German Auto Industry's Progress Threatened by Lack of Engineers

Despite the global economic crisis, German automakers are reporting record profits and sales in the first half of 2011. Therefore, if they can prosper under such dire conditions, then the future looks more than bright, correct?

Well, while true, the German auto industry is actually facing one little tiny problem that seems to be slowing their expansion plans: a shortage of engineers to design the new cars they intend to produce. The reasons for this shortage are the aging, thus slowly but steadily retiring, workforce and the loss of interest in technical studies by the young.

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Frankfurt Preview: Mercedes Officially Unveils the New B-Class MPV [51 Photos]

With the IAA, more commonly known as the Frankfurt Motor Show, less than three weeks away, car manufacturers are scrambling to reveal initial details on their most important models before the big event, so that they won’t get lost amidst all the premieres.

Today, the Stuttgart-based company unleashed a full gallery of pictures of the all-new B-Class. As we have already mentioned, even though (unlike the new A-Class) it still uses Mercedes' modular “sandwich” platform, the second generation of the B-Class is larger than its predecessor.

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SCOOP: New Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series Spotted with Aerodynamics Package

In the extremely rare case that you find the new Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series lacking a few performance features, the German company is developing two special packages that promise to further enhance the car's driving dynamics.

While Mercedes-Benz had announced the availability of the optional AMG Track and AMG Aerodynamics kits during the presentation of the new C63 AMG Coupe Black Series in late July, the company has yet to release any pictures.

Fortunately for us, our spy photographers captured an undisguised model equipped with these options in Germany.

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Mercedes-Benz Teams up with LEGO to Create the Largest TECHNIC Model

When it comes to building LEGO, size does matter and with an impressive length of 38.6 cm (15.2-inches) from bumper to bumper and more than 2,000 pieces, the 1:12-scale Mercedes-Benz Unimog will surely be one heck of a challenge to build.

The LEGO Unimog 4000 was created to celebrate the Mercedes-Benz truck's 60th anniversary this year and it is available to buy from Argos and LEGO stores with pricing in the UK set at £154.99 (about €177 or US$255).

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SCOOP: 2013 Mercedes-Benz A Class AMG Debuts in Disguise

If Mercedes-Benz manages to keep the new A-Class under wraps, we will most likely get our first look at the five-door hatchback version at next month's Frankfurt auto show.

And while we're patiently waiting for the standard A-Class to be officially revealed, our spy photographers moved on to the next big thing from Mercedes as they managed to capture the flagship AMG model testing in Germany.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG Officially Breaks Cover [34 Photos]

We've already brought you the news on the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG, but after an early leak over the weekend, the German company came out with an official release and plenty of photos detailing its powerful roadster model.

To recap, at the heart of the latest SLK 55 AMG lies a newly developed AMG 5.5-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine featuring cylinder shut-off that churns out a peak output of 422HP and maximum torque of 540 Nm in European specification. The North American market model is rated at 415HP and 398 lb-ft.

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First Official Photo of New 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class

It wasn’t exactly the world's best-kept secret, and now, what appears to be the first (official) exterior photo of Mercedes-Benz's upcoming second generation B-Class, is also doing the internet rounds.

The new B-class will be seen by the public for the first time at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show next month, before sales roll out next year. With this model, Mercedes is targeting buyers who are mostly interested in versatility and comfort.

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All-New 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG Revealed Ahead of Frankfurt Show

The most powerful version of Mercedes-Benz's small hardtop roadster, the 2012 SLK 55 AMG, will receive its world premiere at this year's edition of the Frankfurt Motor Show in mid-September, but the first photos of the V8-powered model have already sprung up on the German car site Autobild.

Visually, the AMG treatment adds a new aero kit with bespoke parts up front and at the back along with a smoked out lights and larger set of light alloy wheels finished in black. Inside, you'll find a pair of sports seats and plenty of surfaces covered in stitched leather

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10 Luxury Cars of the Past You Can Afford to Buy Today

No matter what car you buy, its price will start depreciating from the moment you turn the ignition key and roll out of the showroom. Of course, not all models lose value at the same rate. But there are some cars that stand out more than others and Popular Mechanics has compiled a list with some of the most heavily depreciated vehicles in the luxury car segment.

And while this may not be the kind of news a seller wants to hear, it's music to the ears of buyers in the market for snazzy set of wheels. Just remember that regardless if the car is new or used, running costs remain the same, and when it comes to luxury models, be prepared to dig deep into your pockets.

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Made in the USA: Weak Dollar Boosts Local Production

The US dollar has been dropping relative to other currencies including the Euro and the Yen, hitting a historically low level compared to the last 30 years. This means that imported goods of all kinds, including automobiles, are now more expensive in the States. However, on the other hand, the weak dollar has made US exports cheaper and therefore more competitive in the rest of the world.

This is especially good news for US car manufactures notes Edmunds.com analyst Michelle Krebs: “The weak dollar is good for manufacturers in the US, whether they're the Big Three of German or whatever, because they can export at an advantage”.

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Germany's Luxury Brands Unaffected by Global Economy Slump

The auto industry hasn’t escaped the drama affecting the stock markets due to the US credit rating downgrade and the problems in the Eurozone. This month has been the worst ever since November 2008 for the Euro Stoxx Automobile and Parts Index as it lost €35 billion ($50 billion) or about 19%, of its value.

However, despite the slowing global economy, it is luxury carmakers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi rather than mass-market brands, like Fiat and Renault, that can withstand its effects better.

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Kanye West and Jay-Z Destroy $300,000 Maybach in their New Music Video Just for Fun

It’s no secret that rappers like to show off their expensive and usually over the top blinged-up luxury cars in their music videos as a means to prove their status. However, world-famous artists Kanye West and Jay-Z may have gone a little too far in their new “Otis” music video.

The two rappers obviously wanted to do something different than just flaunt their ultra-expensive sets of wheels, so they grabbed a welding torch and a metal cutting saw and obliterated a $300,000 Maybach.

Who knows, maybe they thought it looked better that way... You can watch the video after the jump.

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Mercedes-Benz Said to Have Approved CLC Small Shooting Brake Model

We're still more than a year away from the presentation of Mercedes-Benz's CLC small sports sedan which will likely compete against the future A3 Sedan, yet Daimler’s boss Dieter Zetsche is said to have already given the green light for a shooting brake version.

And if you ‘re wondering what's a shooting brake model, think of it this way: it is to the station wagon what the four-door coupe is to a regular sedan. In other words, a far more stylish but much less practical five-door model with a heavily raked rear hatch.

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New Mercedes-Benz SLK Polished up by Brabus

Whenever there's a new Mercedes-Benz model out, you can be sure that Brabus will be one of the first customizers to jump on the tuning bandwagon.

For the 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster, the German firm has developed an extensive customization program to take care of both the styling and performance aspects of the car.

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Fresh Spy Shots of 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLC Small Sports Sedan

Just a couple of days after we brought you a first look at Mercedes-Benz's sporty looking small sedan that will probably carry the CLC nameplate when it enters production in 2013, we have a fresh collection of scoop photos.

The rakish looking CLC is a spin-off of Mercedes-Benz's new A-Class family using a long wheelbase version of the latter's MFA platform. Think of the CLC as a much more affordable version of the CLS four-door coupe featuring a similar design applied on a smaller package.

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Hacking your Car through a Smart Phone: An Emerging Security Risk

Security consulting firm iSec Partners warns drivers that thieves could exploit smart phone apps that allow the unlocking and starting of cars remotely.

Researchers Don Bailey and Mathew Solnik have hacked the protocols some of these apps use and demonstrated how they can take advantage of them using a laptop.

According to Mr. Bailey, the whole process of hacking and improvising the signals these apps send – what he dubs “war texting” – can take as little as two hours.

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More Mercedes-Benz Viano Vision Pearl Concept Photos Released

We first reported on Mercedes-Benz's Frankfurt auto show-bound Viano Vision Pearl Concept just last week, but since then, the German automaker has released a slew of new photos detailing the luxury people carrier. Read more »

2013 Mercedes-Benz CLC: A-Class-Based 'Baby' CLS Scooped

If you are still wondering how Mercedes-Benz plans to beat its German competition and take the reins from the likes of BMW and Audi in the premium car segment, the new CLC sports saloon is just one example of how the Stuttgart-based company intends to proceed in the future and lure more customers to its brand.

Mercedes-Benz insiders rightfully describe the CLC (note that the company may use a different name for the production car) as a "baby CLS".

The latter was the German firm's first sporty looking sedan and it essentially established a category that many automakers and the press alike are akin to calling "four-door coupes" (feel free to agree or disagree with the term).

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Video: Lithuanian Mayor Crushes a Mercedes S-Class with an Armored Troop Carrier

The BTR is the standard Soviet (now Russian) armored troop carrier used by the military of the former Eastern Block. Communism has fallen and Lithuania is now independent, yet Arturas Zuokas, the Mayor of the city of Vilnius used the BTR to destroy one of the symbols of the decadent capitalist West [sic].

But seriously, Zuokas climbed on to a BTR and drove over a W140 Mercedes-Benz S-Class as part of a publicity stunt to show his frustration over the fact that rich citizens with expensive cars cannot disregard the law and park wherever they want, even in bicycle lanes.

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Mercedes-Benz Wants to Take Top Spot from BMW in the Premium Segment

If Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche's dream comes true, Mercedes-Benz is on course to become the world’s leading premium car maker both in sales as well as in profits. As Automotive News reports, Zetsche sent a letter to the firm's employees admitting that chief competitors Audi and BMW are growing faster than Mercedes.

"Some of our competitors are now growing faster and more profitably than we are. Granted, those are just snapshots in time and should not be overestimated. After all, many of our best new products are yet to come" Zetsche wrote in the letter.

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