11 Mercedes-benz M-class Ml350 4x4 Leather Seats Sunroof Navigation Ac Cruise on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2016 Mercedes-Maybach S600 offers the plutocratic life for $189,350*

Mercedes-Benz has officially announced pricing on its ultra-luxurious Maybach S600, and just as we feared, you'll probably need to be a Saudi oil sheikh to afford one. Prices start at $189,350, excluding a paltry $925 destination charge. That princely sum does not, however, make the Maybach version of the latest S-Class the company's most expensive sedan. That honor still goes to the ridiculously powerful and absurdly priced S65 AMG, which starts at $222,000. The new model's price easily surpasses that of the vehicle it's based on, though. Mercedes old flagship sedan, the S600, starts at $166,900. Of course, you do get quite a lot of kit for spending an extra $23,000, besides the C-pillar-mounted Maybach badges and the extra 7.9 inches of wheelbase. Upgrades include a re-engineered interior that should be quieter than even the tomb-silent standard S-Class. Even the seats, which are lined in extremely supple leather, are noise insulated. Speaking of those seats and leather, the Maybach trim should include a fairly extensive range of different woods and leathers, for that personal touch. Beyond that, Maybach-exclusive features include a new fragrance for Mercedes' silly Air-Balance system, as well as a pair of silver-plated champagne flutes. What are your thoughts? Does the Maybach S600's extravagant price tag seem worth it (we're leaning towards yes)? Have your say in Comments. Mercedes-Benz Announces Pricing On All-New 2016MY Mercedes-Maybach S600 Segment-Leading Flagship to Start at $189,350* January 16, 2015 - MONTVALE, NJ The S-Class range has a long established tradition of setting the benchmark in the luxury segment, and the launch of the highly-anticipated new Mercedes-Maybach S600 in April will further assert its leadership position in the U.S. market. Priced from USD $189,350, this exceptional addition to the product lineup offers more than 8 inches in total length when compared to the standard S-Class and features a suite of intelligent safety technologies and exclusive appointments that complete the opulent package. The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class seamlessly melds the perfection of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class with the incredible heritage and prestige of the Maybach nameplate. Mercedes-Maybach is not an equipment line. It is a sub-brand that introduces Mercedes-Benz vehicles in an even more exclusive form.

Foreign automakers pay from $38 to $65 per hour to non-union workers

As leaders for the United Auto Workers gather in Detroit for their Special Convention on Collective Bargaining to work out the negotiating stance for this year's new labor agreements with the Detroit 3 automakers, what they most want to do is figure out how to eliminate the two-tier wage scale. However, the lower Tier 2 wage has allowed the domestic automakers to reduce their labor costs, hire more workers, and compete better with their import competition. As it stands, per-hour labor rates including benefits are $58 at General Motors, $57 at Ford, and $48 at Fiat-Chrysler – a reflection of FCA's much greater number of Tier 2 workers. The Center for Automotive Research released a study of labor rates (including benefits) that put numbers to what the imports pay: Mercedes-Benz pays the most, at an average of $65 per hour, Volkswagen pays the least, at $38 per hour, and BMW is just a hair above that at $39 per hour. Among the Detroit competitors, Honda workers earn an average of $49 per hour, at Toyota it's $48 per hour, Nissan is $42 per hour, and Hyundai-Kia pays $41 per hour. The lower import wages are aided by their greater use of temporary workers compared to the domestics. Automotive News says the ten-dollar gap between those foreign camakers and the domestics turns out to about an extra $250 per car in labor, which adds up quickly when you're pumping out many millions of cars. That $250-per-car number is one that, come negotiating time, the Detroit 3 will want to reduce, as the UAW is trying to raise both Tier 1 and Tier 2 wages. Another wrinkle is that the domestic carmakers are considering the wide adoption of a third wage level lower than Tier 2. Some workers who do minor tasks like assembling parts trays kits and battery packs already make less than Tier 2, but the UAW will be quite wary about cementing yet another wage scale at the bottom of the system while it's trying to fight a bigger battle at the top. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req., BloombergImage Credit: AP Photo/Erik Schelzig Earnings/Financials UAW/Unions BMW Chevrolet Fiat Ford GM Honda Hyundai Kia Mercedes-Benz Nissan Toyota Volkswagen labor wages collective bargaining labor costs

Geely chairman is now the single biggest investor in Daimler

Li Shufu, the chairman and main owner of Chinese carmaker Geely, has built a stake of 9.69 percent in Daimler AG, the German carmaker said in a regulatory filing on Friday. The stake, worth nearly $9 billion at the current valuation for Daimler shares, makes Li the biggest single shareholder in the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars, trucks and vans headquartered in the German city of Stuttgart. A Daimler spokesman called the stake purchase a private investment by Li. "We are delighted, with Li Shufu, to have won over another long-term investor who is convinced of Daimler's innovative prowess, strategy and future potential," the spokesman said in response to a request for comment. "Daimler knows and respects Li Shufu as a Chinese entrepreneur of particular competence and forward thinking." Li's stake purchase makes him the top shareholder in Daimler ahead of the Kuwait Investment Authority, which owned 6.8 percent as of Sept. 30, according to Thomson Reuters data. Earlier this month, the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported that the Chinese industry giant was seeking to become Daimler's biggest shareholder, likely exceeding the 6.8-percent stake of the Kuwait Investment Authority. The paper said Daimler had reportedly turned down Geely's $4.5 billion offer for a 5-percent stake via a discounted share placement, saying that Geely could buy shares in the open market. Institutional investors currently own 70.7 percent of Daimler, and the company already has strong ties to Chinese automakers BAIC and BYD. Bild am Sonntag said the move was intended as a strategic alliance against Apple, Google and Amazon on autonomous and connected cars. And Reuters reported that Daimler wants to have bespoke "robo taxis" on the road quicker than Google's Waymo, and views Geely as a strong partner for that. Geely conversely is interested in Daimler's electric car battery technology, and sources quoted by the German paper say there are plans to establish joint electric car manufacturing in Wuhan, China, to meet China's smog-reducing quotas. Geely is developing the Lynk & Co. brand of electric and hybrid cars. Geely owns Volvo, which has enjoyed a renaissance under the arrangement, as well as the maker of London's black cabs. In December, it bought a stake in AB Volvo, the maker of Volvo trucks.