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Next Aston Vantage will be the only way to get an AMG V8 with a stick

With only a few exceptions, most of them factory customs, AMG hasn't built cars with manual transmissions. It just isn't the way things are done in Affalterbach. But now that Mercedes's in-house speed shop will be supplying engines to Aston Martin, the world will be treated to cars with three pedals and overengineered German V8s wrapped in a pretty British package. We're into it. The news comes from Car and Driver, which spoke to Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer about the new Vantage among other things. Palmer confirms to C/D that the Vantage will continue to offer manual and automatic transmissions when the next-gen car arrives featuring the AMG 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. In its most potent form, the eight-cylinder makes 503 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque in the AMG GT S. Figure on a little more from the Aston-ized version, just for fun. The current V8 Vantage GT makes 430 hp and 361 lb-ft from its naturally aspirated 4.7-liter. While some may lament the new engine's forced induction, that added power and the thoroughly modern behavior of the AMG engine should be welcome. While the AMG V8 is currently only planned to go into Aston's entry-level car, C/D does mention a possibility of it (and perhaps its three-pedal transmission) making its way into other cars as an economy option for certain markets. If a V8 DB11 were to be offered, don't expect it to show up here, though. There's also no word on who will supply the manual for the AMG-Aston mashup, but it likely will be a transaxle like the current Vantage. Ex-factory manual AMGs aren't totally unprecedented. Pagani has built some three-pedal cars with its massaged AMG V12s. Compared to those, however, these manual Vantages can be considered mass-production cars. And really, any increase in the number of sticks mated to AMG engines can only be a good thing. Related Video: News Source: Car and Driver Aston Martin Mercedes-Benz Coupe Performance mercedes-amg confirmed aston martin v8 vantage aston martin vantage

Mercedes-Benz USA confirms relocation to Atlanta

Porsche, you no longer have Atlanta to yourself. Mercedes-Benz USA has confirmed that it will be moving its corporate headquarters (shown above) from Montvale, NJ, to Georgia's most populous city. This is the second high-profile corporate relocation in the past year, as Mercedes follows in the footsteps of Toyota, which announced its relocation from California to Texas back in April (Subaru also announced a relocation, but it was just four miles away from its old offices). According to the German company, executives and their staff will relocate to an interim facility in the city's Central Perimeter until a brand-new, long-term home is completed in 2017. Around 1,000 employees will be impacted by the move, although Mercedes didn't mention if any employees would be let go as a result of the relocation. The company won't be abandoning New Jersey completely, as it will retain "several operational areas" in both Montvale and Robbinsville, NJ. As Mercedes USA CEO Steve Cannon explains, there are a number of good reasons for the company's relocation. "Atlanta is a premier city which places us closer to our ever-growing Southeast customer base, our port in Brunswick, Georgia, and to Mercedes-Benz US International, our Alabama manufacturing facility, which accounts for half of the vehicles we sell here in the US," Cannon said in a statement. "For our employees, Atlanta offers a strong quality of life, terrific schools and wonderful cultural and recreational opportunities." Mercedes-Benz USA Announces Move of Corporate Headquarters to Atlanta Several operational areas to remain in New Jersey including Parts Distribution Center and Regional Office January 06, 2015 - MONTVALE, N.J. Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) today announced that it will relocate its corporate headquarters to Atlanta, Georgia, in a move designed to better serve its growing customer base and strengthen the company's position for long-term, sustainable growth. MBUSA executives and staff will relocate from its primary facility in Montvale, New Jersey, to a temporary facility in Atlanta's Central Perimeter on an interim basis. The company will construct a new, state-of-the-art headquarters expected to be completed in early 2017. MBUSA plans to begin moving employees starting in July 2015. The move, which will affect approximately 1,000 employees, will be phased to help minimize any disruption to business operations. Several operational areas will remain in both Montvale and Robbinsville, New Jersey.

Infiniti went out of its way to make the QX30 not a Mercedes

You can complain all you want about perceived badge engineering when a company (like Mercedes-Benz) sells a platform to another brand (such as Infiniti). The reality is that most buyers won't know the difference, and they won't even realize their Infiniti is really a Mercedes underneath or that their neighbor's GLA has the same basic parts as the QX30 they just bought. What's weird to me isn't that sameness, but the places where the two cute little utes differ. These two vehicles, which are more like tall hatchbacks, use the same Mercedes 2.0-liter turbo four and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Infiniti adds its own throttle and transmission calibrations. The suspension design is the same, although there are tuning differences. Both come standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive an option. Fuel economy matches for the FWD models, while the AWD Infiniti lags behind the Mercedes for some reason. So they're very similar despite their different looks. And design makes sense as a point of differentiation. Frankly, they go further than a lot of vehicles on shared platforms do – further, in fact, than the upcoming Nissan Navara-based Mercedes X-Class pickup does. The QX30 has its own sheetmetal and glass to separate it from the GLA-class. You probably think one looks better than the other. If you know where to look, the signs of sameness are obvious. Most major systems and pieces are shared, like the steering wheels (with different center covers), most switchgear, and things like interior and exterior door handles. Shared parts are fine as long as the parts are good ones. On that note, how many Tesla buyers realize their steering column and stalks, plus the window switches, come from Mercedes? And does that actually matter? We'd argue no. About those differences. Many are functional, like the fact the Infiniti does not carry over the Benz's Brake Hold feature – when you roll to a stop in the GLA (or any other Benz), pressing the brake pedal firmly applies the electric parking brake until you hit the gas to move again. The QX30 has an electric parking brake, but no Brake Hold feature. Someone used to driving Mercedes models will look a bit silly standing on the brake pedal to no effect. Ask us how we know. The Mercedes gauge package is carried over, but with the Infiniti font. Makes sense, although it's off-putting at first if you've seen the original, prompting a weird deja vu. Circular dash vents are replaced by rhomboid ones.