! Pop-up objava za prispjeće nove privatne poruke trenutnonije u funkciji pa povremeno provjerite poštanski sandučić !
0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.
Even though the new A-Class isn’t offered in several important markets around the world including North America, demand for the compact-sized premium hatchback has surpassed initial expectations with Mercedes-Benz having received more than 40,000 orders to date well before the market launch in mid-September.As a result, parent company Daimlers will expand production capacities for the new A-Class by hiring Finnish contract manufacturer Valmet Automotive to build more than 100,000 units from 2013 through 2016.Daimler board member Wolfgang Bernhard said that the automaker's plants in Rastatt, Germany and Kecskemét, Hungary, are working at full capacity."Our new compacts are so popular with our customers that the Rastatt and Kecskemét plants are completely utilized. We will even switch to three-shift operations in Rastatt this fall," explained Bernhard."We thus signed Valmet as an experienced production specialist who will provide us with additional A-Class capacities as of 2013. Our aim is to optimally serve customer demand and keep delivery times of our new A-Class as short as possible in the interest of our customer," he added.Last week, Mercedes-Benz revealed that aside from the upcoming CLA sports sedan, the A-Class will also form the base for a new small SUV, to be built at Rastatt.For this reason, the German automaker will invest close to €400 million (US$485 million) in 2012 and 2013 in components that will only be used for the new compacts.Mercedes-Benz added that it plans to build premium compact cars for the Chinese markets "locally and close to the customers in the future".
Porsche is set to unveil a concept estate version of its Panamera four-door saloon at this years Paris motor show. If the concept is well-received, Autocar is reporting that Porsche chairman Matthias Muller could give it the green-light as part of broader model expansion plans as Porsche is aiming for annual sales of more than 200,000 units by 2015.“It is one proposal we are looking at to increase the reach of the Panamera,” a well informed Porsche source told Autocar. “From the feedback we’re receiving right now, there appears to be sales potential for such a car in certain markets, especially Europe.”If it gets the green-light, the new Panamera estate will be built on the second-generation Panamera platform, so it won't be till 2015 before it arrives in showrooms.Porsche is also considering a long-wheelbase version for selected markets. We'll all be keeping a close eye on Paris this September.
305! That's how many applications the Dakar Rally organizer received between May and July. A figure that's very close indeed to the historical record in 2012, which had not been seen since the last Rallies in Africa. This only goes to confirm the growing success of the Rally on South American soil. 220 is the maximum number of motorbikes and quads that will be setting off on 5th January from Lima in Peru, aiming to reach Santiago de Chile. The difference between these two figures is explained by the particular care the organizer takes to ensure maximum safety and convenience for the competitors, as well as optimized control over the format of the race.
But late last week, rumors began swirling that the next-generation GT-R is still in corporate limbo. CEO Carlos Ghosn has yet to approve the R36 project, which makes the possibility that Godzilla will be felled by corporate bean counters a very real possibility. With less than 6,000 sold, it’s a solid bet the R35 program hasn’t put itself into the black, and while Lexus and VW can afford to blow cash on vanity projects like the LFA and the Veyron, Nissan isn’t in as cushy of a financial position as its rivals.A strong yen has made domestic production costly, and the company’s most recent quarterly statements reflected an almost 20 percent drop in operating profit, which doesn’t bode well for a low-volume supercar. It also likely squelches—admittedly wild—speculation that Nissan was planning to introduce a new 240SX to compete with the FR-S/BRZ, Hyundai Genesis Coupe and Mazda Miata, leaving the 370Z as the only performance-oriented machine in its stable.It might be too soon to mourn the GT-R, but the prognosis doesn’t look good. Stay tuned.