2009 Mercedes-benz Slk-class 2dr Roadster 3.0l on 2040-cars

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Mercedes considering convertible SUV

Mercedes has been focusing a lot of attention lately on revitalizing and expanding its crossover and SUV lineup. So what's next for high-riding Benzes? It could be a convertible. According to Daimler's sport-ute and sports car chief Wolf-Dieter Kurz, the company is closely considering a drop-top SUV of some sort. "We will find a market," Kurz told the Australian website CarAdvice. The trouble is that "the convertible is a very slim niche in terms of the SUV portfolio." The biggest problem could be China, where luxury SUVs remain hugely popular – but where convertibles, by and large, are not. "There are lots of discussions," said Kurz, "but we didn't have any decision yet." The last time Mercedes offered a convertible SUV was with the short-wheelbase version of the Gelandewagen, pictured above. It was available (in some markets anyway) for 34 long years as part of the G-Class lineup, but was discontinued in 2013. That left the Jeep Wrangler and Land Rover Discovery as the only convertible SUVs to speak of currently available. Nissan tried its hand with the Murano CrossCabriolet, but that was phased out as well, while Land Rover prepares to take another stab at it with the upcoming Evoque convertible. It'd be interesting to see what approach Mercedes might take, and where it would position the model. Related Video:

As US exports top 2 million, is America becoming the world's source of cheap cars?

North American auto production is booming with 2014 figures just shy of the of the 17.3-million vehicle record set in 2000. With more models being built on the continent, even more are being shipped overseas. Factories in the US exported 2.1 million cars last year – the highest number ever. About half of those went to Canada and Mexico, but more than ever have been heading to places like the Middle East and China. The upswing comes in part from from after-effects from the Great Recession, according to The Wall Street Journal. With a weak dollar and lower production costs after the financial crisis, building vehicles in the US was relatively cheaper and more competitive in the world. At the same time buyers around the world are going crazy for crossovers. According to the WSJ, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are already exporting the majority of their US production of these models overseas. Both automakers have also announced investments to expand production further here to send more vehicles abroad. Even Honda has been shipping more models out of the country than it imported here. There is a concern this international strength could start slowing because the dollar is strengthening against other currencies, though it's too early to know what the actual effect of this could be, according to the WSJ. "Of course, we closely watch currency exchange, but we don't make changes in production or allocation based on temporary fluctuations in the exchange rate," Ford North American boss Joe Hinrichs told the newspaper. Related Video: News Source: The Wall Street Journal - sub. req.Image Credit: BMW Plants/Manufacturing BMW Ford Honda Mercedes-Benz exports us auto production

Mercedes-AMG gears up for 2016 DTM with new C63 Coupe

Mercedes was once a force to be reckoned with in DTM. The Silver Star marque won six drivers' championships and nine constructors' titles since the modern Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters series rebooted in 2000. But though it's currently leading the standings, the last time it won the championship was in 2010. Audi and BMW have traded bragging rights each year since. What you see here, then, is the vehicle by which Benz hopes to recapture its former glory in the German tin-top racing series. Presented alongside the Edition 1 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the new touring car is based – stylistically at least – on the new C63 AMG Coupe, but is designed specifically for the race track. Underneath the largely carbon-fiber bodywork sits a 4.0-liter V8 engine driving 483 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed sequential gearbox to the rear wheels. It's suspended by pushrod-actuated by double wishbones and features a mechanical diff (but no traction control) and carbon-ceramic brakes (but no ABS). In short, the new C63 is all business. And it looks about ready to take on Germany's most famous racing circuits and those of some of its neighbors – from Hockenheim, the Nurburgring, and the EuroSpeedway Lausitz to Zandvoort, the Red Bull Ring, and the Moscow Raceway. Audi and BMW had better watch their mirrors. Mercedes-AMG DTM Team present 2016 race car - Looking ahead to the 2016 season: How the new DTM car fielded by the Mercedes-AMG DTM Team will look - Inspired by the DTM: AMG launch Edition 1 Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe - Five questions to Head of Mercedes-AMG DTM Ulrich Fritz - Overview: How Mercedes-Benz DTM vehicles have evolved - Ulrich Fritz: "Our aim with this vehicle is, of course, to continue the Mercedes-Benz success story in the DTM." The 2015 DTM season reaches its climax in September. But even before the final three race weekends of the year at Oschersleben, the Nurburgring and Hockenheim, the Mercedes-AMG DTM Team are providing an insight into what lies ahead for the race series, revealing the new car that they will enter for the 2016 campaign. Design adaptations to the 2016 Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM first began last year. The dynamic-looking headlights and the twin blade grille typical of the AMG are two of the car's most striking features. The first tests with the new vehicle will take place during the winter as part of preparations for the 2016 season.