Mercedes-Benz USA to Take Over Smart Distribution from Penske, Ditches Plans for Nissan Micra-Based Car

Daimler is planning to end an agreement with Penske Automotive Group regarding the distribution rights of Smart cars in the United States and transfer all activities to Mercedes-Benz USA, starting from the end of the second quarter of 2011.

"We are very excited about working toward integration of Smart into the MBUSA organization, and look forward to working with our dealer partners to exceed customer expectations for this unique vehicle," said Mercedes-Benz President and CEO, Ernst Lieb. "The addition of smart, combined with our Autohaus dealer initiative, will help us build upon the tremendous momentum the Mercedes-Benz brand has achieved here in the U.S."

Penske began selling the Lilliputian Smart Fortwo in the USA as an independent distributor in January 2008, and partially thanks to sky rocketing gasoline prices at the time as well as the initial shock factor, the company managed to sell close to 25,000 units that year. However, sales plummeted the next two years dipping to 14,600 cars in 2009 and to less than 6,000 units in 2010.

"Introducing the smart brand to the U.S. has been a unique opportunity for us," said Penske Automotive Group Chairman Roger Penske. "Over the last three years I've experienced the passion consumers express for the brand as we delivered over 45,000 vehicles. Aligning smart distribution with Daimler, as it is worldwide, is the logical next step for the smart brand in the U.S. This alignment will enable the smart brand to grow through the Mercedes-Benz dealership network and lead the way in conservation and meeting future fuel economy standards."

The decision to break up with Penske also marks the end of the firm's plans to add a Nissan Micra-based model to Smart's U.S. lineup in late 2011.

The company is readying its own five-door model (see our most recent scoop story here) using a new rear-wheel drive platform that is being currently developed in cooperation with the Renault-Nissan Group, but the four seat hatchback isn't expected for another two to three years.

Sources: SmartUSA via Autonews (Sub. Required)

MR Car Design Tunes up the Pre-Facelift Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG

The pre-facelift Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG is the object of MR Car Design's latest tuning program. The exterior kit for the hardtop roadster model includes a lightweight carbon fiber hood from Kicherer, smoked up turn signals all around and the rear diffuser from the newer 2009MY SL 65 AMG. A set of shiny 20-inch alloy wheels from Carlsson and custom-made Black Series gauge dials inside complete the styling package.

To improve performance, the Germany-based tuning firm optimized the bi-turbocharged V12 engine's ECU and added a custom sports exhaust system, which help lift output by 80HP for a total of 692-horses. The removal of the electronic speed limiter and the addition of an electronic module that lower the roadster model's ride height by 30 mm round off the changes.

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2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe Officially Revealed Ahead of Geneva Motor Show [47 High-Res Photos]

If you have been following us here on Carscoop, you already know about the new C-Class Coupe from Mercedes-Benz thanks to a bevy of spy shots and more notably, a series of leaked photos that left little to the imagination. However, this time, its official with Mercedes-Benz releasing a ton of pictures and preliminary details on both the North American and European lineup.

As its name implies, Mercedes-Benz's newcomer is a two-door variant of the facelifted C-Class sedan, and it has been designed to replace both the CLK and CLC Sportscoupe. It sits right under the larger E-Class Coupe in Mercedes' range, offering the company a direct competitor to the BMW 3-Series and Audi A5 coupes.

From the outside and apart from the two door body style, the chief differences over the sedan model concern the more steeply raked windshield and longer sloping roof, the arched window line with an upsweep kink into the C-pillar, plus the redesigned rear end. The Coupe's front end is identical to that of the four-door model.

Inside, the C-Class Coupe sports the same updated dashboard as the rest of the range but features a four-seat layout with independent sports seats. The rear backrests can be folded to extend the storage area.

Underneath the sheet metal, the Coupe packs the same hardware as the rest of the C-Class family.

In the U.S., it will be offered at launch with two engine choices, a 1.8-liter four-cylinder gasoline unit with direct injection and turbocharging technology delivering 201HP and 229 lb-ft of torque in the C250, and a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 producing 302HP and 273 lb-ft in the C350. Both models are equipped with a 7-speed automatic transmission as standard.

In Europe, Mercedes has announced an initial range of three gasoline engines and two diesel powerplants, all equipped with direct injection and the ECO start/stop function as standard.

The diesel lineup includes a 2.1-liter four-cylinder unit available with 170HP and 204HP guises, while the gasoline range, a 1.8-liter turbo with 156HP and 204HP, and a 3.5-liter V6 with 306HP.

The most economical coupé model is the C 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY with a manual six-speed transmission and the standard ECO start/stop function, which has an average diesel consumption of 64.2 mpg UK, equal to 53.5 mpg UK and 4.4 lt/100km, and emits 117 grams of CO2 /km.

A BMW M3-rivaling performance version featuring the C 63 AMG's 457HP / 487HP 6.2-liter V8 is also believed to be in the works.

The new 2012 C-Class will receive its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show on March 1 and make its way to European showrooms by June and in the U.S. in September.

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