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BMW reclaims US luxury sales crown from Mercedes

The numbers, they are in: BMW has reclaimed the luxury-sales crown from Mercedes by a margin of 9,347 cars. Mercedes donned the king's headgear in 2013 after a strong final quarter of 2013 when the new CLA and S-Class poured out of dealerships. This year, led by the 3 Series/4 Series and X5, BMW sold 339,738 units – a 9.8-percent increase year-on-year. Mercedes, led by the C-Class and M-Class, saw its sales go up by 5.7 percent to 330,391 units. We'll have to wait a bit to see if there's another registrations-vs-sales challenge as in 2012, when BMW was anointed US luxury ruler. Behind them, a dark horse named Lexus nudged closer to the leading Teutons, selling 311,389 cars. The Japanese luxury automaker also had the biggest gain among the top three, its sales rising by 13.7 percent compared to 2013. Audi had the biggest sales of anyone among the top five, though, with a 15.2-percent gain to 182,011, which moved it a spot ahead of Cadillac; the Wreath-and-Crest brand dropped 6.5 percent to 170,750. Acura (167,843), Infiniti (117,300), and Lincoln (94,474) took the final positions. Speaking of Lincoln, sales at the once-mighty luxury marque stand as the mightiest jump of any on this list, up 15.6 percent. That's the power of Matthew McConaughey... and better cars and a new crossover, sure. So now that we're back to Round One of 2015, in case no one else has said it yet: "Ok, fight!"

2016 Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S Coupe 4Matic brings big power to go with massive name

Mercedes-Benz hopped into the luxury crossover coupe market with both feet with the recently debuted GLE-Class Coupe. While the existence of beauty in this segment is still up for debate, the Merc really gives the BMW X6 a direct competitor. With the newly unveiled 2016 Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S Coupe 4Matic, the engineers from Affalterbach are now also turning their sights on their rivals from BMW's M division. Don't let the name fool you. The GLE63 AMG Coupe eschews the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 from the C63 AMG in favor of an even bigger power source. This crossover uses the company's thundering 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with stop/start that pumps out 577 horsepower and 561 pound-feet of torque – 10 hp and 8 lb-ft more than the X6 M. The deep well of muscle means the sprint to 62 miles per hour takes just 4.2 seconds; faster than you can say the coupe's mile-long official name. The AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic gearbox routes all of that grunt to all four wheels with a 40:60 front/rear split. The styling of this beast gets a special nod from AMG by being the first CUV from the company to get its A-wing grille. Even if the rest of the design can be polarizing, this portion looks fantastic. The airfoil in the bumper is supposed to look like a stylized A, and from some angles, the wing almost appears like its just floating there. Each side of the GLE63 features black wheel arch flares, and around back there's a small lip spoiler on the tailgate. It's complimented by a new rear apron that has air outlets at each corner, integrated tailpipes and a diffuser in the center. Being a Mercedes-AMG, buyers sit in the lap of luxury inside. The seats are covered in Nappa leather with AMG crests on the headrests. The performance brand's moniker can also be found on the three-spoke steering wheel, and the instrument panel even gets covered in black Nappa. Obviously, if this isn't enough for potential buyers, Mercedes has a ton of options on hand. They include performance-oriented items like a sport exhaust system, 22-inch wheels and carbon fiber engine cover, but there're also more opulent choices like the fragrance mister and a high-end Bang & Olufson sound system. Scroll down for all the details on the much more powerful GLE Coupe. The new Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S Coupe 4MATIC Driving performance reinterpreted Affalterbach/Detroit.

Recharge Wrap-up: Batty battery covers, Mercedes at Silvretta, new Hyundai Sonata Hybrid available in 2015

Apparently, Chevrolet Volt battery covers make suitable homes for bats. As part of an Eagle Scout project, Matthew Netherland created 30 bat houses out of scrapped Volt battery covers donated by Chevy. 22 of the bat houses will be set up near hydroelectric dams in Michigan. Each bat house will accommodate 100 bats, and divert the scrapped materials from the landfill. The battery covers also make great nesting boxes for wood ducks, which General Motors has previously set up at its Milford, Michigan Proving Ground. Last weekend was the Silvretta E-Auto Rally, which saw emissions-free vehicles cross the Montafon Mountains in Austria, including cars from Mercedes-Benz. These cars included the B-Class Electric Drive, B-Class F-Cell, SLS AMG Electric Drive and even the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive. Also on hand for the Silvretta Classic Rally was a V8-powered C111, a 1978 Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC and 300 SL Roadster. Read more in the press release, below. BMW has finalized pricing for the i8 in the US at $135,700 (plus $925 in destination charges). In addition to the base price tag, which we've known for a while, BMW Blog has the complete pricing guide with options and packages. Most of the i8 orders were the Pure Impulse World package, which includes various aesthetic upgrades. It also provides membership to the BMW i Pure Impulse Program, which allows you to "to enjoy innovative ideas and trends in a variety of areas, including home styling, culture, gourmet gastronomy, design and many more." Head over to BMW Blog for more information. The new generation of the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid will arrive later than the rest of the model lineup, confirms Car and Driver. While the gas-powered Sonatas get updated now for the 2015 model year, the Hybrid remains unchanged until late this year or early 2015, when it will arrive as a 2016 model. Hyundai is offering a 2015 Sonata Eco edition, but with 28 miles per gallon in the city and 38 mpg highway (32 combined), it's not quite as appealing as the current Sonata Hybrid's 36/40/38 figures. Read more here. In June, average US fuel economy was 25.5 miles per gallon, making it the fifth straight month above 25 mpg, according to University of Michigan. The average window sticker ratings from vehicles sold in June dropped slightly from 25.6 mpg in May. The year started at 24.9 mpg in January, and hasn't dropped below 25 mpg since.