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Mercedes pickup could have Nissan DNA

Daimler and the Renault-Nissan Alliance are already close partners. Now it seems that the upcoming Mercedes-Benz midsize pickup might have a little Nissan DNA in it, too. Or maybe not, depending on how you interpret comments by Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn. "I don't want anybody to think that because they announced a pickup truck, they have to make it with us. Not at all," Ghosn said at the New York Auto Show, according to Automotive News. "They are completely free to do it by themselves, to do it with somebody else, etc., and also, or to do it with us." The Mercedes Vans division is responsible for the truck's development, and the pickup is aimed at the popular global midsize segment against vehicles like the Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux. There's no mention of any plans for the model in North America. Instead, Mercedes wants to focus on Latin America, South Africa, Australia and Europe for a launch slated before 2020. Ghosn was quite clear there was no decision either way as of yet. "Is this something that can eventually be on the table? I told you, everything is on the table between us," he said, according to Automotive News. If the two companies do decide to collaborate on a midsize truck, the timing would seem perfect. Nissan completed development of its NP300 Navara in 2014, and the automaker has been at work at least evaluating powertrains for the next Frontier possibly for 2019. Related Video:

Lewis Hamilton blasts to pole position for British Grand Prix

SILVERSTONE, England - Lewis Hamilton took pole position for his home British Grand Prix for the third year in a row on Saturday with a sensational lap that left him one step away from Michael Schumacher's Formula One record. Hamilton's championship-leading Ferrari rival Sebastian Vettel, who has a 20-point advantage after nine of 20 races, qualified third. The Mercedes driver was half a second quicker than Ferrari's second placed Kimi Raikkonen and his time of one minute 26.600 seconds was so outrageously quick there were gasps before the crowd erupted. "I always try to leave the best to last," the Briton told retired champion Jenson Button in post-qualifying interviews on the grid. "I had to make sure I got that lap in. I couldn't do it last weekend (in Austria) so I made sure I could here." Hamilton still faced a nervous wait after race stewards announced they were investigating an incident involving French driver Romain Grosjean, who complained he had been blocked earlier in the session. They swiftly decided to take no further action. The Briton's mastery of a damp but drying track lit up an overcast afternoon and the pole was the 67th of his career, sixth of the season, and gave him every chance of equalling Schumacher's record 68 before the August break. The triple world champion has won the last three British Grands Prix and can equal the late Jim Clark's feat of four home wins in a row, and five in total, on Sunday. Saturday ensured he has already matched Clark's 50-year-old record of five British Grand Prix pole positions. "I feel amazing in front of a great crowd like this. I hope you liked the lap," Hamilton told the grandstands full of cheering fans. "I generally like it to be dry, but I like it when the conditions are tricky." Hamilton's Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas, winner in Austria, was fourth fastest but has a five-place penalty following a gearbox change. That promoted Red Bull's Dutch teenager Max Verstappen, who has suffered five retirements in the last seven races, to the second row. Renault's Nico Hulkenberg and his former Force India team mate Sergio Perez filled the third row. There was good news for beleaguered McLaren, who raised a cheer when Fernando Alonso made the most of improving conditions to set the fastest time in the first phase of qualifying, with Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne qualifying ninth.

2016 Mercedes C-Class Coupe offers S-Class style on a budget

This is the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe and it's the new best-looking vehicle in the small, luxury, sport coupe market. Bold praise, you say? Well, check out the live photos up top and let us know if you still disagree. As previously mentioned, the C-Class Coupe uses the same tactic as its four-door brother, aping the look of the flagship S-Class, but on a smaller, far more affordable scale. That means the same bold but sophisticated front fascia, slim, horizontally oriented taillights, and strong character line as the S-Class Coupe. It's a similar deal in the cabin, where Mercedes stuck with the aluminum and leather-heavy styling of the S-Class. It's a handsome cockpit for sure, complete with a meaty, flat-bottomed steering wheel and prominent display atop the dash. Although like its big brother, those backseats are there more for show than anything else, thanks to that plunging, fastback-like roofline. Expect the engine options on the C-Class Coupe to mirror those on the four-door sedan, with a base 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder, a twin-turbocharged V6, and eventually, a range-topping, fire-breathing C63 AMG. You can guess which one we're most eager to drive. Rear-wheel drive should be standard, although expect Mercedes' popular 4Matic all-wheel-drive system to be a popular option. Seven-speed automatic transmissions should be the order of the day, while the C63 will get some incarnation of the brand's AMG Speedshift line. As we suggested at the beginning of this story, you should check out our full gallery of photos direct from the floor of the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.