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LA Motor Show: Maserati begins new era

MASERATI has kicked off a new era of brand activity with the arrival of its Ghibli compact luxury saloon. The company’s stand at the Los Angeles Auto Show launched a new slogan and philosophy, called ‘the absolute opposite of ordinary’, to journalists ahead of the show’s public opening. The Ghibli will spearhead the new initiative, which sets out the company’s stall for the foreseeable future as it tries to carve a bolder new path to create bigger waves in the luxury car world.

Mercedes 'Aesthetics S' sculpture (2012) previews S-class

Mercedes is previewing its next 2013 S-class flagship, but not with a concept car or series of shadowy teaser shots. No, Merc has instead opted to create a sculpture showing the profile of the next S-class. It's titled 'Aesthetics S', and together with its 'exciting projection display', it'll be shown at the 2012 Paris motor show later this month.

Mini Cooper Countryman gets New York freshening

The Mini Countryman has undergone a subtle midlife facelift for the New York auto show, four years after it was launched in North America. The lightly reworked range-topping Mini Countryman model is expected to go on sale in July at prices company officials suggest will remain largely unchanged here in the U.S. As this first batch of official photographs reveals, there is very little to distinguish the refreshed Countryman from the existing model.