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Mercedes Concept GLA45 AMG is ready to run

This is the Mercedes-Benz Concept GLA45 AMG, and what we mean by that is, "This is the Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG." Mercedes has just unveiled the liveried 'concept' at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, giving potential customers a very good look at the newest lunatic in the AMG asylum - a 355-horsepower, 332-pound-foot crossover that uses the same 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine found in the CLA45 AMG and Europe's A45 AMG.
Joined with a seven-speed, AMG Speedshift dual-clutch transmission and an AMG Performance 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, Mercedes promises a sub-five-second run to 60 miles per hour. That's not just quick for a crossover, that's quick full stop.
That sleek, lifted body has also been tweaked by the minds at AMG's Affalterbach facility. A new rear spoiler, side sills and front clip are the primary aerodynamic tweaks. Aesthetically, AMG has fitted the requisite "Turbo" badges, gloss-black accents (including exhaust tips and roof rails) and a set of 21-inch, AMG-spec alloy wheels to round out the overall package. Based on the spy shots we've seen, expect slightly toned down aerodynamics when the GLA45 AMG arrives in showrooms.

Mercedes claims naming rights for Atlanta Falcons new stadium

Mercedes-Benz signed a ten-year deal for naming rights to the Louisiana Superdome NFL stadium in 2011. If reports streaming out of Atlanta, Georgia are true, come 2017 Mercedes will have its name on two stadiums in the NFC South Conference because it took up naming rights for the new home being built for the Atlanta Falcons NFL team. The Sports Business Journal reported that the $1.4-billion stadium will open in two years, before the start of the 2017-2018 NFL season. Mercedes transferred its US headquarters from New Jersey to Atlanta earlier this year and is working out of temporary offices; its permanent space is scheduled to be ready around the same time as the stadium. The facility will also be home to the Atlanta United FC Major League Soccer club, and the 2020 NCAA Men's Final Four. If there is a point of common interest between the sports team and the carmaker beyond being really rich neighbors, the facility designed by HOK will be full of technology. The overall shape is inspired by the wings of a falcon, and the eight translucent panels at the top that can open and close in less than eight minutes are inspired by the Pantheon in Rome. The tiered bowl structure inside allows capacity to be expanded up to 83,000 or shrunk with mechanized curtains for MLS games and intimate events, and the five-story tall, 360-degree Halo Board will be the largest video board in the world. Neither Mercedes nor the Falcons organization would comment on the news. An announcement is expected Monday. Related Video: News Source: Sports Business Journal via Atlanta Journal-Constitution Auto News Mercedes-Benz naming rights

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