New Mercedes CLA helps Daimler to 16% profit jump

The new Mercedes CLA (pictured) help Mercedes to a 16% profit jump. There’s an argument that the move in to more compact car sales by premium car makers will see their turnover rise and their profits fall as more compact cars tend to work on smaller margins than high-end luxury cars. But Mercedes has defied that logic by posting a 16 per cent increase in profits for the third quarter of 2013, boosted by sales of the new compact coupé – the Mercedes CLA.

Saab fans gather outside GM headquarters

The 60-plus-year history of Saab may come to an inglorious end in the next few days if General Motors and Dutch supercar maker Spyker--or perhaps a dark-horse bidder--fail to reach an agreement to save the iconic Swedish maker of premium cars. But the potential death of yet another GM brand raised some voices of dissension--and passion--as a crowd of about 30 Saab enthusiasts braved temperatures in the 20s and snow flurries to show their support for Saab at a gathering near GM's global headquarters in downtown Detroit. The event was organized by the Ryan Emge, editor of a Saab.History.com, and was part car show, part rally and part family gathering.

Subaru BRZ coupe to start at $26,245

Subaru priced its rear-drive BRZ sports car on Thursday, starting at $26,245, including $750 destination. The Limited version with an automatic transmission will sticker at $29,345. The base model, called Premium, comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, alloy pedal covers, HID headlights and a touch-screen GPS navigation system with a 6-inch LCD display.