This Gives The Company An Approx

This Gives The Company An Approx

On 18 October the workforce at Mercedes-Benz MiniBus GmbH celebrated "10 years of the Mercedes-Benz minibus". EvoBus first entered the minibus segment in 1998, and today the 220 employees of this Dortmund-based company produce around 1200 vehicles annually. This gives the company an approx. 7 percent share of the European bus market for vehicles between 3.5 and 5 t gross vehicle weight. MiniBus GmbH combines line-based series production with the advantages of a high content of craftsmanship. Individual minibus solutions in traditional Mercedes-Benz quality are the keystone of the company's success. In 1998 EvoBus GmbH acquired a 49% shareholding in the bodybuilding company Karl Koch GmbH. Daimler had already been working together with this long-established bodybuilding specialist for more than 30 years. The plant in Mudersbach, Rhineland-Palatinate, became the company headquarters at the same time, and production of minibuses commenced at the Dortmund location in early 2000 under the management of EvoBus.

In 2004 the business was taken over completely by EvoBus. To document the company's integration into the Mercedes-Benz brand, it was re-registered under the name "Mercedes-Benz Minibus GmbH" on 1 February 2004. That same year the headquarters were relocated to Dortmund. Since 2005 the production capacities at the Dortmund location have been consolidated and expanded by more than 50 %, with production changed over to line assembly owing to the high volume of business. The market launch of the current Sprinter generation from the end of 2006 started the most major model initiative in the history of the Dortmund company. Within just 18 months, a range of 12 minibus models was created in four new model series: the Sprinter Transfer, Sprinter Travel, Sprinter City and Sprinter Mobility. The two low-floor bus models Sprinter City 35 and 65 have been particularly successful in achieving market leadership in Europe. The Mercedes-Benz minibus range is based on durable and robust large-scale series production technology, into which the latest developments from the Mercedes-Benz bus and van sectors are regularly incorporated. The basic minibuses, bodies and interior fixtures are produced completely under the aegis of the Mercedes-Benz brand, which means that a Mercedes-Benz minibus customer purchases a fully-finished vehicle from a single source. He therefore benefits from other brand-specific advantages, from the company's development know-how and technological leadership to the Europe-wide After-Sales service which EvoBus provides with OmniPlus. The worldwide bus business of Daimler AG is consolidated into the corporate division Daimler Buses, with EvoBus GmbH responsible for the European bus business. As a full-line manufacturer, EvoBus has a complete vehicle range extending from minibuses to articulated buses.

Say goodbye to the Mercedes-Benz CLK coupe. Prior to its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month, Mercedes has taken the wraps off the replacement for the CLK coupe. The new 2-door will be dubbed the E-Class Coupe, which makes perfect sense as it is based on the E-Class sedan鈥檚 underpinnings. Powerplants will also be shared with the E-Class sedan, starting with the V-6 and going all the way to the 6.2-liter AMG V8 monster. The mainstay should be the midrange V8 in the E500 Coupe providing plenty of juice with 388 horsepower. The car looks to also be sharing styling cues with the upcoming E-class, however some minor differences will reflect the two door鈥檚 more sporting demeanor. It doesn鈥檛 come across as a stunner in pictures, but the Mercedes family resemblance is certainly present. The E-coupe is due in showrooms this summer, with the convertible version arriving shortly thereafter. For now the jury is out.

Located 90 minutes outside of Paris via high-speed rail, Circuit de la Sarthe is home to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, firing up this weekend. In this day-long torture test of incredible machines, we're watching the sole American entry: the Chevy Corvette that's trying to beat the big boys of Europe. The 24 Hours of Le Mans holds a special place in the world of motorsports. The Circuit de la Sarthe is so huge that it easily accommodates up 300,000 spectators from across Europe. The atmosphere is carnival-like, but the bread, cheese and wine is superior (akin to eating bratwurst at Road America). The rivalries and history are what make the action so special at Le Mans. In the 1920s, it was Bentley versus Bugatti versus Alfa Romeo. Jumping to the 1960s, it was Ford versus Ferrari. Porsche dominated the 1970s, fending off challenges from Renault and Matra-Simca. Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar and Mazda duked it out through the '80s and early '90s, with McClaren and Panoz shaking things up after that.

A major interior update includes Merc鈥檚 latest infotainment technology. A new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is found, plus a 10.25-inch infotainment system and a leather AMG steering wheel with integrated diplays lifted from the GT 4-door coupe. It also gets the GT 4-door coupe鈥檚 colour display switchgear on the centre console, replacing the conventional buttons used before. On the outside, the AMG GT gets fresh LED headlights said to be inspired by the ones found on the GT 4-door coupe, plus new daytime running lights and tail lights. A choice of new alloy wheels, a range of new paint colours and new black sill covers for the GT and GT S models are also included. The GT鈥檚 exhaust covers will also receive an update, tailored towards each model. The standard AMG GT will be fitted with new round covers, the GT S and GT C with trapeze-shaped covers, whilst the GT R will retain its central exit exhaust but gain two, rather pointless, fake exhausts to its flanks.