Opels Image is at last turning around with a raft of brand new models.

Opel is succeeding in turning around its tattered image in Germany, the brand's marketing chief Tina Mueller said.

General Motors' money-losing brand has been harmed in its key home market by bad publicity over job losses and the closure of the Bochum factory. But a major marketing campaign and new models such as the Adam minicar and Mokka small SUV are winning back customers.

"Last autumn more people thought Opel as a brand was on its way down than on its way up, that has now changed thanks to the new models and with our new image campaigns," Mueller said.

Mueller said negative publicity over job cuts had not affected the brand in other European markets but in Germany owning an Opel car in Germany had become a social stigma, also in part due to an aging product lineup in the past. “The brand became an invisible wall in the heads of customers, people that said the car is super but I wouldn’t drive an Opel,” she said.

To fix the brand's image, Mueller, who joined Opel in August 2013 from the consumer goods industry, launched a marketing campaign called “Umparken im Kopf” – roughly translated to "change parking spots in your head."

The campaign took an unusual approach. Mueller deliberately left out any association to Opel as a brand initially and instead aimed at generating interest by challenging people’s preconceived notions and prejudices in general.

Only later did Opel take credit for the campaign and begin using it as an advertising slogan to position itself as a challenger of the status quo.

The brand's advertising for the Insignia midsize sedan was a success even though initial ads for the brand's top-line model did not mention the car at all. Opel took advantage of the popularity in Germany of Juergen Klopp, the charismatic trainer of soccer club Borussia Dortmund, as a brand ambassador.

In an advertising spot for the Insignia, an airline stewardess discovers a set of dropped Opel keys on the floor close to a curtain that divides business class passengers from those in economy.

Immediately assuming they must belong to a passenger in the economy class, the stewardess is surprised to find out that they belong to Klopp, who comes out from behind business class curtain to claim them without any sign of shame. “We sold 35 percent more Insignias since this relaunch,” Muelller said.

The brand still has a "way to go" in changing public perceptions but it is moving in the right direction, she said. "We have the foundation for progress. We are confident," Mueller told the Automobilwoche Congress here earlier this month.

New products such as the Karl minicar and a new-generation Astra compact, both launching next year, will continue the brand's revival, she said.

Opel vehicle sales in Germany were up 6 percent to 185,740 in the first ten months, giving it a 7.3 percent market share, an increase of 30 basis points, according to data from the German Federal Transport Authority.

Henning Krogh contributed to this report

You can reach Christiaan Hetzner

REPORT HERE

Land Rover to complain to Chinese officials about blatent copying of the Evoque.

The Landwind X7 is scheduled to go into production this month and is expected to retail for the equivalent of about 17,700 euros in China.

Land Rover plans to complain to Chinese officials about a close copy of its Range Rover Evoque SUV that debuted at the Guangzhou auto show in China last week.

"Jaguar Land Rover will take whatever steps are appropriate," the company said in a statement to Automotive News Europe.

The X7 SUV, presented by Chinese automaker Landwind, closely resembles the Evoque, right down to the font and the positioning of the lettering on its hood.

"The fact that this kind of copying is ongoing in China is very disappointing," Land Rover CEO Ralf Speth told the UK's Autocar magazine. "I will talk to our officials and I will talk to our partners at Chery to find a way around this situation."

The Landwind X7 was flagged up by Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum, who tweeted a picture of the car from the Guangzhou show, adding “haven’t we seen this somewhere before?”

At the same show Land Rover revealed the first Evoques made at its new manufacturing plant in Changshu, northeast of Shanghai, built with its joint venture partner, Chery Automobile.

Autocar said the Landwind X7 is scheduled to enter production this month and is expected to retail for 134,992 yuan (17,665 euros, $22,000) in China.

That is significantly below the 578,000 yuan (76,000 euro) starting price of the Evoque there, which is more than the SUV's UK starting price because of import duties. Autocar reported that the locally built Evoque, called the Aurora in China, will start at about 385,000 yuan.

Landwind is an SUV-focused brand owned by Jiangling Motor Holding (JMH), the parent company of Jiangling Motor Co. (JMC). Ford has a 31 percent stake in JMC, which makes Ford Transit vans in China among other ventures.

The Landwind X7, top, has borrowed virtually every exterior styling cue from the Range Rover Evoque.

Photo credit: JAY RAMEY

The Landwind X7 is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine from Mitsubishi and is offered with an eight-speed automatic transmission, according to the company’s website. Landwind described the design’s narrow side and rear windows “as giving a strong sense of power and majesty.”

Chinese media earlier this year reported that Landwind had submitted patent drawings for the X7’s design with the Chinese patent office.

Speth told Autocar: "The simple principle is that it is not something that should happen; the intellectual property is owned by Jaguar Land Rover, and if you break that IP then you are in breach of international regulations that apply around the world."

The X7 name will be shared with a forthcoming BMW SUV and joins the X5 and X6 in Landwind’s lineup. BMW said it is powerless to prevent the name clash. “Chinese law doesn't allow companies to protect a combination of letters and numbers, such as X7, X1, 320i etc, it only works with brand and common names such as BMW, Mini, Clubman, Phantom,” a spokesperson told Automotive News Europe.

High-profile disputes between Chinese automakers accused of copying design and engineering from Western cars include the 2008 case when General Motors claimed that its Daewoo Matiz subcompact was copied by Chinese automaker Chery, which marketed a very similar-looking car called the Chery QQ.

The QQ was an extreme example of the sporadic industrial copying that took place in the automotive market, as its doors and a number of other parts were actually interchangeable with the Matiz.

Also in 2008, an Italian court prohibited Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors from importing its Peri subcompact car, ruling it looked too much like the Fiat Panda.

Jay Ramey of AutoWeek contributed

You can reach Nick Gibbs

REPORT HERE

Ferrari sell off helps Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Debt drop by up to $894 Million.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles expects its net industrial debt to drop by about $894 million (715 million euros) thanks to a planned Ferrari spin-off, a regulatory filing showed on Wednesday.

FCA had already said in a separate filing with U.S. market regulator SEC earlier this month that it would receive 2.25 billion euros from Ferrari before it spins off the luxury sportscar unit from the group next year.

The company added on Wednesday that this payment and the removal of Ferrari's own debt of 133 million euros from the parent group's accounts would be offset by the loss of Ferrari's cash and receivables worth 1.67 billion euros.

FCA had net debt of 11.37 billion euros at end-September. The company added in the filing that the final impact on its debt could "differ materially" from the projected amount given potential changes to its own and Ferrari's debt at the time the spin-off occurs.

CEO Sergio Marchionne, who also serves as Ferrari chairman, said in October he would spin off the unit, sell a 10 percent stake via a public offering and distribute the rest of FCA's stake in the luxury sports car brand to its shareholders.

The spin-off is part of a bigger capital-raising plan that also includes a $2.5 billion mandatory convertible bond issue and a share sale to help cut debt and fund an ambitious business plan at the world's seventh-largest carmaker.

Marchionne said at the time that all the measures would inject 4 billion euros into the group.

REPORT HERE

Mercedes to bring in lower priced AMG range to lug the price gap.

Daimler performance subbrand Mercedes-AMG aims to double sales in the next three years by offering a cheaper product line to narrow the price gap with Mercedes-Benz cars.

The first two models from the new AMG Sport family will premiere at the Detroit auto show in January 2015 with further models to follow, the company said at a press event here, near Stuttgart.

Audi has already implemented a similar strategy with some success, offering the S-line that is situated price-wise between Audi’s base cars and the RS models built by its in-house tuner, Quattro GmbH.

“The A 250 Sport was the predecessor of the AMG Sport product line, we saw that it was successful and decided to expand this into a strategic business model,” said Tobias Moers, head of Mercedes-AMG. He added the new line could represent 30 percent to 40 percent of AMG sales in the future.

“Real sports car technology will become more accessible and appeal to an even broader customer group,” Moers said, adding that the subbrand will not water down its promise of top performance.

AMG expects to sell considerably more than 40,000 cars this year -- setting a new record -- because of a broadened model range that includes everything from the 115,430 euro AMG GT sports car, which rivals the 911 Turbo, to performance compacts such as the 355-hp AMG variant of the A class, which starts at just under 50,000 euros.

“In the next three years we want to more than double vehicle sales over 2013,” Moers said, referring to the 32,200 sold last year. “We want to be seen as being on par with the most successful German sports car makers.”

When asked how they could achieve this when the most famous of them all, Porsche, sells four times as many cars, he replied: “We don’t want to compete in terms of vehicle sales, that would not be realistic from today’s point of view -- we want to compete in terms of our profile and brand awareness.”

To further boost volumes, Mercedes will used the AMG Sport range to close the gap between Mercedes cars equipped with the AMG Sport Package trim level and the classic AMG models. Right now, customers who want a more sporty C class than the Mercedes-Benz C400 4MATIC have to pay 76,100 euros in Germany to get the Mercedes-AMG C 63, which is roughly 24,000 euros more.

In between those two will be the new Mercedes-Benz C 450 AMG that will debut in Detroit. It will be offered at a starting price of about 50,000 euros. AMG will also premiere the Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 Coupe at the Detroit show.

The AMG Sport cars will offer six-cylinder engines with increased output, all-wheel drive as standard plus special chassis and brake parts from the traditional AMG models.

Unlike the classic AMG models, however, the engines will be tuned versions off the series production line rather than handcrafted by one person in Affalterbach as is currently the case with the AMG performance cars.

The new models also will contribute significantly to lowering the carbon emissions of AMG’s fleet starting next year, the company said. In the last five years, CO2 has been reduced by 35 percent.

This is not just important for its European emissions targets, Moers said. “There is the possibility that China will legislate in the future individual emission targets for each product line [like the C 63 AMG], but we will have an answer so that we can guarantee that this won’t impede our growth,” he said.

AMG already has enough to cope with just meeting demand from China, let alone additional restrictions potentially imposed by the government.

“It went so far that we had to stop the sale of the A 45 for two months this summer, because we couldn’t keep up with demand,” he said, explaining that in China this is preferable to making customers wait longer for their car.

When asked whether its future emissions strategy could include alternative powertrains such as a plug-in hybrid, Moers said that in the coming years AMG will certainly offer a product in this direction given the desire by performance sports car owners to be socially responsible.

Christiaan Hetzner

REPORT HERE

MINI to slash products to concentrate on core models.

BMW AG has decided that Mini has gotten too big and will shrink the compact brand's lineup to five models from eight.

The move reverses course after Mini rolled out a series of quirky derivatives like the coupe and roadster two-seaters in recent years. While that strategy sustained sales growth, it added cost and complexity.

Over the long term, Mini will now focus on "superhero" vehicles including the three- and five-door versions of the basic hatchback, the Countryman crossover and the Clubman wagon, which will be revamped next year, Peter Schwarzenbauer, the brand's chief said today.

"Like a superhero, each of these cars has its own personality and unique capabilities," said Schwarzenbauer in a speech prepared for an event near BMW's Munich headquarters. "It is important to find the right balance between growth, on the one hand, and profitability, on the other."

BMW re-introduced Mini as an upscale compact car in 2001 to target the increasing ranks of urban consumers. Since then, there's been a steady stream of trendy city cars like the Audi A1, Fiat 500 and Nissan Juke, putting pressure on Mini to differentiate itself.

"Mini now faces competition in areas where it previously stood alone," said Schwarzenbauer, who took charge of Mini last year after previously heading sales at Audi.

Three to four current models will retain their place in the brand’s lineup, which now includes the two-door Paceman crossover and a convertible. Schwarzenbauer didn’t say which Mini models will be cut and didn’t give a timeframe.

Electric Mini

It's also not all backpedaling. Mini will offer an electric vehicle "soon," the BMW management-board member said.

The car could be modeled on the Superleggera concept showcased at the Paris Motor Show in October.

Mini introduced the third-generation of its basic hatchback -- known now as the Hardtop in the U.S. -- in 2013.

Demand for the car will help the BMW unit match last year's sales record of about 305,000 vehicles. With the addition of the Clubman, Schwarzenbauer anticipates a "significant" increase in sales next year.

In addition to revamping its lineup, Mini is looking at more customization options and alternatives to sales through traditional dealers.

"The brand will continue to evolve over the coming years to ensure that we remain leading edge," he said. "We will take new and unexpected directions."

REPORT HERE

Ford EcoBoost® Police Interceptor Sedan retains title as fastest accelorating pursuit vehicle.

• Ford EcoBoost^® Police Interceptor sedan repeats top performance in Michigan State Police and Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department testing of 2015 model, retaining its title as quickest-accelerating pursuit vehicle
• Ford EcoBoost Police Interceptor utility vehicle acceleration faster than competition’s all-new utility vehicle and all base V6 competitors
• Ford Police Interceptor maintains segment sales leadership for 17 consecutive years

Ford Motor Company, manufacturer of the best-selling police vehicles since 1996, trumped the competition in recent instrumented acceleration testing conducted separately by the Michigan State Police and Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.

The EcoBoost^®-powered Ford Police Interceptor sedan bested all V8-equipped competitors’ sedans in testing by both Michigan and California authorities, while Ford Police Interceptor utility with EcoBoost out-accelerated the competition’s all-new V8-equipped utility and all base V6-powered sedans.

“We are thrilled to repeat as having best acceleration,” said Arie Groeneveld, Ford Taurus, Explorer and Police Interceptor chief engineer. “Quickly closing the distance between an officer and a target vehicle is key to safely avoiding high-speed pursuits. Our police vehicles are built around officer safety, and outstanding performance is yet another demonstration of that commitment.”

Michigan State Police testing results

Preliminary results of Michigan State Police testing show the 2015 Ford Police Interceptor sedan with all-wheel drive is fastest of the fast – posting a 0-60 mph time of 5.85 seconds, compared to 6.31 seconds for a competing 5.7-liter V8 sedan with all-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is standard on Ford Police Interceptor sedan, optional on the competing model.

The Ford EcoBoost-powered sedan also topped a competing 6.0-liter V8-equipped sedan, which clocked a 0-60 mph time of 6.17 seconds.

“Ford Police Interceptors are the only police vehicles to be pursuit-tested for three years in a row by both Michigan State Police and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department with traction control and electronic stability control safety systems fully engaged,” said Jonathan Honeycutt, marketing manager, Ford police vehicles. “Our safety philosophy entails testing our vehicles as our agencies will drive them.”

Ford also took top honors in Michigan State Police 0-100 mph testing: Police Interceptor sedan turned a 14.19-second 0-100 mph time, while a competing 5.7-liter sedan posted 15.63 seconds and a rival 6.0-liter sedan took 14.69 seconds.

The results are similar for utility vehicles. Ford Police Interceptor utility with standard all-wheel drive hit 60 mph in 6.55 seconds and 100 mph in 16.13 seconds. A competing all-new utility vehicle powered by a 5.3-liter V8 posted a 0-60 mph time of 7.31 seconds and a 0-100 mph time of 18.99 seconds.

Additionally, Ford Police Interceptor utility repeated with fastest lap time around Grattan Raceway among police utility vehicles.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department testing results

Results from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department tests are even more dominant for Ford Police Interceptor. For the first time, the department conducted testing with a “key on and drive” policy – meaning stability and traction control settings were in default mode as when the vehicles are first turned on. 

Ford Police Interceptor sedan repeated as the quickest-accelerating vehicle overall in Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department tests, with a 0-60 mph time of 5.9 seconds. The EcoBoost-equipped Ford Police Interceptor utility not only out-accelerated its competition, but was quicker at 0-60 mph than all base model (V6-powered) sedans.

At Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, where testing was conducted, Ford Police Interceptor sedan with EcoBoost placed first overall, posting a fastest lap of 1:20.47. The EcoBoost-equipped Police Interceptor utility also placed first and posted best-in-class stopping distances.

Through October 2014, the most recent data available, Ford has commanded more than half of the new police vehicle market – 56 percent – hitting a high of 66 percent market share for July.

For more information on Ford Police Interceptor vehicles, visit 

www.FordPoliceInterceptor.com.

The most luxurious and well appointed Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG 4Matic Coupe ever made.

Breathtaking and irresistible

The new S63 AMG 4MATIC Coupe is the latest dream car to augment the Mercedes-AMG model range. Exciting lines underpin this two- door model's design. Power and sensual purity combine to give the vehicle irresistible presence and breathtaking performance. Equally impressive is the combination of outstanding driving dynamics, advanced lightweight construction and groundbreaking efficiency. 

The AMG 5.5-liter V8 biturbo engine is a paragon of poise and assurance. Boasting an output of 577 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque, the S63 AMG Coupe delivers exceptional performance with remarkably low fuel consumption. In addition, AMG Per- formance 4MATIC all-wheel drive (33/67% split) will come standard in the U.S. market for optimum traction in any driving situation.

Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH: "The new S63 AMG Coupe is another exciting AMG dream car in the luxury segment. Now the S-Class Coupe also comes with performance-oriented AMG 4MATIC all-wheel drive - as we rigorously pursue our all-wheel-drive initiative. Mercedes-AMG is putting the pedal to the metal again in the new year. Our model initiative is set to continue at blistering pace in 2014."

Up to 128 pounds lighter thanks to AMG Lightweight Performance

The S63 AMG 4MATIC Coupe is the latest model to benefit from the systematic implementation of the AMG Lightweight Performance strategy. Lightweight construction has reduced the vehicle weight by up to 128 pounds – even though the car has a higher output and more extensive standard equipment than the preceding model. 

This weight savings was achieved largely thanks to the use of a lightweight lithium-ion battery, optional AMG forged light-alloy wheels and a weight-optimized AMG high-performance composite braking system. 

Furthermore, the entire outer skin and the front end of the body are made of aluminium. The reduced weight improves driving dynamics and cuts fuel consumption, while the low power-to-weight ratio results in impressive performance: the S63 AMG Coupe accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in an estimated 3.9 seconds and goes on to reach a top speed of 186 mph (electronically limited).

In terms of maximum output, torque and fuel consumption, the AMG 5.5-liter V8 biturbo engine remains one of the most efficient series-produced V8 engines of all. With an output of 577 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque, the AMG eight- cylinder unit meets even the most demanding of requirements. Compared to the previous CL63 AMG model, engine output has been increased by 41 hp and torque by 74 lb-ft. Yet the S63 AMG Coupe still consumes less fuel.

The model at a glance:

	S63 AMG 4MATIC Coupe
Displacement	5461 cc
Output	577 hp at 5,500 rpm
Max. torque	664 lb-ft at 2,250-3,750 rpm
Fuel consumption	TBD
Curb weight	4,678 lbs
Acceleration 0 - 60 mph	3.9 s (est.)
Top speed	186 mph*

* electronically limited

Individuality: AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sport transmission

The AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sport transmission combines perfectly with the V8 biturbo engine. Maximum agility and exciting dynamics are the two key strengths of this transmission, which is used exclusively at AMG. Drivers can configure their own personal set-up, depending on their driving style. There are three modes to choose from: "C" (Controlled Efficiency), "S" (Sport) and "M" (Manual). The ECO start/stop function is fitted as standard.

AMG sport exhaust system with automatic exhaust flaps

Emotional and sporty performance or restrained and relaxing cruising: the S63 AMG Coupe even has a choice of bespoke sounds. The AMG sport exhaust sys- tem meets individual driver requirements as it has automatic logic-controlled exhaust flaps in both rear silencers. When the transmission is in "C" (Con- trolled Efficiency) mode, the flaps remain closed in most situations, in which case the eight-cylinder biturbo engine's sound is more understated. In "S" (Sport) and "M" (Manual) modes, the exhaust flaps open earlier and more spontaneously, especially if the driver prefers a dynamic driving style. The result is an even fuller, hallmark AMG emotive engine sound.

"One man, one engine": a tradition of hand-built excellence

Like all AMG V8 and V12 engines, the eight-cylinder biturbo engine for the S63 AMG Coupe is assembled by hand at the AMG engine shop in Affalterbach. Highly qualified engine fitters assemble the engines in Affalterbach according to the strictest quality standards based on the "one man, one engine" philoso- phy. Apart from serving as an AMG hallmark confirming superlative precision and production quality, the AMG engine plate bearing the engine technician's signature also attests to the peerless DNA of Mercedes-Benz high-performance brand.

Performance-oriented AMG 4MATIC all-wheel drive

For the first time, the S63 AMG Coupe comes standard in the U.S. market with the AMG Performance 4MATIC all-wheel drive system. With permanent all- wheel drive, 33 percent of the engine torque is sent to the front axle and 67 percent to the rear axle. 

The rear-biased power distribution provides the signa- ture AMG high driving dynamics and superlative driving enjoyment as well as boosting acceleration from a standing start. The all-wheel drive also enhances driving safety on wet or wintry road surfaces when equipped with winter tires**. Optimum traction is guaranteed by a multi-disc clutch with a locking effect of 37 lb-ft, which maximizes the frictional connection potential of all four wheels.

**all S63 AMG Coupe and Sedan models come equipped with standard summer performance tires.

AIRMATIC air suspension

The S63 AMG Coupe 4MATIC features the full air-suspension system AIRMATIC with the adaptive damping system ADS PLUS. Specific front axle kinematics – including higher camber, a larger anti-roll bar and a stiffer subframe carrier on the rear axle – have been developed exclusively for the S63 AMG 4MATIC Coupe. These measures enhance the vehicle's agility for performance driving.

Systematic lightweight construction: Available AMG forged wheels

The S63 AMG Coupe is available with optional AMG forged light-alloy wheels. This design reduces weight while at the same time increasing strength. The lower unsprung masses result in advantages in terms of handling and spring/damper element response.

Optional wheels include 10-spoke forged wheels painted in titanium grey with a polished finish – 8.5 x 20 at the front and 9.5 x 20 at the rear, with 255/40 R 20 and 285/35 R 20 tires respectively. The forged wheels feature a high-quality, screwable and fully integrated wheel bolt cover made of forged aluminium. Its shape is reminiscent of a center lock as seen in motorsport. The AMG logo is integrated into one of the ten spokes. These forged wheels are also available painted in matte black with a high-sheen rim flange.

AMG ceramic high-performance composite brake system as an option for the first time

Short stopping distances and rapid deceleration are a given for the S63 AMG Coupe, which is equipped with a weight-optimized, fade-resistant AMG high- performance composite brake system. An AMG ceramic high-performance composite brake system is available as an option. This design, which is more than 20 percent lighter, ensures lower unsprung masses and enhanced braking performance.

Design: AMG combines sensual purity with breaktaking performance

The S63 AMG 4MATIC Coupe also boasts exciting looks to emphasize its sporty performance: it exudes power and hallmark Mercedes-Benz sensual purity. The design is a stage for the exciting technology at the heart of the new dream car. Numerous aerodynamic elements underline the outstanding driving dynamics:

the front end is dominated by the three-dimensional AMG "twin-blade" radiator grille in silver shadow (a matte silver finish). Whether in motion or stationary, distinctive AMG lettering between the twin-blade lamellas leaves no doubt: this is a high-performance model from Affalterbach. The A-wing is located below the radiator grille. 

This three-dimensional air-ducting element is painted in the body color, spans the entire width of the front apron and displays the stylized "A" that is a hallmark of AMG vehicles. Large, black flics surround the outer cooling air intakes. Down below, the front splitter in silver shadow optimizes the flow of air to the cooling modules. This design feature, which is a familiar sight in motorsport, also reduces front-axle lift and enhances the vehicle's aerodynamic balance.

All of the cooling air grilles exude high quality with their high-gloss-black paint finish. Keeping the A-wing and front splitter separate makes the car appear closer to the road. A similar effect is created by the AMG side sill panels with their high-quality, three-dimensional inserts in silver shadow. Together with the lower feature line, these inserts make the S63 AMG 4MATIC Coupe exude energy even when it is at a standstill. 

Further eye-catching features of the side design include the large AMG designed wheels. "V8 BITURBO" lettering in a new, contemporary typography on the front wings is another hallmark AMG design touch.

At the rear, the diffuser insert in high-gloss black also catches the eye right away. The lower trim element in silver shadow is reminiscent of the A-wing at the front and provides an effective contrast. 

The two chromed twin tailpipes of the AMG sport exhaust system with sport flaps are perfectly integrated into the diffuser insert. Stylized, vertical air outlets in the rear apron assume the role of a defined spoiler lip and optimize aerodynamics. The "S 63 AMG" model designation in a new, contemporary typography below the tail lamps adds the perfect finishing touch to the rear-end design.

Interior: Captivating luxury, quality and exclusivity

Opening the door reveals the luxurious interior of the S63 AMG Coupe: the instrument panel almost seamlessly transitions into the doors in a wrap- around design. High-quality materials and fine workmanship are combined with a sporty and exclusive design idiom. 

The newly developed AMG sport seats with power adjustment, memory function and seat heating/ventilation offer the driver and front passenger optimum lateral support. Fine AMG design Nappa leather with piping together with AMG badges on all four seat backrests and an embossed AMG emblem on the armrest of the front center console create an exquisite atmosphere.

The new three-spoke AMG sport steering wheel with its distinctively contoured rim and perforated leather in the grip area allows perfect vehicle control. There is an AMG logo in the lower metal insert, and new aluminum shift paddles shorten the reaction time when changing gears to enhance performance. 

Another feature displaying the hallmark AMG look is the high-resolution TFT color AMG instrument cluster with two animated round dials. In addition to the specific lettering and the needles in red/silver, further distinctive design features include the AMG start-up display, the AMG logo in the speedometer 200 mph scale (left) and the "V8 BITURBO" lettering in the rev counter (right).

The new, innovative touchpad, included as standard equipment, makes it significantly easier to operate the radio, telephone and navigation system. The safety and assistance systems are the same as those for the S550 4MATIC Coupe.

Even more exclusivity: the S63 AMG Coupe "Edition 1"

One particularly exclusive model in the range is the S63 AMG Coupe "Edition

1. The expressive arrangement of exclusive exterior and interior details arouses pure fascination. 

The irresistible look of the exterior is created from designo Magno Alanite Grey matte finish paint and Swarovski crystals in the LED high- performance headlamps. The exquisite ambience of the interior includes AMG sport seats upholstered in designo Exclusive Nappa Leather in bengal red/black with contrasting topstitching and piping. In keeping with this color scheme, the upper section of the dashboard, the front and rear center armrests, and the door linings are trimmed in nappa leather with contrasting topstitching, while the headliner is in finished in DINAMICA. 

The Edition 1 features a high level of equipment including the AMG Carbon Ceramic Braking System

World premiere and market launch in 2014

The S63 AMG Coupe will celebrate its world premiere at the New York Interna- tional Auto Show in April 2014. The United States market launch of the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Coupe 4MATIC will be in Fall 2014.