New (2014) Mercedes S-Class highlights on video

The new Mercedes S Class (pictured) boasts a wealth of technology The new Mercedes S Class was launched last month as a styling evolution of the current S Class, but with a wealth of new safety and technology systems lurking under its, still familiar, skin. The S Class may be portrayed as a bit of a ‘Merchant Bankers’ car, but anyone who’s lived with one for any period of time will know there’s really nothing quite like it (well, if you ignore the mistake that was the W220 S Class), and now Mercedes has got its quality Mojo back, the W221 is once again a very special S Class, and the new W222 promises to be even more special. We know that the 2014 S Class will get a range of engines from frugal 4-cylinder to potent V12 – with engines to suit all in between – but whatever engine you choose there will be a raft of technology at your fingertips (some at extra cost depending on the model you buy), so Mercedes has been busy producing a ‘Story’ video highlighting much of the new S-Class’s tech.

News watch August 2010: today's industry news

Welcome to CAR Magazine's news aggregator as we round up the daily stories in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hourTuesday 31 August 2010• HSBC has sold its US car loan business to Spanish bank Santander, for an estimated £2.6bn in cash and assumed debt. The move sees the bank further distance itself from the collapsed US sub-prime market (Financial Times, subsription required) • Toll roads do not improve congestion, according to the Campaign For Better Transport. Its claims M6 toll road operator Midland Expressway Ltd is losing ‘tens of millions of pounds’ each year, while conditions on the original M6 have failed to improve (Campaign for Better Transport) Friday 27 August 2010• Spyker, which bought Saab earlier this year, has posted a €139m loss after tax in the first half of 2010 it announced today (Financial Times)• Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne says the business is performing strongly in the third quarter – and has ruled out selling Alfa Romeo.

Mercedes-Benz, BMW both post record September sales

Not only are the German horsepower wars still going strong, but if this next bit of news isn't evidence of German sales wars, then we don't know what is. BMW sold 189,675 vehicles worldwide during the month of September, an increase of 6.7 percent over the previous year, which also made it the best September sales month for the automaker. This comes with a small asterisk -- namely, that figure includes Mini and Rolls-Royce sales, though if we're talking just BMW-badged vehicles, the September sales totaled 158,029 (still a 7.6 percent increase over September of 2012).