2008 Mercedes Slr Mclarin Roadster~rare Color Combo~only 1,500 Miles~ 2009 on 2040-cars

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2020 Aston Martin DB11 tops this month's list of discounts

When we drove the Aston Martin DB11 for the first time, we said that it "stands out" and that "it delivers on the promise of Aston's potential for a successful second century." But we also said, "There must be a reason to buy the Aston beyond the fact that it turns heads at the country club." In case its stunning good looks and 600-horsepower 5.2-liter twin-turbo V8 weren't enough to grab your attention, how about a discount of nearly $20,000? Right now, buyers of the 2020 Aston Martin DB11 are paying, on average, $182,435. According to data provided to Autoblog from Truecar, that's a discount of $19,385 from the British coupe's average suggested retail price of $201,820. That's the largest discount on a new car in America this month, based on the dollar amount off the car's sticker price. The next biggest discount is for the 2019 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Buyers of the German brand's range-topper are scoring an average discount of $13,816. While that's a much smaller number than the DB11, it represents 13.5% off the S-Class's average retail price of $101,151 versus the 9.6% discount of the Aston Martin. In fact, the Benz's percentage discount means it's the eighth-best deal in America overall. If you favor a different flavor of German luxury, the 2019 Audi A8 isn't far behind with an average discount of $12,701 representing 12.5% of its $101,762 average sticker. For a look at the best new car deals in America based on the percentage discount off their suggested asking prices, check out our monthly recap here. And when you're ready to buy, click here for the Autoblog Smart Buy program, which brings you a hassle-free buying experience with over 9,000 Certified Dealers nationwide. Related Video: 2017 Aston Martin DB11 First Drive

Mansory G63 AMG Sahara Edition substitutes performance for taste

We aren't sure if it's an unwritten rule or not, but it seems like European tuners are wholly incapable of building cars whose aesthetics don't offend people blessed with the gift of sight. Take Mansory, for example. The Swiss tuner has turned its hand to the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, a vehicle that on it's own is not exactly a visual stunner. Functional sure, but not exactly beautiful. But with Mansory wielding the design pen, the result is, well, yeah. It's not great. This is the Mansory G63 AMG Sahara Edition, and surprisingly, its camouflaged paint scheme is one of its least obnoxious qualities. But its grille, headlights, hood scoop, roof-mounted lights and rear spoiler just don't do this Mercedes any favors. And for some reason, the tuning firm has decided to put two different styles of 22-inch alloys. The driver's side isn't horrible, although we can't say the same about passenger-side hoops. The interior treatment is nothing compared to the cabin, though. Falcons. There are falcons in the headrests. No, we don't know why either. The avian theme isn't limited to the headrests, though, as Mansory has added wings to the seats, dash and door panels, all the while continuing on with camouflage color scheme on certain interior surfaces. Of course, if you can live with the design decisions, you'll be getting a ludicrously potent G-Wagen. Mansory has boosted the 5.5-liter, biturbocharged V8 to 828 horsepower while it's actually been limited to 737 pound-feet of torque. We aren't sure what the addition of 292 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque does to the G63's run to 60, although we're betting the Mansory version is a lot quick than the 5.3-second stock time. Check out our live gallery of the G63 AMG Sahara Edition, from the floor of the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. Related Video:

Zetsche's CEO tenure extended through 2016 at Daimler

There appear to be two takes on Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche having his contract extended for three more years, to 2016. A report in The Detroit News quotes the chairman of Daimler's supervisory board, Manfred Bischoff, talking up the stability at the top, "With today's extensions of the contracts of Dieter Zetsche and Thomas Weber, we are maintaining the important continuity at the top executive level." Bischoff also stated that that Zetsche has a plan to "further enhance Daimler's overall performance."
Over at Reuters, though, the three-year extension was seen as a lack of complete confidence in Zetsche's plans, since his contract was supposedly meant to be extended by five years. A spokesman said the board decided to extend executive contracts by only three years if the person was 60 or would turn 60 during the contract, but that was news to observers. Zetsche wants to make Mercedes-Benz the top selling luxury manufacturer globally by 2020, but has fallen to third place behind Audi and BMW. It hasn't held the top spot 2005, and investors judged it valued at half that of BMW at the end of 2012 once Daimler's truck business was subtracted.
Analysts cites the fact that Daimler stock hasn't bested its rivals but twice in twelve years, and that the company revised its profit target downward last year by nearly one billion euros, warning of stagnant earnings this year and will miss its original margin target for 2013.