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Mercedes was set to sell version of Nissan Titan, now Infiniti might instead

Mercedes-Benz Titan. Mercedes-Benz Frontier. Mercedes-Benz pickup truck. None of these things roll off the tongue particularly well. We'd like to think that's the reason Daimler opted to kill the idea of rebadged Titan and Frontier pickups from corporate ally Nissan. In reality, the execution before the Frankfurt Motor Show was due to more complicated issues.
Yes, Mercedes, byword for German luxury, style and quality, would have slapped a three-pointed star on a pair of Japanese pickup trucks that have failed to resonate with consumers in the world's largest truck market. That slapping of badges isn't much of an exaggeration, at least on the outside. According to the report from Road & Track, the truck's front clip would have been tweaked, but beyond that, the sheetmetal would have been unchanged. The interior would have received a more thorough going-over by the team at Mercedes, while the suspension and noise, vibration and harshness tuning would have also received significant attention.
The trucks would have ended up being sold through the light-commercial branch of Mercedes-Benz - the same folks that will happily sell you a Sprinter van - had the deal gone through. Issues arose, though, first with the engines. Mercedes wanted a wider range of powertrains to allow it to tune models for specific markets, while Nissan said it couldn't engineer the wide variety of engines that MB wanted to drop under the hood. For the smaller truck, meanwhile, MB was interested in a hybrid or plug-in variant, according to R&T, although this was also shot down by Nissan.

Mercedes releases 6x6 G63 AMG specs and pics [w/video]

Mercedes-Benz has finally dropped full details on its insane G63 AMG 6x6. The machine puts 544 horsepower to all six wheels thanks to a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8. A seven-speed gearbox shuttles power to the ground via three sets of portal axles, which helps give this machine a full 15.75 inches of ground clearance. By comparison, the standard G63 AMG sits with just 8.27 inches of ground clearance. The extra lift allows this 6x6 to ford nearly 40 inches of water and run massive 37-inch tires. All told, there are five differential locks on this thing, all controlled by a special "locking logic" that provides the best traction possible for any given situation.
The controls offer up three stages of locking, which we can only assume range from JKLOL to OMGWTF. Right now, AMG says this monstrosity is only a show vehicle, but we imagine it wouldn't take much to convince the team to whip up one of your very own. Check out our full gallery and the press release below for all the nitty gritty. While you're down there, you can also check out the video on the machine one more time.

13-year-old boy swipes dad's Mercedes, drives across Europe

After an argument with his adoptive parents that resulted in them taking away his mobile phone, an angry 13-year-old boy ran away from his home in Italy and headed straight to Poland to meet his biological sister. But instead of taking the train or hitching a ride, like most on the run, the young man (an accomplished go-kart racer and car enthusiast) grabbed the keys to his father's Mercedes-Benz and jumped behind the wheel for an impromptu road trip.
With less than 200 euros (about $270) in his wallet and a passport in his pocket, the youngster managed to put more than 500 miles between himself and his distraught parents, crossing two international borders in the process, before German police nabbed him just shy of the Polish border. According to reports, the vehicle was tracked - it wasn't his driving that alerted authorities to his location.
Reunited with his mother and father, who traveled to Germany to retrieve both their son and the vehicle, the young man apologized and acknowledged his error. As a result of his actions, social workers will increase checks on the family and we can be sure his parents are now hiding the keys.