2012 Mercedes-benz G-class Designo on 2040-cars

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Here's how Detroit is selling more luxury vehicles than Germany and Japan

Now there's an attention-grabbing headline, eh? Although the answer to the riddle - pickup trucks and SUVs - might be somehow deflating, the numbers involved deserve a going over. According to TrueCar's figures (click on the table to enlarge), six of the year's ten best-selling vehicles in the US that sell for a transaction price above $50,000 are body-on-frame, and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class is the only foreigner to crack the top five. Every enthusiast knows that pickup trucks are 'Murica's most popular vehicle by a colossal margin, and there have been plenty of reports about the popularity of luxuriously appointed trucks and SUVs, but compare these figures from TrueCar: 70 percent of Chevrolet Tahoe sales have a transaction price above $50K, and The Bowtie is expected to make $3.9 billion in revenue on 66,945 predicted high-dollar sales; 95.1 percent of E-Class sales break $50K, so the German company will make $4.0 billion on 67,006 predicted sales in that pricing sphere. It's about the only time you'll see the Tahoe ranked right next to Mercedes' bread-and-butter sedan. Ram is ahead of those two with $4.2B coming from $50K-plus sales. The Ford F-Series does almost as much revenue as the next three combined, with an expected $10.8 billion coming from sales of trucks over $50K - more than a quarter of the model's total sales, when a base F-150 can be had for about $26,000. Yes, the Germans make a lot more money on fewer sales, but considering the comparison, the bottom line isn't too troubled by such facts. Weighing like-for-like, the full-size Ford walks it in every category; elsewhere, the Chevrolet Silverado outsells the Ram, but the Ram outsells the Chevy by 6.7 percent above $50K. And for all the flak GMC takes over swapping out grilles, the Sierra also outsells the Chevy in the well-appointed segment, 16.1 percent of sales versus 11 percent – the Professional Grade brand is a huge profit center for The General. You'll find more info in the TrueCar press release below. TrueCar finds pickup trucks far outsell premium brands among top 10 vehicles over $50,000 Ford F-Series pickup sales over $50,000 surpass combined BMW 3, 5, 7 Series luxury car sales SANTA MONICA, Calif. (December 10, 2014) - TrueCar, Inc., the negotiation-free car buying and selling platform, finds mainstream pickup trucks and sport-utility vehicles dominate U.S.

Mercedes previews sleek concept for CES

It was over two months ago that we spotted a mysterious cloaked prototype said to belong to Mercedes, but we didn't know much about it at the time. And we still don't, but at least the German automaker has given us an idea of what to look forward to. Released on Facebook is this teaser image showing a silhouette of what appears to be that same concept car. The image is accompanied only by these few words: "The future will be bolder than you've ever imagined" and tagged by an accompanying #mbCES - which tells us only that, a) it's futuristic, which we already knew, and b) that it's coming to the CES, set to be held around a week from now in Las Vegas. The sleek one-box design appears to have some sort of appendage atop its roof – just the kind of periscope that might house, say, some cameras – leading to speculation that the idea behind this concept would be to showcase autonomous driving technology. We'd also be surprised if it weren't electric powered and – given the backdrop for its reveal – all the technology Daimler can throw at it. But one way or another, we'll be finding out soon, so watch this space. News Source: Mercedes-Benz via Facebook CES Mercedes-Benz Technology Concept Cars

Brabus tunes new Mercedes GLE Coupe up to 700 horsepower

With 576 horsepower on tap, the new Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe would be more than enough machine for most. For the rest, there's Brabus. Now the Benz tuner extraordinaire has revealed its own tuning program for the performance fastback crossover, turning the dial way past 11 to a massive 690 hp. Since the engine is already turbocharged, the 114-horse boost comes courtesy of modifications to the intake, charge-air pipes, engine control unit, and exhaust. Brabus also upgraded the turbo spools themselves, boosting torque up to 708 pound-feet. The result, according to the tuner, is a 0-62 time of 4.0 seconds flat and a top speed of 186 miles per hour. Those would have been considered supercar figures not that long ago. But this is a luxury crossover, for crying out loud. Still not enough? Brabus will further tune your GLE to 838 horsepower and a mind-blowing 1,069 lb-ft for a 3.8-second 0-62 sprint and a 200-mph top speed. In either state of tune, the aftermarket modifier will also gladly fit its aero kit, rolling stock, air-suspension control unit, and fully refit the interior to the buyer's specifications. The example you see here is making its world premier this week at the Dubai Motor Show. Brabus is also unveiling the Rocket 900 Desert Gold edition based on the Mercedes-AMG S65 sedan at the same show. They're being showcased alongside a number of regional debuts as well as a couple from its non-Benz brand, Startech. World premiere at the DUBAI INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW 2015 BRABUS 700 Coupe 515 kW / 700 HP, 960 Nm, 300 km/h top speed, carbon and 23-inch forged wheels for the brand-new Mercedes GLE 63 S Coupe Brand-new on the market and already exclusively and professionally refined: BRABUS (Brabus-Allee, D-46240 Bottrop, phone + 49 / (0) 2041 / 777-0, fax + 49 / (0) 2041 / 777 111, Internet www.brabus.com) presents the BRABUS 700 Coupe based on the new Mercedes GLE 63 S in a world premiere at the DUBAI INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW 2015. This high-performance SUV capable of reaching a top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph) includes a 5.5-liter twin-turbo engine uprated to 515 kW / 700 HP (690 bhp) and 960 Nm (708 lb-ft), sporty carbon aerodynamic-enhancement components and 23-inch high-tech forged king-sized wheels. The BRABUS fine leather interior with quilted azure-blue seats and door panel elements creates an especially luxurious atmosphere.