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Maybach could become Mercedes-Benz sub-brand

When you're arriving in a twin-turbocharged, twelve-cylinder Maybach limo, there's no reason you should ever have to be late. Except, maybe, to make a fashionable entrance. But up at the corporate level, the entire Maybach brand is being slowed down as critical decisions about its future are being undertaken.
Last week, we reported that a decision on what path Maybach would take going forward would be due at the start of next month, but the latest reports indicate that the timeframe has been extended as further options are being considered.
The previous options under consideration were twofold: either relaunch the brand with production outsourced to Aston Martin - which suddenly finds itself with excess production capacity - or shut it down completely. And those are still two very real options. Word has it that Aston has put together four concept cars for the Daimler brass to consider, all based on the next-generation S-Class platform (and thankfully not the old one).

Mercedes previews autonomous Vision Tokyo concept

Mercedes is bringing a new concept car – or concept something at any rate – to the Tokyo Motor Show this year. The upscale German automaker is not telling us much about its latest show car at this point. However, it has released the solitary teaser image above to keep us on our toes for a little while longer. Billed as "a vision for future generations," the Mercedes-Benz Vision Tokyo concept appears to take the form of some sort of futuristic minivan - the kind you'd expect to see in some movie set years from now. Beyond that, we don't know much, but the Silver Star automaker describes the creation as "autonomous, luxurious and progressive" all at once. Expect it, then, to build on the F 015 Luxury in Motion concept presented at the beginning of the year at the Detroit Auto Show, and adopt an equally unusual silhouette, propelling itself (and its blissful occupants) in a self-driving cocoon of high-tech luxury. Don't be surprised to find some sort of alternative propulsion under the hood as well, be it a hybrid, full electric, or hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. The Tokyo show is typically populated mostly by Japanese automakers and their latest wares, and with so many of the country's own manufacturers lining up new debuts, this edition will be no exception. This year's expo, though, also appears to be attracting some foreign attention. In addition to this Mercedes concept, Mini will be showcasing its new convertible model for the first time at the show. Watch this space for more on the Benz concept as well as our full coverage of the show from our team of editors on the ground at the Tokyo Big Sight exposition center. News Source: Mercedes-Benz via Facebook Tokyo Motor Show Mercedes-Benz Technology Minivan/Van Concept Cars Tokyo 2015

Daimler names Bernd Pischetsrieder to supervisory board

Some executives in the automotive industry stay with one company for their entire careers, while others bounce from one to the other, often leaving their indelible mark on each automaker at which they serve. Bob Lutz is certainly an example of the latter. So is Lee Iacocca, having presided over Ford and later charing the Chrysler board. Carlos Tavares was chief operating officer of Renault before being nominated as chief executive at PSA Peugeot Citroën. But as far as the Germans go, nobody's jumped from the leadership of one automaker to the next quite like Bernd Pischetsrieder - especially now that he's been named to the supervisory board of Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler.
An engineer by training, Pischetsrieder started his career at BMW in 1973, eventually rising to the office of CEO after twenty years. There he remained until 1999, only to be dismissed after orchestrating BMW's takeover of the Rover Group (of which only the Mini brand remains in the company's portfolio, the other brands having been sold off after his dismissal).
The next year he was named chairman of Volkswagen's Seat brand, and rose to the chairmanship of the entire Volkswagen Group two years later. Despite a largely successful four-year tenure (that gave birth, incidentally, to the Bugatti Veyron), disagreements with supervisory board chairman Ferdinand Piëch saw him leave the helm at VW AG, focusing his attention on the Scania truck division. He's since been touted as a potential chief executive for Opel and for Continental, but neither potential was apparently realized.