Yippee Ki-Yay, Munich Rivals: Mercedes Stars in New Die Hard Film, BMWs Get Blown Up

Has it really been 25 years since officer John McClane saved the day, or rather Christmas Eve and the hostages, including his wife at the Nakatomi Plaza? Oh yes, but that didn’t stop Bruce Willis from reprising the role thrice in the intervening years – or rather four times, since he’s also starring in the fifth Die Hard installment that’s coming out on Valentine’s Day.

In “A Good Day to Die Hard”, McClane travels to Moscow, meets his estranged son Jack and, as usual, accidentally gets involved in a terrorist scheme that he has to avert.

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Mercedes’ LA Show Ener-G-Force Would Make One Cool Looking G-Class

This year’s LA Auto Show Design Challenge theme was about the ultimate highway patrol vehicle of 2025. Mercedes-Benz was one of the carmakers that picked up the gauntlet and its Advanced Design Center California came up with the Ener-G-Force patrol concept.

Their work was deemed good enough to turn the “pure science fiction” Highway Patrol Vehicle into a full-size concept car. Instead of a law enforcement vehicle, though, it became a study of how the G-Wagen, a hardcore off-roader that has been with us since 1979 might evolve in the future.

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Mercedes' LA Show SUV Concept Comes to Life; Says it Previews the Future for the G-Class

For this year's LA Auto Show Design Challenge, the organizers of the event asked automakers to dream up a patrol vehicle for the year 2025. Mercedes-Benz's North American arm and its Advanced Design Center California worked their magic and came up with the Ener-G-Force concept for an off-road patrol car.

Not content with the design drawings, Mercedes-Benz brought the Ener-G-Force study to life with a 1:1-scale model, albeit in civilian attire, with plans to present it to the public at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show from the end of the month.

The German carmaker makes no effort to hide the fact that the concept could preview a future design direction for its classic G-Class that has been in production since 1979, having been refined over the years.

"The Ener-G-Force is the vision of an off-roader that, while reflecting tomorrow’s adventures, also invokes the genes of the Mercedes-Benz off-road icon, the G model," explained Gorden Wagener, Director of Design at Mercedes-Benz Cars. "Modern and cool, it could also be a clue about a new beginning for the off-road design idiom of Mercedes-Benz."

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That's One Way to Destroy to a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen…

Besides being amongst the most recognizable and oldest cars in production, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class or G-Wagen is also a tremendously capable off-road vehicle and one of the very few models in its class to use three fully locking differentials.

Nevertheless, you can understand that there are limits to what it can achieve. For example, attempting to conquer an extremely steep hillside cresting close to a 90-degree angle at full speed is practically begging for trouble.

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Toyo Tires Lays Out its SEMA Show Project Car and Star Plans

The countdown for the grand opening of the 2012 edition of the annual automotive aftermarket extravaganza known as the SEMA Show has begun. In less than a week's time, the Las Vegas Convention Center will open its doors to thousands of tuned and custom concept and production cars.

Besides its own products, Toyo Tires plans to host four specially customized cars at its booth, including two proposals from Japan's Wald International that are making their debut on U.S. soil.

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Recall Roundup: 2011 Mercedes G-Class and 2003-2004 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana

The latest automotive recall notices filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concern the 2011 model year Mercedes-Benz G-Class and certain Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vehicles from the 2003 and 2004 model years for two separate and unrelated issues. Read more »

Mercedes Announces UK Pricing on Updated 2013 G-Class SUV

The refreshed for the 2013 model year Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV with enhancements to its drivetrain, exterior and interior styling and comfort and safety technologies is now available for order in Britain.

The German automaker offers two variants of the G-Class in the UK, the entry level G350 BlueTEC priced from £82,945 OTR and the range topping G63 AMG from £123,115 OTR.

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Mercedes-Benz Charts the History of the G-Class SUV

The oldest model in Mercedes-Benz's passenger lineup, the 33 year-old G-Class, is the point of focus of a new video from the brand with the star.

The clip takes us for a short ride back in history and how the G-Class came to be, while Volker Leutz, Mercedes-Benz Designer, and Michael Bock, head of Mercedes-Benz Classic, chip in and talk about the challenges that arose during the recent facelift of the SUV.

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Mercedes-Benz G-Class Proving Popular in China and Russia

Not too long, Mercedes-Benz had contemplated ending production of the rugged G-Class, also known as G-Wagen which is short for Geländewagen, but the Stuttgart-based carmaker changed its mind after seeing a surge in demand for the SUV from China and Russia.

Axel Harries, head of Mercedes SUV product line, told Autonews Europe that sales of the G-Class, which has been in production since 1979, jumped 50 percent over the past three years mainly due to high demand from Russia and China.

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