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Mercedes G63 AMG 6x6 is sold out

Sometimes automakers go absolutely bonkers and bequeath a product on the world that makes no logical sense – except to make people grin from ear to ear. The Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6X6 is just such a vehicle with six wheels, three axles, five differentials and a 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 making 536 horsepower and 561 pound-feet of torque. The result is a truck that looks more appropriate to handle the dystopian future rather than any paved road on Earth, especially the $1.35 million armored version. Unfortunately, if you have a hankering to own a brand-new example, it's too late because Mercedes is ending production of the behemoth. Since introducing the 6X6 in 2013, Mercedes actually sold more than it originally anticipated by moving more than 100 of them, according to GT Spirit, but the German automaker has ended production to keep the model special. Still, those production numbers aren't too shabby considering the truck's ultra-niche nature and base price of 379,000 euros ($430,000 at current exchange rates). While wealthy clients who desire luxury with their off-roading can no longer order the 6X6, Mercedes isn't entirely abandoning these customers yet. The company is already previewing the G500 4x42 that takes the six-wheeler's pumped up suspension and wheels but reinterprets the look on the more conventional, two-axle body style. Buyers might have to accept a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V8, though. A debut for the new model is expected for the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in early March. Related Video:

Automakers face reality of EVs' cost — to jobs, and their bottom line

Related: We obsessively covered the Frankfurt Motor Show — here's our complete coverage FRANKFURT, Germany — European car bosses gathering for the Frankfurt auto show are beginning to address the realities of mass vehicle electrification, and its consequences for jobs and profit, their minds focused by government pledges to outlaw the combustion engine. As the latest such announcement by China added momentum to a push for zero-emissions motoring, Daimler, Volkswagen and PSA Group gave details about their electric programs that could give policymakers some pause. Planned electric Mercedes models will initially be just half as profitable as conventional alternatives, Daimler warned — forcing the group to find savings by outsourcing more component manufacturing, which may in turn threaten German jobs. "In-house production is almost irrelevant to the consumer," Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche told reporters on the eve of the Frankfurt Motor Show, in the midst of a German election campaign in which automotive jobs have loomed large. The company set a target of saving 4 billion euros ($4.8 billion) by 2025 to help fund the cost of its electric cars. "Daimler is the first company to state explicitly how much electric vehicles are going to hurt margins," said Bernstein analyst Max Warburton. "It was brave to go first — but of course it won't be the last." Volkswagen, for its part, said it was seeking new global supplier contracts to source 50 billion euros ($60 billion) of electric car content including batteries, which are not yet manufactured competitively in Europe. "A company like Volkswagen must lead, not follow," Chief Executive Matthias Mueller told reporters. VW diesel emissions-cheating exposed by U.S. regulators in 2015 triggered global public outrage, dozens more investigations into test-rigging by the wider industry and a push by some lawmakers to ban diesel and eventually all engines. TIGHTENING NOOSE Tesla shares jumped nearly 6 percent on Monday after a Chinese minister said it was a question of when, not if, Beijing bans fossil-fuel cars, tightening the noose around the combustion engine. France and Britain have promised its outright abolition by 2040. But PSA, the maker of Peugeots and Citroens, said it was concerned about the risks if consumers were left behind in the rush, and a new generation of battery cars does not sell.

Mercedes A-Class refresh includes crown-stealing 381-hp A45 AMG

We're sure the 362-horsepower Audi RS3 Sportback enjoyed its brief reign at the top of the hot-hatch horsepower charts. But now, Mercedes-Benz updated the A-Class so that it reclaims the throne, castle, and jewels: the Mercedes-AMG A45 4Matic comes with 381 hp from its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, a significant bump of 36 hp, and 350 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 18 lb-ft. The seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox gets shorter ratios from third to seventh gears, so its 0-62 mile-per-hour time has dropped from 4.6 seconds to 4.2 seconds. The A45 gets a Dynamic Select system – driving modes controlled by a rotary knob – that comes standard with four modes: Comfort, Sport, Sport +, and Individual. Opt for the AMG Dynamic Plus package and you get a mechanical locking differential on the front axle, the two-stage AMG Ride Control sport suspension with adaptive damping, and a Race mode. Outside, additional aero aids are applied to the nipped-and-tucked bodywork changes made to the entire A-Class range. The spoiler lip under the new front bumper, rear roof spoiler, and rear diffuser, create more downforce than before. Inside, the new flat-bottomed steering wheel is joined by sport seats that allow bolster depth adjustment. And for all those upgrades, fuel economy has stayed the same at 6.9 liters per 100 kilometers on the European cycle. Even away from that tectonic shift, Mercedes made plenty of changes to the A-Class landscape. The new front bumper is said to be "more arrow-shaped," in homage to the the Concept A-Class from 2011, that stretches its look horizontally. LED headlights, standard on the A45, are optional here, and are paired with interior ambiance lighting. In back we get new taillights and some angular exhaust finishers laid into a diffuser-like insert, an alteration we're seeing across the entire Mercedes line-up. Inside, you'll find a redesigned instrument cluster with new graphics, higher-quality finishes on the switchgear, seats with adjustable bolster length, and new color options. Four driving modes are incorporated into the Dynamic Select system: Comfort, Sport, Eco, and Individual. The Eco mode has been tweaked to return even more fuel savings. This Mercedes is also the first to incorporate Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink for the non-iOs smartphoners.