Mercedes-Benz Club of America

Most deadly times, places to drive
Tom Barlow
Jul 13th 2010 at 2:00PM
An important part of defensive driving is to make good choices about when and where you drive. To help you minimize your risk, we’ve compiled some useful facts. Putting them all together suggests that you run the least risk of a fatal crash by driving on Christmas Day between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. The risk is even lower if Christmas falls on a Monday.

On the other hand, you run the maximum risk of having a fatal accident by driving on I-95 in Florida on June 10th between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. when that date falls on a Saturday.

Here’s a round up of the deadliest times and places to drive based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (data is from 2008 or an average of the most recent three years) and from The Daily Beast, which recently compiled information on the most dangerous highways.

Most deadly days of the year to drive:

1. June 10
2. June 16
3. July 4
5. July 15
6. June 17

Noteworthy finding: Nine of the top ten deadliest days to drive are in late spring and summer.

Least deadly days of the year to drive:

1. December 25
2. February 27
3. March 20
4. January 24
5. January 15

Most deadly days of the week to drive:

1. Saturday
2. Sunday
3. Friday
4. Thursday
5. Tuesday
6. Wednesday
7. Monday

Noteworthy finding: You are 53% more likely to be in a fatal crash on Saturday than you are on Monday.

Most deadly times of day to drive:

1. 9 p.m. to 10 p.m.
2. 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
3. 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
4. 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
5. 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Least deadly times of day to drive:

1. 4 a.m. to 5 a.m.
2. 5 a.m. to 6 a.m.
3. 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
4. 3 a.m. to 4 a.m.
5. 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Noteworthy finding: There is a 52% drop in fatalities from 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. and between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m.

Most deadly Interstate highways:

1. I-95, Florida
2. I-76, New Jersey
3. I-4, Florida
4. I-15, California
5. I-10, California

Most deadly atmospheric conditions:
1. Rain
2. Snow/Blowing snow
3. Fog, smog, smoke
4. Sleet/hail
5. Crosswinds

More interesting tidbits:

Over half of all fatal crashes in 2008 took place in rural areas.
60% of fatal crashes were one-car accidents.

In 2008 74.5% of all fatal accidents occurred on two-lane roads. Check on fatalities along roads you drive with SafeRoadMaps.org’s marvelous new interactive map to crash data.

Fatal car accidents are down 15% from the peak in 2005, while fatal motorcycle accidents are up by 13% in the same time period.

Mercedes, BMW Boost U.S. Sales on Ann Taylor Shoppers

By Theo Keith – Jul 2, 2010
Bloomberg

The top three luxury auto brands boosted U.S. sales in June as high-end car companies and dealers added Ann Taylor shoppers to their Gucci-loving loyalists.

Sales of Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz cars and trucks rose 21 percent to 18,269 in June, while Bayerische Motoren Werke AG’s namesake brand boosted U.S. deliveries 15 percent to 19,182, the automakers said yesterday. The German brands narrowed the gap against Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus, which increased sales 2.7 percent to 17,332 cars and light trucks.

Luxury automobiles will continue to rebound if they can lure customers battered by the recession who are just starting to consider high-end cars, said Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing, which tracks luxury trends.

“Many people are looking at themselves and saying, ‘We’re really middle class, not upper class,’” Danziger said. “They’re realizing you can buy very acceptable fashion from Ann Taylor, you don’t need to go buy Gucci. It’s the same with cars.”

Lexus remains the group leader at the mid-year point with 107,430 sales. Mercedes sold 103,674 through six months and BMW delivered 100,632. All three have boosted sales this year, reversing last year’s trend. In 2009, U.S. sales fell 17 percent for Lexus, 15 percent for Mercedes and 21 percent for BMW.

Luxury brands can attract people who are recovering their wealth by focusing on entry-level models, Danziger said.

“They’re looking for real value, not the nameplate,” she said.

‘Room to Grow’

Lexus, Mercedes, BMW and other luxury brands are pulling those people in with incentives on leases, said Jesse Toprak, an auto-industry analyst at Truecar.com.

“Last year was so miserable for luxury brands, there’s a lot of room to grow,” Toprak said. “Those people hurt by what happened are starting to come back.”

As a result, the luxury sector will outpace overall U.S. sales for the rest of the year, Toprak said

Mercedes grew on E-Class sedan sales, which rose 75 percent from a year earlier to 4,865. Mercedes’ entry-level luxury sedan, the C-Class, had the most sales for the month at 5,563, up 21 percent.

BMW’s increase came on sales of its redesigned 5-Series sedan and the X5 sport utility vehicle, which both rose more than 40 percent.

Shares of BMW rose 35.5 cents, or 0.9 percent, to 38.56 euros as of 12:48 p.m. in Frankfurt. Daimler added 65 cents, ro 1.6 percent, to 41.07 euros.

U.S. Brands

A 6.6 percent decline in passenger car sales stunted Lexus’s growth. Sales of the IS sedan fell 17 percent to 2,863 in June, while the ES sedan’s sales dropped 14 percent to 3,366.

U.S. luxury brands were mixed.

General Motors Co.’s Cadillac sales rose 39 percent to 11,788 in June as its SRX sport utility vehicle jumped almost sixfold to 3,804. Cadillac has sold 64,785 cars and trucks this year.

Lincoln, Ford Motor Co.’s luxury unit, fell 11 percent to 6,318. Sales of the Town Car, MKS and MKX all declined by at least 21 percent.

Domestic luxury brands’ sales growth will stay slow because years of uncompetitive products have left them with an “image problem,” Toprak said.

“Most luxury buyers buy on image,” he said. “That’s the biggest hurdle for Lincoln and Cadillac to overcome. It’s going to be a 5- to 10-year process, but that process has started.”

German Brands

Volkswagen AG’s Audi division sold 8,601 cars in June, up 14 percent from a year earlier. The company’s 48,440 sales in the first six months of 2010 are a record, the company said in a statement.

Porsche SE said U.S. sales more than doubled in June after a new version of the Cayenne sport-utility vehicle and the Panamera Gran Turismo car hit showrooms. Deliveries increased 137 percent to 2,141 cars and SUVs last month from a year earlier, the Stuttgart, Germany-based manufacturer said in a statement.

Acura, Honda Motor Co.’s luxury brand, said sales rose 31 percent in June to 10,839. The MDX sport utility vehicle spurred Toyko-based Honda’s increase with 3,847 sales, 64 percent more than last June.

Sales of Nissan Motor Co.’s Infiniti climbed to 8,304 in June, 32 percent higher than a year earlier.

To contact the reporter on this story: Theo Keith in Southfield, Michigan at tkeith6@bloomberg.net.

Le Mans: By the numbers
By RICK DOLE

I will try and give you some idea of the logistical scale of the Le Mans 24 Hours and the importance placed upon this event by car manufacturers.

The number of accredited journalists is north of 1,200. Peugeot alone brings 160 journalists from China, Japan, Russia, South Africa and the European countries.

The setup for wine and food is a temporary, purpose-built structure that is the size of a small convention center. It is set up trackside at the Ford Chicane. Audi has one too, same size, about 200 yards away.

The French car company brings a total of 2,000 people to this event. In addition to the 160 journalists, there are 600 people from the Peugeot network, 400 from partner companies, 250 from company headquaters. You get the picture. The actual race team has 130 people. Le Mans is as much about marketing as it is racing.

Audi has a massive guest list as well. While most of the fans will never see the wining and dining in the Audi guest areas, they will get to see the Audi brand–both in the merchandise store and the Audi display in the village. Audi spends several millions of dollars a year with the Le Mans organization, from displays to safety cars, pace cars, advertising and so forth.

On a much smaller scale is General Motors. The Corvette Racing team brings 43 people to Le Mans, including drivers, crew, a team doctor, nurse and chef. GM will bring no corporate guests from North America (GM Europe has invited a small handful) and no one from GM upper management will attend this year’s race. They will stay abreast of the action via instant messaging, e-mails, social media, etc. Clearly a vision of the leaner General Motors.

Doug Fehan, the head of GM’s road racing program, told me the team has a dedicated tractor and trailer that is only used for this event and is shipped across in late April. While other U.S.-based teams ship equipment over via cargo jets, Fehan said he feels the Vette team has a huge advantage in using its own equipment and saves more than 200 man hours of not having to pack, unpack and organize crates of gear once they arrive in France.

The Corvette team did bring one piece of extra equipment: A a horn from a locomotive. Each day at noon and again in the wee hours of the morning, they let it sing. Everyone knows when the lunch is being served and when the end of the day is near. A wonderful reminder to everyone on pit lane that the Yanks are in town.

Michelin has brought 6,500 tires to the race and 100 engineers, technicians and management staff to support its teams. Michelin will hand out about 15,000 key rings during the driver’s parade on Friday. John Fitch is hoping to be a good-luck charm for the Corvette team at Le Mans.
Fifty is the final big number this week. Corvette is celebrating its 50th anniversary at Le Mans. John Fitch is in France and so is his 1960 class-winning Cunningham Corvette. Fehan and company hosted a press conference on Thursday afternoon honoring Fitch. The reunion of Fitch and his car is a wonderful story, one you will read in the near future in AutoWeek.

Thursday ended the same way as Wednesday, with Peugeot still occupying the top four spots of the time sheets. Confidence is building for the French squad.
To read more visit the AutoWeek ALMS racing news and reports section.

This article was last updated on: 06/11/10, 10:43 et

Carlos Ghosn’s automaker mantra: Go big or you’ll go away
By JESSE SNYDER, AUTOMOTIVE NEWS

Carlos Ghosn: “You also must be in every market–and it’s not just Japan, Europe and the United States anymore but also Brazil, Russia, China and India.”Size matters in auto company survival, Renault and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn told an audience in Detroit on Tuesday.

To cope with the escalating costs and scope of a global industry, successful automakers must complete a trifecta–be able to compete in every technology, every market and every segment, Ghosn said during a luncheon speech at the Detroit Economic Club

“No 3 million-unit carmaker can make it,” Ghosn said, explaining why his Renault-Nissan alliance forged an alliance with Germany’s Daimler AG.

Competency in one or two of the three skills is not enough, and only very large companies can afford all three, he said.

Technology is getting more expensive. Automakers must simultaneously develop gasoline, diesel, hybrid and electric vehicle technology because they can’t predict which technologies will prevail, Ghosn said.

“You also must be in every market–and it’s not just Japan, Europe and the United States anymore but also Brazil, Russia, China and India. And you better be in Indonesia, too,” he said.

“And you can’t be viable as a niche player, so you need to be in the upper, lower, 4-by-4 and crossover segments.”

’Technologies are expensive’

France-based Renault and Japan’s Nissan do not consolidate their financial results and in some ways remain separate companies, but they cooperate on platforms and powertrains and some manufacturing. Through a holding company, Renault owns about 42 percent of Nissan.

That type of alliance is more flexible than a conventional merger, Ghosn said. He also cited the new alliance with Daimler–initially to cooperate on developing a replacement small platform for Daimler’s Smart division–as a better way to cooperate.

“Technologies are expensive and you need a partner because nobody can afford to do it all alone.” Ghosn said.

Major players … someday

He predicted that as the Chinese auto market develops, domestic Chinese automakers eventually will emerge as major players.

“Right now, there is not one global Chinese automaker,” he said. “Not one has the scope of a company like Renault-Nissan or Volkswagen.”

But soon, a Chinese automaker–or perhaps an Indian company–will “buy something nobody else wants” and become a worldwide force, Ghosn predicted. “It could happen much faster than everybody expects.”

Much like the Koreans did in recent years, emerging-market automaker powerhouses can develop by constantly “benchmarking and copying best practices,” he said. “Nothing is ever unchanging in our industry.”

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20100525/CARNEWS/100529831#ixzz0p3LSmHvZ

Here are some full year 2009 new car sales statistics, according to autosuk.com

U.S.A.: down 21.2 percent – 10.4 million units
China: up 45 percent – 13.6 million units
European Union: down 1.3 percent – 14,116,052 units
Japan: down 9.3 percent – 4.6 million units
Australia: down 7.4 per cent– 937,328 units
Canada: down 10.7 percent – 1.46 million units i
India: up 18.7 percent– 1.43 million units
Brazil: up 11.35 percent – 3.14 million units
Turkey: up 12.77 percent – 557,126 units
Taiwan: up 28.3 percent – 294,423 units
Philippines: up 6.4 percent – 132,444 units
Russia: down 49 percent – 1,465,917 units

Austria: up 8.8 percent – 319,403 units
Belgium: down 11.1 percent – 476,194 units
Denmark: down 25.3 percent – 112,271 units
Finland: down 35.2 percent – 90,574 units
France: up 10.7 percent – 2,268,671 units
Germany: up 23.2 percent – 3,807,175 units
Greece: down 17.5 percent – 220,548 units
Ireland: down 62.1 percent – 57,460 units
Italy: down 0.2 percent – 2,158,010 units
Luxembourg: down 9.7 percent – 47,265 units
Netherlands: down 22.5 percent – 387,679 units
Portugal: down 24.6 percent -160,996 units
Spain: down 17.9 percent – 952,772 units
Sweden: down 16.0 percent – 213,408 units
United Kingdom: down 6.4 percent – 1,994,999 units
Iceland: down 77.6 percent – 2,020 units
Norway: down 10.8 percent – 98,675 units
Switzerland: down 8.2 percent – 264,798 units
Bulgaria: down 49.3 percent – 22,869 units
Czech Republic: up 12.5 percent – 161,659 units
Estonia: down 66.2 percent – 8,234 units
Hungary: down 50.4 percent – 78,590 units
Latvia: down 80.5 percent – 3,745 units
Lithuania: down 67.4 percent – 7,003 units
Poland: up 0.1 percent – 320,119 units
Romania: down 59.4 percent – 115,979 units
Slovakia: up 6.7 percent – 74,717 units
Slovenia: down 18.7 percent – 55,712 units

Daimler Charged in U.S. for Paying Bribes – Fined $185 million

Daimler logo on building – 600 – 23.03.2009
Company violated the Foreign and Corrupt Practices Act
By Michael Gauthier
March 24, 2010 12:46 am
Filed Under: American, Corporate/Financial, Industry, Mercedes-Benz

The U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will fine Daimler $185 million dollars (€137,706,250) for paying bribes.

The fine follows a six year investigation, which was prompted by an auditor’s complaint that he was fired for protesting secret bank accounts used to pay foreign officials. Investigators discovered Mercedes gave an armored car to a Turkmenistan official, on his birthday, while the company was negotiating a contract to sell vehicles to the Turkmenistan government. Daimler also paid 10 percent kickbacks to Iraqi officials, to secure deals to sell vehicles – a violation of the United Nations’ Oil for Food Program.

The report concluded Daimler engaged ”in a long-standing practice of paying bribes” to secure deals in Russia, China, Turkey, Egypt, Nigeria, Iraq and 16 other countries. As a result, the company will be charged with conspiracy and falsifying records under the Foreign and Corrupt Practices Act.

According to a source familiar with the matter, Daimler will not plead guilty or admit any wrongdoing. Instead, the company will pay $93.6 million (€69,932,075) to the Justice Department and $91.4 million (€68,285,650) to the SEC.

Source: autonews.com (sub req)

BMW still top premium brand despite Audi’s recent surge

Audi comes within 1,709 units of matching BMW sales
By Alex Ricciuti
April 13, 2010 2:02 am
Filed Under: Audi, BMW, Corporate/Financial, German, Industry

BMW is still the world’s number one premium brand but not by much. Audi sales have come very close to matching BMW’s for the first quarter of this year – coming in only 1,709 units behind the Bavarian brand’s.

BMW had a global sale count of 265,809 units for the quarter (January to March) while for Audi the number was 264,100. BMW sales were buoyed by demand for the new X1 model. Both automakers were helped by resurgent markets, particularly the US, where overall auto sales rose 16 percent over the same period last year.

Audi is sticking to its goal of becoming the world’s top-selling premium brand by 2015 with 1.5 million unit sales per year. Audi surpassed Mercedes-Benz sales for the first time this quarter too, making Mercedes the number three premium brand globally.

But Mercedes-Benz also saw a bountiful sales increase of 26 percent for the first quarter in the US, making it the number one premium brand (ahead of Lexus) in the world’s largest single car market.

Apologies on the ’test’ email – I was hoping that was moderated. From another club? Welcome – please join our site as a Guest!