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Mercedes GLE Coupe to feature in Jurassic World

It was back in 1997 that Mercedes first got into the crossover game with the launch of the M-Class, and most of us got our first look at the luxury high-rider when it debuted on the big screen in the Jurassic Park sequel The Lost World. It's been 18 years since that event, but now its successor is set to appear in the revival of the once-popular movie franchise. Come June 12, moviegoers will be able to catch the new Jurassic World film at their local theaters, but the dinosaurs will have to share the spotlight with the new GLE Coupe. The slant-roofed crossover that'll share its underpinnings with the M-Class' successor and challenge the BMW X6, will appear in the film in GLE 450 AMG Sport guise, and Universal Studios apparently did a good enough job keeping the Mercedes under wraps during filming until its release just a month ago. Mercedes Continues Its Decades Long Relationship with Universal: Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe launches in Universal Pictures' Jurassic World Stuttgart, Jan 08, 2015 Stuttgart. On-screen, multiple Mercedes-Benz vehicles are once again in on the Jurassic action. Twenty-two years since the events of the original film, Steven Spielberg returns to executive produce the long-awaited next installment of his groundbreaking Jurassic Park series, Jurassic World. During their adventures in the jungles of Jurassic World, the characters played by Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard put their trust in the off-road capabilities of various Mercedes-Benz vehicles – especially in the all-new GLE Coupe, which appears in its series-look for the first time. Colin Trevorrow directs the epic action-adventure from a screenplay he wrote with Derek Connolly. Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley join the team as producers. Jurassic World will be released in 3D by Universal Pictures on June 12, 2015. The partnership continues the relationship between Universal and Mercedes-Benz, first forged in 1997's The Lost World: Jurassic Park, when Mercedes introduced the M-Class vehicle. "We are delighted to have been able to support this epic action-adventure with our vehicles," said Dr. Jens Thiemer, Head of Marketing Communications for Mercedes-Benz Cars. "Our wide range of SUVs in particular fit perfectly with Jurassic World's various requirements, with the focus on our new trendsetter, the GLE Coupe." Above all, it is the new GLE Coupe that shows off its best side.

Foreign automakers pay from $38 to $65 per hour to non-union workers

As leaders for the United Auto Workers gather in Detroit for their Special Convention on Collective Bargaining to work out the negotiating stance for this year's new labor agreements with the Detroit 3 automakers, what they most want to do is figure out how to eliminate the two-tier wage scale. However, the lower Tier 2 wage has allowed the domestic automakers to reduce their labor costs, hire more workers, and compete better with their import competition. As it stands, per-hour labor rates including benefits are $58 at General Motors, $57 at Ford, and $48 at Fiat-Chrysler – a reflection of FCA's much greater number of Tier 2 workers. The Center for Automotive Research released a study of labor rates (including benefits) that put numbers to what the imports pay: Mercedes-Benz pays the most, at an average of $65 per hour, Volkswagen pays the least, at $38 per hour, and BMW is just a hair above that at $39 per hour. Among the Detroit competitors, Honda workers earn an average of $49 per hour, at Toyota it's $48 per hour, Nissan is $42 per hour, and Hyundai-Kia pays $41 per hour. The lower import wages are aided by their greater use of temporary workers compared to the domestics. Automotive News says the ten-dollar gap between those foreign camakers and the domestics turns out to about an extra $250 per car in labor, which adds up quickly when you're pumping out many millions of cars. That $250-per-car number is one that, come negotiating time, the Detroit 3 will want to reduce, as the UAW is trying to raise both Tier 1 and Tier 2 wages. Another wrinkle is that the domestic carmakers are considering the wide adoption of a third wage level lower than Tier 2. Some workers who do minor tasks like assembling parts trays kits and battery packs already make less than Tier 2, but the UAW will be quite wary about cementing yet another wage scale at the bottom of the system while it's trying to fight a bigger battle at the top. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req., BloombergImage Credit: AP Photo/Erik Schelzig Earnings/Financials UAW/Unions BMW Chevrolet Fiat Ford GM Honda Hyundai Kia Mercedes-Benz Nissan Toyota Volkswagen labor wages collective bargaining labor costs

Mercedes-Benz C-Class scores well in TUV lifecycle analysis

Mercedes-Benz drivers and treehuggers don't always go hand in hand, but, like a lot of other companies, the German automaker is looking to boost its green cred. This time, it's all about the car's lifecycle carbon footprint. The Daimler AG unit is using its new C-Class sedan as an example of how it's making progress in that department. Mercedes-Benz, citing the inspection authority TUV Sud, says the 2015 C-Class has a 10-percent lower lifecycle carbon footprint than its 2014 predecessor, based on driving about 125,000 miles over the life of the car. About 95 percent of the car (by weight) is recyclable, slightly higher than the average for most vehicles, and the model has upped its amount of recyclable materials up by 23 percent and increased its use of "natural materials" by 55 percent. Better aerodynamics also helps things out on the fuel-economy front, Benz says. Taking a longer view, the 2015 C-Class's carbon footprint is 28 percent better than the 2007 version that launched the vehicle line. The 2015 C-Class hasn't received a fuel-economy rating from the US Environmental Protection Agency, which tagged the 2014 C350 with a combined fuel-efficiency rating of 24 miles per gallon from its 3.5-liter 6-cylinder engine. Check out Mercedes-Benz's press release below and find the Autoblog First Drive impressions here. TUV Environmental Certificate: The new C-Class makes its mark with an exemplary life cycle assessment Stuttgart, Mar 28, 2014 The C-Class sets efficiency benchmarks for its class, helped by an intelligent lightweight concept, excellent aerodynamics and new, frugal engines. The neutral inspectors from the TUV Sud technical inspection authority have confirmed the high level of environmental compatibility of the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Besides a sensuous, clean-cut design, a top-class interior and a host of technical innovations, the premium saloon also boasts an exemplary life cycle assessment, which is why it has been awarded the Environmental Certificate in accordance with the ISO 14062 standard. Professor Dr. Herbert Kohler, Chief Environmental Officer at Daimler AG: "Our engineers have pulled out all the stops in an effort to lower fuel consumption while at the same time further accentuating the car's sporty character. By employing an intelligent lightweight design with a high proportion of aluminium, for example, it has been possible to make the new C-Class up to 100 kilograms lighter than its predecessor.