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Aston Martin signs Letter of Intent for technical partnership with AMG

A little over two months ago came reports that Daimler and Aston Martin were in talks, again, about "supply and technical-cooperation agreements." The next step has been taken with Aston Martin announcing that it has signed a Letter of Intent that looks "towards a technical partnership" with Mercedes-AMG GmbH, and the two companies aiming to have definitive agreements done by year's end.
While it will get to use certain electric and electronic components from AMG, the true golden egg for the maker of the Vanquish will be the ability to develop a new line of "bespoke V8 powertrains" that will be fitted to "a new generation of models." In return for opening up the larder, Daimler will get a non-voting stake of up to five percent of Aston Martin.
Nothing else is being said about the tie-up for the moment, but there's a press release below with a few more details.

Dartz promises own 6x6 G-Class with golden shishas and a dining room

So you didn't really think Dartz Motorz was going to let the limited-production, 544-horsepower Mercedes 6x6 G63 AMG go without a challenge, did you? Picking up the gauntlet as only Dartz can, the Russian dream-makers have come up with the Sahara G-eopard, supposedly a special request from a buyer to make one of the 'standard' six-wheelers "more opulent and insane."
That means the vehicle from the factory gets extended by about a foot (30 centimeters), coach doors in the rear, a "yacht floor" and air conditioning that runs on its own power source, Asanti 24-inch Gold Bullion wheels and a water dispenser with Russian diamonds, which the owner will need to fill the golden shishas (hookahs) in the portable smoking room. That's right, you heard the man: a portable smoking room. Where the occupants will retire when they're finished in the portable dining room. Of course.
Yes, it will even have leopard spotting painted onto its nano-coating, and so much more. You can check out the press release below from the source. Try not to be jealous.

Mercedes calls CLA 'best launch in 20 years' as it warns dealers of tight supplies

It's still in the early going, but it's looking more and more like the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA is a verifiable home run for the German brand. According to a new report from Bloomberg, the new small car isn't just widening the sales gap between Mercedes and BMW, it's attracting a new, younger breed of customers into the brand's showrooms. But that early success is straining supplies of the turbocharged four-door.
Dealers have been warned that the first half of 2014 will see limited supplies for CLA, with a letter to dealers indicating that "tight inventories and low days supply" will exist from February through June, despite the car's Kecskemét, Hungary plant running at full tilt.
"This is our best launch in 20 years," said Steve Cannon, the US boss for Mercedes. "The CLA has been a phenomenal success right out of the gate." The numbers certainly support that. We reported in early October that Mercedes moved 2,300 CLAs in its first week on sale, and now Bloomberg is saying CLA sales were almost singlehandedly responsible for Benz's November sales gains. Mercedes' annual sales are up 14 percent through the November, and it's enjoying a healthy 7,600-car lead over BMW.