Fluctuations and disparities in currency exchange rates have grown to become a significant factor in determining where foreign automakers in particular assemble their vehicles. Mercedes-Benz is among those carmakers most cognizant of these effects, and it has been assembling select models in the United States to meet local demands. Now the German automaker has announced that, for the next generation of its popular C-Class sedan due in 2014, partial production will shift to its assembly plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where the M-Class, R-Class and GL-Class crossovers are already built.

The shift in production – which is set to comprise no more than one-fifth of global C-Class production – will not only help offset currency rates, but also afford greater flexibility in meeting local customer demand. The move is expected to further upset Germany's automotive workforce, which has grown restless in the wake of General Motors' collapsed sale of Opel.

In addition to the partial shift to Alabama, German production of the remaining four-fifths of C-Class production is set to switch places with the SL-Class roadster, the former moving from Sindelfingen to Bremen and the latter vice-versa. Full details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

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Kudos to Infiniti. With seemingly every special edition model being blinged-up and chrome frosted inside and out, you'd figure something called the Millionaire Edition would be the most ostentatious thing on four wheels. But Nissan's luxury division has taken an entirely more understated approach with the 2010 Infiniti FX Millionaire Edition.

Instead of chrome or gold plating, the FX Millionaire gets dark graphite trim on the exterior, including the grille, air dam, 21-inch wheels and roof rails – as well as the window surrounds, from the look of it – complementing the Obsidian Black or White Moonlight paint schemes. Inside, it's all Alcantara micro-suede with brown stitching offset by carbon fiber, plus all the advanced features from the catalog, including sat-nav, Infiniti's excellent Around View Monitor system and Bose audio.

The package is available on either the FX37 or FX50, but only in Europe, with no more than 100 examples to be built. Equipped with the 390-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8, the FX50 Millionaire Edition sells in the price-inflated UK market for a princely €95,450 – about $144k in 'merican greenbacks, or more than twice the base price for us non-millionaires. On second thought, maybe we'll save those kudos for another time. The FX Millionaire Edition is being unveiled next week, appropriately enough, at Amsterdam's Millionaire Fair.

[Source: AutoWeek.nl]

Take a look at the Fiat auto group. What division (barring Ferrari and Maserati) would you think holds the highest value for the company? If you thought Alfa Romeo, you're on the same page as yours truly, but you'd be mistaken. Horribly mistaken, as it turns out: Alfa has lost Fiat hundreds of millions of euros every year. Its sales have declined sharply, and not just since the global economy collapsed: Alfa sold 203,000 units in the year 2000, but only 103,000 last year. That's a heck of a drop-off.

In response, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has ordered a full re-evaluation of the marque, with two courses of action to potentially result. The first would see Alfa more closely integrating its future products with Chrysler platforms. The second would be to stop investing in the brand altogether, leaving the still-new MiTo and the brand-new Giulietta to carry its aging stablemates (including the 159, Brera, Spider and GT) for the foreseeable future.

Speaking with Automotive News Europe from Fiat's headquarters in Turin, Marchionne reportedly said the new plan for Alfa will be revealed this coming February or March. Even if he chooses to keep Alfa alive with Auburn Hills synergy, though, Marchionne has nixed the notion of merging the brand with Dodge, noting that there's a limit to how many times a brand can be reborn.

[Source: Automotive News Europe – subs. req'd | Image: Tiziana Fabi/AFP/Getty]

If you're nostalgic, the first car that may come to mind when you think about a droptop Cadillac is the old tail-finned Fifties Eldorado. A pink one especially. But since then, the American luxury marque hasn't had a whole lot of convertibles. There was the Pininfarina-styled Allante and the recently discontinued XLR, both roadsters, but if you think the General's luxury division is eager to get back into the open-air business, think again, as new reports indicate that there are no such plans on the horizon.

At least not based on the CTS, anyway. The series has spawned a sedan – including the all-conquering CTS-V – a wagon and even a coupe, but the guys over at Inside Line say they've got the inside line that no convertible version of one of Cadillac's most prolific models is in the works. Which is a bit of a shame, when you think about it. But you never know what's coming around the corner...



[Source: Inside Line]

If environmentally-friendly transportation is your thing, there's no place like California. Not only is the state home base to Tesla – the first company to genuinely demonstrate that hugging a tree and hugging the road needn't be mutually exclusive – it was also chosen by General Motors as the launch site for its EV1 and by Honda for the FCX Clarity. It should come as no great surprise, then, that GM has just announced that its latest earthmobile – the highly anticipated Chevrolet Volt – will launch in California first before being introduced in markets across the country.

Not only with the Volt be available in the nation's largest car market before any other, but The General is also partnering with a number of local electric companies to accompany the rollout. Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison and Sacramento Municipal Utility District, together with the non-profit Electric Power Research Institute, will help demonstrate the benefits and practicality of the Volt's hybrid powertrain, thanks in part to a $30 million grant from the federal Department of Energy's Transportation Electrification Initiative. Follow the jump to read all about it in GM's full press release.



[Source: General Motors]

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It's been a long time in the making. It has changed names several times along the way. But it's finally here. Well, almost. It's the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, and it's coming to the Geneva Motor Show this March to coincide with its phased market launch across Europe next year to coincide with the marque's centenary.

Positioned just above the MiTo in Alfa's lineup (and, tellingly, below the anticipated upcoming 159-succeeding Giulia), the Giulietta replaces the 147 as Italy's answer to the Volkswagen Golf. Since Alfa's parent company Fiat already targets the Golf with its own Bravo, though, some might consider this more of an aggressively-priced competitor to the Audi A3. The hatchback takes its styling cues from the sumptuous 8C Competizione, but carries it off in a decidedly more aggressive way than implemented on the MiTo. Plenty of glass also make the cabin more airy, with a body-colored panel running across the dashboard.

A range of transverse four-cylinder engines – both gasoline and diesel – will be on offer, producing between 120 and 170 horsepower until a 230 hp Quadrifoglio Verde model comes along. They've all got start-stop engine management and Alfa's DNA adjustable suspension system as standard equipment. Fiat's cutting-edge MultiAir valve-actuation system will eventually find its way into all of the engines, while the selection of five- and six-speed manual gearboxes is set to be joined by a new dual-clutch transmission as well.

The new Giulietta marks a pivotal product launch for Alfa Romeo, as the company is hoping to make this its volume offering the most prolific model in its history – with production targeted for an ambitious 100,000 units annually. Check out the trifecta of images in the gallery below and the press release after the jump for full details.



[Source: Alfa Romeo]

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If you thought Rolls-Royce had cornered the market on special editions for the Middle East, Maserati would like you to think again. But only if you've got a big wad of cash and actually, you know... live in the Middle East.

The Italian automaker just took the wraps off a limited edition of its GranTurismo S, specially outfitted with items from the company's MC Sport Line. The car, decked out in a matte white "ice" paint scheme, was unveiled at the Yas Marina Circuit that just recently played host to the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Not much in the way of details were given, but only 12 examples will be produced: one for each of the twelve Maserati dealerships in the region, also honoring the twelve trophies (including constructors', drivers' and teams' titles) that the GranTurismo's big brother, the MC12, has racked up in the FIA GT Championship since 2005. The Trident marque has also announced a second run of 11 examples decked out in matte white pearl for its domestic Italian market.



[Source: Maserati]

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After watching from the sidelines for years as arch-rival BMW found success with the Mini brand, Audi is finally gearing up to jump into the scrum with the new A1. But unlike the Mini One (which slots below the Cooper in overseas markets), Audi doesn't intend to target the budget market. Instead, the new A1 will take aim directly at the Mini Cooper.

Don't expect to see any engine badges on the back of the four-ringed Polo, however, as Audi reportedly intends on keeping the displacement on the A1 hidden. An S1 is tipped to be in the works, but short of that the only thing onlookers will have to distinguish one engine model from another is the exhaust note. Expect the pre-production A1 – previewed by the Metroproject and A1 Sportback concepts – to debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show with sales beginning later next year.



[Source: EVO]

Reports of Toyota F1's demise may prove to have been exaggerated as the latest rumors from the racing world suggest that the Japanese automaker is in discussions with a Serbian outfit about taking over the Cologne-based racing team.

Stefan Grand Prix is backed by Serbian engineering firm AMCO and headed by one Zoran Stefanovic, who, like N.Technology, filed an official complaint over the FIA's selection process for new teams. His suit was rejected, but Stefanovic remained determined. The departure of Toyota from the scene and the availability of its assets – including its 2010 car design and the all-important entry slot for next year's championship – may prove to be his way in. The deal could involve Toyota sticking around to supply engines for the next few years, and Kamui Kobayashi could be part of the package, operating from the current facility in Cologne, Germany, until the move to Serbia could be completed.

For its part, Toyota is likely trying to find a way to get around its commitments under the Concorde Agreement to remain in the series, the failure of which to honor could cost Toyota hundreds of millions in fines. Meanwhile if Stefan Grand Prix manages to pull it off, they'll have successfully circumnavigated the allegedly flawed selection process and secured their spot on the grid. Stefanovic denies the prospect of his outfit simply stepping in to Toyota's place, but confirmed that negotiations are under way.

Meanwhile Sauber – which just reacquired itself from BMW in the wake of the failed Qadbak deal – was hoping Toyota would default on its agreement, thereby giving them the green light. If the Stefan deal goes through, Sauber could be locked out, unless the powers-that-be opt to let them in as an unprecedented 14th entry.

[Source: F1-Live | Image: Clive Mason/Getty]

If you thought that last remaining piece of lasagna at the food court looked iffy, remember that's not even the most suspicious concoction to bear the Sbarro banner. Franco Sbarro rivals even his fellow Swiss coachbuilder Rinspeed for his, um... "originality." Recent examples have included a six-wheeled Citroen crossover, a leaning quadricycle and a vintage Rolls-Royce equipped especially for bird-watching. But as bizarre and unusual as most of Franco Sbarro's creations have been, the Swiss designer also has a long history in radically modifying Ferraris.

Based on the 308 GTB, the Super 8 made our Top 10 Mid-Engined Hatchbacks list, but that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Sbarro's done everything from converting a 365 GT4 into a Mille Miglia spyder to giving the 550 Maranello the wide-body treatment. Among the most intriguing of his projects, though, has been the Alcador series. The first Alcador, based on the Testarossa, debuted at the 1995 Geneva salon. The second, called the Alcador GTB, came a baker's-dozen years later at the 2008 Geneva show, borrowing its chassis and engine from the 348. Sbarro tweaked the design and came back to the Palexpo the following year with a new Alcador GTB based on the 360 Modena.

Now, a Swiss collector by the name of Lienhard has commissioned the coachbuilder to craft him another example, and the result was unveiled to the public this past weekend at the Essen tuner expo in Germany. Strangely called the Lista Office, Sbarro's latest is underpinned once again by the 80s-era Testarossa, packing its 450hp 5-liter boxer 12. Say what you will about the styling, but one thing's for sure: it doesn't look anything like a 512TR. See for yourself in the image gallery below.



[Source: Sbarro and Autoblog.nl]