Mercedes-benz: C-class on 2040-cars

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Mercedes moves R-Class production to AM General in Indiana

Go back a decade or two and you'd have seen the SUV market polarizing in opposite directions: hard-core off-roaders like the Hummer on the one hand, and passenger-focused crossovers like the Mercedes R-Class on the other. Now their fates are set to intertwine, at least as far as manufacturing is concerned. No longer producing Hummers, AM General (which designed and originally produced the Hummer) has been assigned the task of manufacturing the R-Class at its underused, 675,000 square-foot Commercial Assembly Plant in Mishawaka, IN – part of metropolitan South Bend. The decision was undertaken to allow Mercedes to free up production capacity at its plant in Tuscaloosa, AL, where it also produces the M-Class, GL-Class and C-Class, and where it will soon begin manufacturing the GLE Coupe. The vacation of the R-Class assembly line could be earmarked to make room for that new slant-roofed crossover (which was originally thought to be joining the Tuscaloosa plant as a fifth model) or could pave the way for another model to reach Alabama altogether. The multi-year arrangement to manufacture the R-Class makes AM General the first manufacturer contracted to build Mercedes-Benz vehicles in the US, but hardly the only one in the world. The G-Class – which could, incidentally, be characterized as the German equivalent of the Hummer – is built on Mercedes' behalf by Magna Steyr in Austria, and the company builds many of its passenger and commercial vehicles for local consumption under joint ventures in the Far East especially. The R-Class was first introduced in 2005, and though it's still built in America, it was removed from the company's US lineup back in 2012. However Mercedes confirms that, since 2013, it has been and remains available exclusively in China. That puts the R-Class in the rare position of being manufactured in the United States by (or now for) a foreign automaker but unavailable for sale here. AM General Selected As Mercedes-Benz First and Only Contract Manufacturer of Vehicles in the United States SOUTH BEND, Ind., Jan. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- AM General LLC and Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc., today announced that Mercedes-Benz has selected AM General to manufacture the Mercedes-Benz R-Class luxury vehicle at AM General's world-class 675,000 square-foot Commercial Assembly Plant.

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4Matic Quick Spin [w/video]

Mercedes-Benz product guru Bart Herring strode to the middle of a crowded conference room in Atlanta and succinctly explained the 2016 GLC. "What's different from the outgoing car? Everything." That's getting right to the point, and it's accurate. The GLC is lighter, larger, and more comfortable than the long-running GLK that it replaces. It's wrapped in a simple yet elegant design that's a departure from the polarizing looks of its off-road-themed predecessor, and the "C" in the name now clearly aligns it as the SUV counterpart to the C-Class sedan. We'll always have a soft spot for the GLK, but the widespread appeal of the GLC is undeniable. Driving Notes The GLC300 runs Mercedes' widely used 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, rated at 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Maximum twist is served up at just 1,300 rpm, which makes passing smooth and easy. We pick off semis and slower moving traffic with confidence. During these bursts of acceleration, we notice the engine note, which has a deep timbre. The turbo four is a solid replacement for the GLK's naturally aspirated V6. Still, we like that engine. It serves up 302 hp in no-frills fashion. But Mercedes is moving away from six cylinders, inline with market trends, and this turbo delivers 20-percent better fuel economy. Though the I4 and V6 are both rated at 273 lb-ft, the turbo's max output is available much sooner. Coupled with the lighter weight, it almost makes up for the turbo four's 61 fewer hp. 0-60 times are expected to be comparable, Herring says. The GLC's nine-speed automatic transmission replaces the GLK's seven-speed auto gearbox. The new transmission shifts smoothly when we're cruising, though it will hold gears longer in Sport and Sport+ modes when we want to spice things up. We pull the paddles during acceleration, but found this sophisticated unit is best left to its own devices. We spend most of our test in a 4Matic all-wheel-drive version, which provides a little extra peace of mind on a chilly, wet morning as we navigate the busy highways and quiet rural routes of northern Georgia. Generally, it's hard to actually test all-wheel-drive capability on the street, but we definitely notice when we don't have it. During our brief test in a rear-drive model, the tires spin when we get on the throttle aggressively, and the vehicle feels a little more unbuttoned over the wet leaves strewn across the damp pavement.

Petrolicious profiles mustard 1972 Mercedes-Benz 280 ready to go anywhere

The Mercedes-Benz sedans of the '70s and early '80s are certainly attractive models, but with their hard lines, the four-doors really don't have the graceful curves usually associated with a beautiful car. Instead, it's much more accurate to call these classic Germans handsome. The W114 chassis especially has a powerful stance about it with an upright grille dominating the front and long, flat surfaces elsewhere. Petrolicious takes a look at one man's journey to restore one of these posh vehicles in its latest video. Bernard Bredehorn grew up in the back of his grandparents' W116-chassis Mercedes 280 SE, and when he eventually got a classic of his own, Bredehorn ended up with a 1972 Mercedes 280. However, the sedan was in need of a complete restoration and sat for years in a friend's garage buried under parts. Bredehorn eventually excavated the car and brought it back to life in a very '70s shade of mustard yellow. Petrolicious shows why this classic Mercedes is now happy eat up many trouble-free miles on Germany's roads.