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Mercedes claims naming rights for Atlanta Falcons new stadium

Mercedes-Benz signed a ten-year deal for naming rights to the Louisiana Superdome NFL stadium in 2011. If reports streaming out of Atlanta, Georgia are true, come 2017 Mercedes will have its name on two stadiums in the NFC South Conference because it took up naming rights for the new home being built for the Atlanta Falcons NFL team. The Sports Business Journal reported that the $1.4-billion stadium will open in two years, before the start of the 2017-2018 NFL season. Mercedes transferred its US headquarters from New Jersey to Atlanta earlier this year and is working out of temporary offices; its permanent space is scheduled to be ready around the same time as the stadium. The facility will also be home to the Atlanta United FC Major League Soccer club, and the 2020 NCAA Men's Final Four. If there is a point of common interest between the sports team and the carmaker beyond being really rich neighbors, the facility designed by HOK will be full of technology. The overall shape is inspired by the wings of a falcon, and the eight translucent panels at the top that can open and close in less than eight minutes are inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. The tiered bowl structure inside allows capacity to be expanded up to 83,000 or shrunk with mechanized curtains for MLS games and intimate events, and the five-story tall, 360-degree Halo Board will be the largest video board in the world. Neither Mercedes nor the Falcons organization would comment on the news. An announcement is expected Monday. Related Video: News Source: Sports Business Journal via Atlanta Journal-Constitution Auto News Mercedes-Benz naming rights

Geely wants to be a tech-sharing 'friend' of Daimler in $9B bet

Chinese carmaker Geely has built up an almost 10-percent stake in Daimler in a $9 billion bet by its chairman that he can access the Mercedes-Benz owner's technology in the growing battle for the future of automotives. The purchase by Li Shufu, Geely's founder and main owner, means China's largest privately-owned automaker is now the biggest shareholder in Germany's Daimler. Geely said on Saturday there were no plans "for the time being" to raise the stake further. Instead, it will seek to forge an alliance with Daimler, which is developing electric and self-driving vehicles, to respond to the challenge from new competitors such as Tesla, Google and Uber. "No current car industry player is likely to win this battle against the invaders from outside without friends. To achieve and assert technological leadership, one has to adapt a new way of thinking in terms of sharing and combining strength. My investment in Daimler reflects this vision," Li said. "Daimler is pleased to announce that with Li Shufu it could win another long-term orientated shareholder, which is convinced by Daimler's innovation strength, strategy and future potential," the German company said in a statement. Geely officials plan to travel to Stuttgart to meet Daimler executives early next week and also hope to meet top German government officials in Berlin, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The Chinese firm plans to use the meetings to underline that it intends to be a supportive long-term investor, they said. Daimler had no immediate comment on any meetings. Geely and the German economy ministry declined to comment. Chinese investors in German technology companies have tended to take a consensual approach, buying incremental stakes in companies such as robotics firms Kuka and Kion, typically after long consultation with management and other stakeholders. In November, Geely asked Daimler to issue new shares so it could buy a stake, as a way to access Mercedes-Benz technology for electric cars and trucks, including battery technology, to help Geely comply with a Chinese crackdown on pollution. But the German company turned down the offer saying it did not want to dilute existing shareholders, sources at the time told Reuters. Li changed tactics, and quietly amassed a stake of 9.69 percent worth $9 billion at Daimler's current share price.

BMW M4 versus Audi RS5 | Autoblog Podcast #546

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Associate Editor Reese Counts. We debate the merits of the BMW M4 and the new Audi RS5 and our hopes for the refreshed Mercedes-AMG C63. We also discuss the state of Cadillac, the future of the Ford Fusion and the rumored Mercedes-AMG competitor to the Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman. Autoblog Podcast #546 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown 2018 BMW M4 versus 2018 Audi RS5 Cadillac and Mercedes-AMG sport coupes The state of the luxury car industry The future of the Ford Fusion Replacement for the Mercedes-Benz SLC Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Design/Style Podcasts Audi BMW Cadillac Ford Lexus Lincoln Mercedes-Benz Convertible Coupe Crossover SUV Luxury Performance bmw m4 mercedes-amg c63