BMW Leads Audi, Mercedes-Benz In June Global Luxury-sales Race

BMW AG's core brand topped rivals Audi and Mercedes-Benz, selling 134,432 cars worldwide in June, a rise of 12.3 percent over 2010 figures, the company said today. Mercedes sold a record 120,510 units in June, a rise of 6.4 percent, topping Audi, which saw June sales grew 19 percent to 117,650 cars last month. BMW brand's global deliveries, boosted by sales of the new 5-series sedan and X3 SUV, rose 17.8 percent to 689,861 units in the first six months of the year, ahead of Audi's 17.7 percent rise to 652,950 cars. Mercedes' sales grew 9.7 percent to 610,531 through six months. BMW sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson said in a statement, adding however, that due to the model cycle and the year-on-year base effects, he expects the carmaker's growth to slow in the second half of the year. In total, BMW Group, including the BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands, sold 165,855 units in June, a rise of 15.9 percent. Between January and June, the brands' sales were 833,366, a rise of 19.7 percent. Luxury carmakers have achieved huge sales gain in China thanks to the country's growing population of super-rich. BMW Group's six-month sales in China jumped 61 percent to 121,614 vehicles. Mercedes and its Smart brand sold 92,174 units in China in the first half, up 52 percent from the same period last year. Through six months, Germany is BMW Group's top global sales market with a volume of 149,786 cars, a rise of 10.6 percent. Germany edged BMW Group's second-biggest market, the United States, where the carmaker's sales were up 18 percent to 143,521 units between January and June. Audi's volume in Germany rose 16 percent to 125,091 and its U.S. 15 percent in the half to 55,909. Mercedes' U.S.

Sociedad Espagnola de Automoviles de Turismo or Seat for short is the biggest car manufacturer to come out of Spain. The company started out in 1950 with the help of the Instituto Nacional de Industria and Fiat. That's why at first, Seat were simply rebadged and slightly modified Fiats. They even kept the names. But however big the Spanish manufacturer became, it needed the expertise and funds of a much bigger and older car producer. 2007 - Leon FR That same year, the first “Fiat free” car appeared, named the Seat Ronda. Basically, it was a restyled Fiat Ritmo, a fact which didn't bode well with the Italians who were quick to take the matter to court. In 1984 the first Ibiza model rolled out of the factory at Zona Franca, based on the Volkswagen Polo. The partnership with Volkswagen was soon going to become a lot tighter as in 1986 the German automaker was going to purchase 51% of Seat shares in June and then go up to 75% byt the end of that year. Just 4 years later Volkswagen is going to go all the way and buy the whole of Seat, owning 99,99% of its shares. The first Seat model after the acquisition was the Toledo, unveiled in 1991. The new Ibiza and the Cordoba are developed in 1993, as Seat celebrates the opening of a new plant at Martorell. 1995 sees the 10th million Seat being produced. The event is celebrated by having the car roll out of the assembly line driven by the Prince of Asturias. A new face for Seat is being concocted, as new models are being introduced: the Alhambra in 1996, the new Toledo in 1998 and the rally-ready Ibiza WRC and Cordoba WRC with which Seat attains several titles. As the new century rolls in, the company follows a new line in branding and marketing, more aggressive and more innovative. The Leon Cupra and the new Cordoba introduced in 2002. That same year a reorganization within the Volkswagen group sees Seat join the Audi Brand Group.

Recently at the Paris Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz picked up the prestigious Euro NCAP Advanced Reward safety prize for its anticipatory occupant protection system PRE-SAFE and also PRE-SAFE Brake driver assistance system. Now the company is continuing to pursue its global safety strategy by holding its first Roadshow Safety in Australia. As part of a series of events to be held at the company's Australian headquarters in Mulgrave, Victoria, Mercedes-Benz engineers will present the latest innovations in the fields of active and passive safety. At the same time, the specialists will also provide journalists and safety experts with an insight into what the company is currently researching and working on at the Mercedes-Benz Technology Center in Sindelfingen. Avoiding accidents and mitigating their consequences: this is what Mercedes-Benz's safety philosophy is all about. Other topics to be featured at the event will include sustainable mobility and safety, and also new driver assistance systems. Mercedes-Benz will also provide first-hand demonstrations of the effectiveness of its innovative safety systems with the aid of two simulators. The assistance systems simulator enables participants to experience in a realistic way how a range of assistance systems work in an S-Class under different traffic conditions. The events in Australia will be attended by journalists, government representatives, experts from safety organisations and also Mercedes-Benz customers. In the coming months, the Mercedes-Benz safety team is also planning to hold further events in other locations around the world.

Company: Pagani Automobili SpA; 95 employees in 63,000 square feet of manufacturing space in Modena, Italy. It has produced 191 cars over its 16 years of operation. Past projects: Zonda C12, a 555-hp carbon-fiber wedge using a 6.0-liter AMG-built Mercedes-Benz V-12, and subsequent iterations, including the Zonda S, Zonda R, the Zonda roadster, and 678-hp Zonda Cinque. 1.6 million Zonda replacement intended for U.S. 720-hp twin-turbo 6.0-liter Mercedes-Benz AMG V-12. C/D: Given the difficulty of earning a profit in this business, why do you build high-speed cars? HP: I’m telling you that you’re wrong; it is not a difficult business to make a profit. In 1983, I arrived in Italy with my wife and many dreams, two bikes, three suitcases, and a tent. Every year we close with a profit, and every year we invest a lot in research and development. C/D: Does top speed still matter? C/D: Is there a point at which power and speed will reach a limit? Are we there now? HP: I think the cars in general are all too fast. I highly recommend everybody to drive very carefully, not only if you have a supercar. C/D: Over your life, what would you say was your biggest mistake? HP: Every day I look at the way I walked to avoid repeating the same mistakes. If I’m wrong, I did it with the head, not the heart. I would do the same path; I’m a very lucky person. Life has given me more than I deserve.