Despite the majority of auto manufacturers reporting record sales and earnings this year thanks to a healthy Chinese market, the future in China may not be as bright as it was in 2011.

China as a whole is dealing with some tough economic factors with their stock market down, real estate prices dropping and now the prices of luxury cars from German manufacturers Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are selling for way below MSRP. The average price of a 2012 Mercedes-Benz C200 were sold at 16-percent below MSRP at Chinese dealerships, a continual decline from the 14-percent below in October and 3.4-percent below in July. BMW on the other hand, sold their 320i sedan 11-percent below the suggested price, more than triple the initial discount for the 2011 model.

Despite this, Audi posted a 69-percent increase in China deliveries to 29,861 units while BMW had a 9.8-percent increase in sales in China while Mercedes-Benz increased deliveries by 24-percent. But 2011′s growth in China will most certainly not replicate itself in the future to come, which could prove troublesome to many of the manufacturers that are currently undergoing big capacity expansions.

[Source: The Truth About Cars]

It appears that Brabus didn’t want to wait until the 2011 Essen Motor Show to release the details on their Mercedes-Benz CL500 and S500 4MATIC tuning programs. In fact, they decided to launch two new power kits for the 4.7L V8 twin-turbo engine, taking the stock 435-hp and 516 lb-ft of torque to all new heights.

The more mild of the two power kits, the Brabus B50 – 490 PowerXtra, takes the CL500 and S500 4MATIC to 490-hp and 575 lb-ft of torque. The B50 – 520 PowerXtra however will give the 4.7L 520-hp and 604 lb-ft of torque. Both power gains are achieved through an ECU retune.

Brabus is also offering the CL500 an aerodynamic package, featuring a new front lip, side skirts with LEDs, a rear bumper and a rear spoiler. No styling package was announced for the S500.

As usual, Brabus has a variety of 18-, 21- and 22-inch wheels available for various Mercedes-Benz models including the CL and S Class. No pricing for the power package of the aerodynamic package was announced.

[Source: Zercustoms]

GALLERY: Brabus CL500 4MATIC

It’s time to buckle up as Mercedes-Benz‘s  tuner AMG confirms that they are working on three halo projects for their halo SLS AMG.

No greater truth has been spoken than when Head of Vehicle Development at AMG, Tobias Moers, says, “We absolutely have to do a Black Series.” Yet to be officially confirmed, chances are likely that the SLS Black Series will make it to the U.S. market.

Unfortunately, this is not the case for the other two projects. In order to fulfill regulatory homologation requirements, AMG has confirmed a street-going version of the SLS AMG GT3 race car. As its motorsport efforts are focused in Europe, AMG has no plans to bring this hardcore version to other markets.

AMG’s third project, and perhaps its most ambitious of all, is to bring the SLS E-Cell electric sports car to market by 2012 as a 2013 model.What makes the project so ambitious is that it will not have the handbuilt V8 that AMG is famous for. Instead, the SLS E-Cell will take on electric motors and a battery cell that will add another thousand pounds to the car’s curb weight. In order to manage the issue, weight saving measures were taken to lighten the SLS elsewhere in order to bring the weight difference from the standard model down to a more manageable 200 odd pounds. Tobias Moer assures us that the lower center of gravity benefited from the battery will alleviate the handling shortcomings caused by the extra heft. Power is taken just as seriously, as the electric motors produce an estimated 525 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque.

Unfortunately, chances are slim for the SLS E-Cell to make it into the American market as well. Mercedes-Benz is concerned that the cost to certify the car for the United States wouldn’t make financial sense given the SLS E-cell’s production volume will be extremely low.

Tobias Moers adds, “AMG does not do money losing projects. We can’t afford to.”

GALLERY: Mercedes SLS AMG GT3

[Source: Motortrend]

Mercedes-Benz has just released detailed photos of its new second-generation B-Class, which is set to debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. Last month we were teased as to what the new B-Class would look like, and now that we’ve got the full picture, well, it’s not so clear that it’s any less of a stain on Merc’s impressive design history as of late.

Several models of the B-Class will be available to European buyers, with the B180 sporting a 1.6L turbocharged engine with 120-hp and 147 lb-ft of torque, while the B200 will have 154-hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. Europe will also receive a 1.8L diesel, delivering 107-hp and 184 lb-ft of torque in the B180 CDI, while the B200 CDI will feature 134-hp and 221 lb-ft of torque.

Mercedes has also announced that it is looking at producing a limited production F-Cell variant that will hopefully be released in 2015.

GALLERY: Mercedes-Benz B-Class

After having revealed the SLK350 model, Mercedes‘ AMG division has just announced the new SLK55 AMG. Like the previous SLK55, this model gets a 5.5-liter V8 engine, but that’s where the similarities stop. Making 415-hp and 398 lb-ft of torque, this motor is a naturally aspirated version of the twin-turbo 5.5-liter found under the hood of the E63 AMG, CLS63 AMG and S63 AMG.

But much like its biturbo counterpart, this 5.5L V8 also features a start/stop system in order to save fuel. In the Controlled Efficiency mode, the V8 will manage its cylinders by cutting off cylinder-two, cylinder-three, cylinder-five and cylinder-eight between 800- and 3800-rpm, helping conserve fuel while still offering enough performance for day-to-day driving. The powerplant is mated to a seven-speed AMG Speedshift Plus transmission, enabling a 4.5 second 0-60 mph time.

Standard brakes are 14.2-inchers in the front while the rear features 13-inchers while suspension enthusiast looking for a true driving experience can opt for AMG’s Handling Package that features stiffer tuning, rear differential lock, two-piece front disc brakes and a leather/Alcantara-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel.

To help the SLK55 stand out from the crowd, the AMG model features a special body kit and badging. The SLK55 AMG plans to make its grand debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month and should be at the dealerships by early 2012. No pricing was announced, but look for it to be in the $70,000 range.

GALLERY: 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG

The closest most of us will ever get to piloting a true DTM race car would be in Gran Turismo 5, and even then the results aren’t always pretty. Those that have unlocked some of the rare collectible race cars in any Gran Turismo knows what it’s like to try to control it for the first time.

Naturally when we heard that MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden strapped himself behind the wheel of a Mercedes DTM race car, we were curious to see what would happen. Obviously we weren’t the only ones, as he had no problems letting the cameras roll.

Hayden, also knock as The Kentucky Kid, won the MotoGP World Championship in 2006 and there’s no doubting his prowess on all things two-wheeled. Tack on another two wheels, a whole lot of horsepower, a wet track and cold tires and the results are pretty similar to what we experience the first time we try to pilot a supercar in Gran Turismo. We can’t laugh at Hayden though, as he’s the one that was fortunate enough to get behind the wheel of Mercedes’ DTM race car while we’re still waiting for the loading screen to finish on our PS3.

Check out the video after the break.

[Source: Jalopnik]

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Renntech is known to maximize performance out of every Mercedes-Benz model imaginable, and this time they’ve taken their talents to the SLS AMG supercar. Their new long tube headers adds 20-hp and 20 lb-ft of torque to the factory 563-hp and 480 lb-ft values. These long tube headers were engineered within Renntech’s state-of-the-art facility and features tri-metal, 200-cell catalytic converters and are ceramic coated to reduce heat in the engine bay.

In addition to the horsepower and torque gains, the SLS AMG gains a much throatier note from its naturally aspirated 6.2L V8 powerplant. The result is a finely tuned addition to the SLS AMG’s already remarkable performance and with Renntech’s brand name behind the product it’s guaranteed to last.

Check out a video of Renntech’s SLS AMG after the break.

GALLERY: Renntech SLS AMG

[Source: Speedlux]

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Prior Design is now giving owners of Mercedes-Benz‘s SL-class the option to convert their model to mimic that of an AMG SL Black Series body. The bold, widebody and aggressive design that has made the Black Series famous can now be had from Prior Design in the form of their Black Edition aerodynamic kit. Though no pricing was announced, the kit does come complete with everything required to do the transformation.

Doing the conversion will involve swapping out a majority of the factory body parts, outfitting the SL’s body with all new front fenders, front bumper, front lip spoiler, hood, side skirts, rear fender arches, rear bumper and diffuser and rear trunk spoiler. Lastly, a replacement windshield water tank is included to fit with the new front end.

GALLERY: Prior Design Mercedes-Benz SL R230FL PD Black Edition

ASMA has developed a reputation for doing very special things to cars, mainly ruining them by going way over the top with their styling packages. From their Panamera project to their widebody CL and even the exotic SLR, ASMA has become notorious for accomplishing feats in design that many of us couldn’t even fathom. And always out to satisfy, their release of several color variants of their Mercedes-Benz G-Class almost leaves us speechless.

Almost. As odd as the G-Wagon’s styling is, ASMA has somehow found a way to make it even more absurd and out-of-this-world, especially when presented in outlandish colors such as hot pink. The complete body kit comes with the insane front bumper that would probably look better on a Cayenne, the multi-vented hood, widebody fender extensions, rear lip spoiler and roof spoiler.

The renders show off the available color choices that ASMA is willing to do for both the inside and the out. Truth be told, this is one of their more acceptable packages, but we’re just surprised people actually buy their product.

GALLERY: ASMA Mercedes-Benz G-Class

[Source: WorldCarFans]

In a pleasantly surprising move, Mercedes-Benz has announced pricing for the new 2012 M-Class SUV, stating that its starting price will remain the same as its 2011 model, despite offering more than its predecessor. At launch, Mercedes will offer two different models in North America, the ML350 4MATIC and the diesel BlueTEC ML350.

For its third generation, the 2012 M-Class sits .75-inch lower than the previous model, is nearly an inch longer and a half-inch wider. In addition, the SUV gets a styling refresh all around, most noticeably in its front end with a bolder yet more elegant design. The newly refreshed headlights are flush-mounted in the fenders and daytime LED running lights find their way onto the front bumper.

The standard ML350 4MATIC will come powered by a 302-hp 3.5L V6 engine with 273 lb-ft of torque. That’s 13-percent more power for 2012 at an MSRP of $49,865. The diesel BlueTEC features a 3.0L V6 powerplant with 240-hp and an impressive 455 lb-ft of torque with 30-percent better fuel economy than a gasoline counterpart. The ML350 BlueTEC starts at a very reasonable $51,365.

Tech-heads will be happy to hear that the new M-Class also features an all new iPad docking station behind the headrests of the front seats. The docking station can be rotated up to 90-degrees and tilted while being charged through the vehicle.

Look for AutoGuide’s 2012 M-Class review soon.

GALLERY: 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class