detailed the powertrain lineup for the new 2012 B-Class MPV. Now, the Stuttgart-based automaker is providing us with our first look at the tall compact model's inner works.

Looking at these photos, if there's one thing that stands out it’s that, unlike the exterior, which is an evolution of the current B-Class, the interior has been completely redesigned and features a more modern styling and premium feel than the sober cabin of today's model.
Mercedes-Benz says its new Advanced Design Studio in Como, Italy played a significant role in the interior design of the new B-Class.
The company added that the cabin also sports higher-quality materials and can be customized with numerous features and options such as covering the dashboard in hand-stitched ARTICO man-made leather.
The new B-Class, which continues to use the current versions sandwich floor, will be making its world premiere at the IAA in Frankfurt in mid September before Mercedes-Benz rolls it out to European dealerships in November this year.

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Mercedes-Benz to Build BMW X6 Rival

Things at Mercedes-Benz seem to be moving fast. Just this past weekend, the German automaker launched its C63 AMG Coupe Black Series, while a few days ago we reported on the firm's plans to invest $2 billion in its US factoryto build the next generation of the C-Class.

However, Mercedes has even bigger plans for the Tuscaloosa plant. According to Autonews Europe, sources within the company revealed that it aims to add a fifth model (after the M-, R-, GL- and C-Class) to its Alabama factory production line in 2015.
This model, currently code-named C166, will be based on the M-Class SUV but will feature a more dramatic styling with a coupe-like roofline. Its rival is obvious: the BMW X6.
In 2010, the Bavarians sold 46,404 units of the X6 and 102,178 of its more conventional SUV, the X5, both of which are manufactured in the US. Therefore, it is only logical for Mercedes-Benz to want a piece of the cake that BMW is currently enjoying on its own.

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Mercedes-Benz CLK AMG DTM Gulf Oil Edition

While surely not a mainstream choice, there's no shortage of private sports cars dressed in the historic, characteristic orange and blue colors of Gulf Oil. Needless to say, the two-tone paintjo blooks awesome on some cars and not so much on others.

In the video after the jump, you'll see a very rare Mercedes-Benz CLK AMG DTM sporting the iconic hues. Check it out and tell us what you think in the comments.
We'll remind you that Mercedes built only around 100 examples of the special edition CLK coupe, which was themed after the racing model that participated in the DTM and featured a 5.4-liter supercharged V8 pushing out 582 ponies for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of just 3.8 seconds.

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Video: Mercedes-Benz Bodied Acura Integra Convertible

If you’re still with us and haven’t gone out looking for a bug swatter, there’s more of this lime-green creation to be seen in the video after the jump.
Judging from the cuts on the front fenders and the shape of the bonnet, we reckon it’s a mid-1990s Acura Integra Coupe.
The proud owner of the vehicle chopped off the roof to turn the Japanese coupe into a convertible model and then proceeded with the styling transformation that includes a custom body kit imitating the looks of many Mercedes-Benz roadsters and the customary trick doors.

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Buying a New Car?

Did you know that there are holiday packages that bundle airfares, accommodation andcosmetic surgery? It’s a sort of incentive program for women (and some men) to have their surgery done overseas and is especially popular in Britain and Australia. Well, as some of you may already know, there are similar programs for people who want to buy a new car.

These so-called, “European Delivery Programs” are offered by companies as diverse as Audi,BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volvo. Effectively you’re bundling a discount European vacation with your new car purchase.

You fly to Europe, spend a few nights in a hotel with your mistress family and pick up your car from the dealer or factory there. You save a bit of money on MSRP (no doubt offset by all the souvenirs and what-have-you), enjoy a European holiday and simply drop your car off at the dock when you’re done.

There’s no negotiating or destination fees and turnaround averages four months, with two months to build your car in Europe and another two to ship it back stateside. Many automakers thrown in perks like complimentary meals, free airfares and complimentary stays, insurance and all the rest.

The price can be as little as US$1,500 (€1,050), plus the US$30,000 (€21,000) or so you’ll pay for your entry level BMW or Audi.

But as the luxobarge manufactures are keen to remind us, it’s not about the car...it’s about theexperience.

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Mercedes Keeps 2012 M-Class SUV Prices Unchanged

Good news for those looking to shop Mercedes-Benz’s next-generation M-Class SUV as the German firm has kept pricing for the two available models at launch unchanged over the respective versions of the outgoing ML, despite the new design, improved engines and upgraded standard equipment.

The new 2012 ML350 4MATIC, which is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 rated at 302HP and 273 lb.-ft.), with an estimated fuel economy of 17mpg city and 22mpg highway, starts at $49,865..

The 2012 ML350 BlueTec 4Matic that comes with a V6 diesel engine delivering 240-horsepower and 455 lb.-ft. of torque, and returning 20mpg in the city and 25mpg on the highway, starts at $51,365. Both Prices include an $875 destination charge.

All 2012 M-Class models feature a power glass sunroof, a drowsiness warning system, eight-way power heated front seats, power windows, power liftgate, cruise control, rain sensing wipers and an integrated garage door opener as standard equipment.

For more information on the standard and the cost of the optional equipment features, scroll down to check out the respective spec sheets.

SPEC SHEET

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Mercedes-Benz Tops Secret Shopper Study of U.S. Dealers

Mercedes-Benz dealers were number one for customer treatment in the US according to an independent study by survey company Pied Piper. The California-based company hired 3,524 “secret shoppers” and sent them to US dealerships in order to determine how their salesmen were performing in anything from explaining a car’s features to closing a deal.

This is the third year in a row that Mercedes-Benz, which looks set to top the sales charts this year in the luxury segment, has topped Pied Piper’s study.

The German firm was followed by Jaguar and Lexus dealers, who tied in second place. According to the survey, Toyota and Chrysler’s Ram sales representatives were ranked the best among mass-market carmakers, while Mitsubishi and Suzuki finished at the bottom, as did Lincoln in the luxury segment.

According to CEO of Pied Piper, Fran O’Hagen, in general the brands that scored the poorest were those with the worst sales per dealership. O’Hagen added that’s easy to explain, as these brands cannot retain competent salesmen for a long time.

He also commented that reduced staff has had a negative impact in customer satisfaction now that sales are on the rise again and dealers don’t have the necessary staff to cover their needs.

However, as O’Hagen pointed out, the secret of success in this particular business is not really a secret at all. Good dealerships focus on a customer’s needs, get to know them and ask a few questions about their driving habits – and that takes skill and time.

The “secret”, according to O'Hagen, is to "think not like a salesman, but as a customer".

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U.S.-Spec 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class

Mercedes-Benz’s all-new 2012 M-Class (or ML) makes its on-the-road debut in the U.S. this week so the German company decided to drop a new batch of images for our viewing pleasure.

The Stuttgart firm’s new luxury SUV enters the 2012 model year in the U.S. with a choice of two models. First up is the diesel-powered ML350 BlueTEC delivering 240 horsepower and 455 lb.-ft. of torque, while averaging 20mpg in the city and 25mpg on the highway.

The second choice for U.S. buyers is the gasoline-fueled ML350 4MATIC equipped with a brand new direct-injection 3.5-liter V6 rated at 302 hp and 273 lb.-ft.), with an estimated fuel economy of 17mpg city and 22mpg highway.

Mercedes-Benz has not yet announced U.S. pricing.

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