by Henny Hemmes | Sep 28, 2015
The boardroom at Mercedes-Benz was wracked with turmoil when the German maker first considered adding a compact luxury car to its line-up. But the original Mercedes 190 was an instant success, and what is today known as the C-Class is one of the anchors of its...
by Henny Hemmes | Jul 1, 2015
For BMW, 2016 is going to be the year of the PHEV. Forget low fuel prices the Bavarians are convinced plug-ins are here to stay, and they’re rolling out and assortment of new models that pick up on the technology first introduced with the exotic BMW i8. In a matter of...
by Henny Hemmes | Apr 22, 2015
Right after the Mercedes GLC Coupe Concept made its world debut at Auto Shanghai, officials revealed it would hit the streets. Thomas Weber, Daimler AG’s board member responsible for Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars development, confirmed that the dynamically styled...
by Henny Hemmes | Feb 4, 2015
Fresh off another year of record sales, Rolls-Royce expects to see a modest increase in volume this year – largely due to its Bespoke program, which offers buyers an almost limitless range of customized options for the British brand’s models. The popularity of...
by Henny Hemmes | Sep 15, 2014
It was two, three four for Mini last week: the maker marking the roll-out of the 3 millionth car produced at its Oxford assembly plant, including the 2 millionth Mini earmarked for export. As for four, the British maker also offered up the first drive in its...
by Henny Hemmes | Aug 21, 2014
BMW’s new i8 is a cutting edge vehicle using new technologies to make it the among the most impressive hybrid electrics on the road. However, few vehicles capture the public’s imagination without great advertising campaigns and, in Germany, the maker seems to be...
by Henny Hemmes | Jul 7, 2014
With plans to launch at least 30 new models before decade’s end, in a bid to keep ahead of its aggressive luxury competitors, Mercedes-Benz also aims to position itself as the market’s technology leader. And for those already overwhelmed by the features on the S-Class...
by Henny Hemmes | May 6, 2014
The BMW i8 may look more like a concept than a production car, but it really is street legal. BMW’s first plug-in hybrid sports car has just begun rolling down the maker’s assembly line in Leipzig, Germany, and will soon join the i3 city car as the foundation of an...
by Henny Hemmes | Jan 20, 2014
It’s getting to be more and more of a challenge keeping up with the expanding line-up at BMW, but at least there’s a logic to the maker’s madness as it rolls out a modified nomenclature strategy that is far easier to follow than some of its competitors’ alphanumeric...
by Henny Hemmes | Jan 13, 2014
Last year, German car manufacturers posted record sales in the North American market with 1.33 million light vehicles – an increase of 5% compared with 2012. The jump lagged the overall market’s performance, which rose 8% on a year-over-year basis. The U.S. market...
by Henny Hemmes | Jan 8, 2014
While the Detroit Auto Show has traditionally been the New Year’s kickoff for the automotive industry, the annual Consumer Electronics Show has increasingly upended that role, this year eight different manufacturers trumpeting their presence in the North Hall of the...
by Henny Hemmes | Jan 17, 2013
In recent years, the Detroit Auto Show has threatened to turn into the battery-car show. But while there are plenty of hybrids, plug-ins and the like waiting on the Cobo Center floor this year, there’s a clear revival of performance. And while the 2014...
