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Hyundai announces Shell as partner for 2014 rally return

By Damion Smy First Official Pictures 10 December 2013 12:00 Hyundai has announced Shell as the major sponsor of its World Rally Championship and revealed its 2014 livery ahead of its first event – the Monte Carlo Rally – in January. The official name of the team is the Hyundai Shell World Rally Team. It also confirmed a new sub-brand to build road-going performance cars, called N, with further details to be announced.

Mercedes-Benz axes Maybach

High ranking Mercedes-Benz sources have confirmed to Autoweek that the underperforming Maybach brand will be officially killed off in 2013. The decision to disband Mercedes-Benz’s upper luxury marque comes after a decade of disappointing sales for the Maybach 57 and 62 and a recent decision from the German car maker’s chairman Dieter Zetsche not to push ahead with the development replacement models – the likes of which were tentatively due out in 2014 – owing to what one insider describes as a “positive move to focus greater attention on the Mercedes-Benz brand” . “We’ve come to the conclusion that it is better to cut our losses with Maybach than to continue into an uncertain future with a brand that has failed to live up to original sales expectations," the insider said.

Nissan Ellure concept

The Ellure is one of the most significant new car concepts to be unveiled at this year's LA auto show. A D-segment-sized sedan, the project has seen input from both Nissan's studios in Japan and NDA, where the concept was completed. According to NDA design chief Alfonso Albaisa, the concept explores a new global design language Nissan is working towards for its range of sedans.