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BMW can't build enough M3 wagons, but the U.S. won't see any

Why, oh why, won’t the automobile companies that supposedly cater to Americans give us a viable touring wagon? Seems that BMW is one manufacturer thatÂ’s aware of the question, but skirts the answer. WhatÂ’s more frustrating is that the German company, and others, have for years been off-handedly tossing out the same refrain: “Maybe weÂ’ll bring a wagon back to the U.S.” Not. All the more irritating then is the news that the Bavarians have increased production in Munich of its M3 Touring longroof version to keep up with demand. The information comes via Bimmer Today, which spoke with BMW M CEO Frank van Meel. He said that the company was surprised by the amount of interest in the M3 Touring since its debut during last year's Goodwood Festival of Speed. In fact, he said, the company had to facilitate a production ramp-up within its Munich facility. Despite that increased production, the backlog of orders means that customers are still on wait lists, he said. Last year, van Peel admitted that demand for M-wagons in the U.S. has been steadily increasing, and exporting a touring example was a concept BMW was "taking into consideration.” Crossovers certainly are this decadeÂ’s version of the wagon, which leaves American enthusiasts will few choices: only expensive versions from Audi, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz and a couple of others. Details that were announced last year — a few months before the wagon went into production for sale in Europe, the U.K. and elsewhere — noted that the M3 Touring was only available in Competition spec with xDrive all-wheel drive and a 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six with 503 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. Pricing started at GBP80,550 ($105,000 U.S.) More data on the M3Â’s intro here. Related video:

2016 Mercedes GLE Coupe priced from $66,025

The folks at Mercedes-Benz are really keeping busy this year with the launch of a host of new products. Among them are a slate of crossovers, including the GLC and GLE-Class. While pricing for those two have already been revealed, the company has finally decided to spill the beans about the cost for the more rakish GLE Coupe. The 362-horepower, 2016 GLE450 AMG Coupe runs $66,025 after the obligatory $925 destination charge on all of MB's vehicles for the model year. That model comes with all-wheel drive, a nine-speed automatic, plus a heap of luxurious standard features. If you want more power, the 577-hp Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S costs $110,225 and includes a more aggressive exterior and Nappa leather interior. Both versions of the German brand's fastback, four-door CUVs arrive at dealers in August. If you're interested, Autoblog has already published full driving impressions for the whole GLE-Class family. While the GLE Coupe is among the newest members of the Mercedes lineup, the G-Class, one of the company's oldest, is seeing some improvements, too. The G550 for $120,825 now benefits from the C63 AMG-derived 4.0-liter V8 making 416 hp and 450 lb-ft, which are gains of 34 hp and 59 lb-ft over the outgoing V8. The SUV also gets styling tweaks, like revised bumpers and larger fender flares. Meanwhile, the G63 AMG offers 563 hp and 560 lb-ft of torque (an extra 27 hp but the same torque as before) for $140,825. The 621-hp G65 AMG tops the range for $218,825. MERCEDES-BENZ ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL 2016 MODEL YEAR PRICING AND PRODUCT UPDATES The unprecedented product offensive continues with a host of exciting new models August 04, 2015 - ATLANTA, Ga. -- Mercedes-Benz USA today announced pricing and product information for the GLC, G-Class, GLE (ML facelift), C450 AMG 4MATIC sedan, and GLE Coupe. This follows the 2016 Mercedes-Benz pricing and model year changes already announced in mid-June 2015. Arriving in dealerships in November 2015, the all-new GLC300 and GLC300 4MATIC represent a compelling new entry in a thriving SUV segment. With a starting MSRP of $38,950*(2WD) and $40,950* (4MATIC) respectively, the all-new GLC features a powerful 2.0 liter turbocharged inline 4 cylinder engine that generates 241hp and 273lb-ft of torque and a new 9-speed automatic transmission.

Audi, BMW, Daimler buy Nokia's Here digital mapping business

The fight for control of Nokia's Here digital mapping service appears to have drawn to a close as a consortium of German automakers has announced a deal to jointly acquire the business from the Finnish telecom giant. As anticipated, ownership in Here will now be taken over jointly by Audi, BMW, and Daimler, beating out reported rivals bids from the likes of Apple and Uber. Here is one of the largest and most advanced digital mapping and location systems. It started out in Chicago in 1986 as Navteq before Nokia acquired it in 2007, and is now slated to change ownership again. The cloud-based service maintains high-definition digital maps for nearly 200 countries and supports over 50 languages, gathering data from users to update the data continuously. Rather than transition the service into their own proprietary technology, however, the automakers insist that it will remain open "to all customers from the automotive industry and other sectors." Ownership will be shared equally between the three companies, with "none of them seek[ing] to acquire a majority interest" in Here. For another, Here's management is promised to remain independent, and "the consortium will not interfere into operational business." Though the purchase price has not been disclosed, it is rumored to be worth in the neighborhood of $2.7 billion. Assuming it passes regulatory approval, the acquisition is slated to be completed in the first quarter of next year. The German automakers anticipate implementing the service to provide connected vehicles with accurate, up-to-date information on road and other conditions. Examples it outlines include warning other drivers of icy conditions based on outside temperature and ABS activation. It could also warn drivers of impending traffic jams, or even guide traffic through green lights in an urban environment. In the future, the highly detailed maps are envisioned to enable fully automated driving as well. Related Video: AUDI AG, BMW Group and Daimler AG agree with Nokia Corporation on joint acquisition of HERE digital mapping business Ingolstadt, Munich, Stuttgart, Aug 03, 2015 - Acquisition will secure and strengthen HERE as an independent company serving customers from all industries - Real-time maps and location based services will be the basis for the mobility of tomorrow - Transaction expected to close in first quarter 2016 Ingolstadt, Munich, Stuttgart – August 3rd, 2015.