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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 gets handy with Apple Watch app

Whether you yourself have been caught up in Apple Watch fever or not, automakers have been embracing the new wearable device one after the other. The latest is Mercedes-Benz. The MB Companion App for the Apple Watch initially focuses on seamless navigation. Punch in your destination on your watch or iPhone and it'll port over to the onboard navigation system in your Merc. Park the car, get out and the directions will switch back over to the Apple Watch to guide you from your parking spot to your destination on foot. It's similar to the app Mercedes had designed for Google Glass, only in this application it actually stands a chance of catching on. Designed by Benz's Silicon Valley R&D center, the Apple Watch app is being rolled out this fall in the new C-Class and S-Class equipped with the COMAND Online navigation system. It's earmarked to to spread to other models as well, with further updates to the app planned to allow it to display the vehicle's fuel level, range, odometer and maintenance code. Of course, Mercedes isn't the first automaker to release an app for the Apple Watch. It's not even the first German automaker to do so: BMW previewed its app for the device back in September, and Volkswagen got on board earlier this month. Mercedes-Benz to introduce new App: Guided all the way: Mercedes-Benz is one of the first to introduce Door-to-Door Navigation with Apple Watch May 15, 2015 Stuttgart/Sunnyvale. Mercedes-Benz creates an intelligent integration between Apple Watch and Mercedes-Benz vehicles with its new MB Companion App. The MB Companion App allows Mercedes-Benz costumers to search for directions on the Apple Watch or on iPhone initiating a complete door-to-door experience. A seamless integration unfolds: giving walking directions to the car on the Apple Watch, driving directions on the vehicle navigation system and again walking directions on the Apple Watch from the car to the final destination. The destination that the driver selects on Apple Watch is passed to Mercedes-Benz COMAND Online once the driver starts the vehicle. He then receives safe and non-distracting driving directions to his selected destination from Mercedes-Benz navigation. When the driver parks and leaves his car, Apple Watch gives him walking directions to the final destination making it the perfect guide for "Last Mile Navigation".

Mercedes-Benz SL snapped getting major facelift

With the new Mercedes-AMG GT leading the charge, it'd be all too easy to forget about the SL. But Benz hasn't, as you can see from these latest spy shots. Spotted undergoing testing in Germany, this heavily disguised prototype foreshadows the arrival of a heavily revised two-seater convertible. It's hard to tell much from the other side of the body cladding and camouflage, but it appears to be hiding a new front end – complete with slimmer headlights, reprofiled front bumper and more upright grille – as well as a new hood, rear bumper, exhaust tips and tail lamps. Unlike the last time we saw the new SL out testing, we can now see inside as well. Although the steering wheel and center console remain hidden from view, we can anticipate a bigger touchscreen display and other updates. And apparently an onboard winter hat, as well. Now in its sixth generation, the Sport Leicht may not be as sporty or as light as the original, but while others have come and gone, the SL remains a mainstay of the Mercedes-Benz lineup. The current model was introduced in 2012, and this update should keep it fresh on the boulevards of Beverly Hills, the French Riviera and Abu Dhabi for several more years to come. Related Video: