FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[CookinFlat6]

We are getting to the business end of the waiting and anticipating

Merc bang on time, quietly confident
Lotus, wont make the all important first test
RBR - needed more time to get car ready
McLaren - Italian paper Omnicourse saying that they have made last minute big change to rear suspension, and they might not be ready for Jerez or might be but with a standard suspension
http://www.omnicorse.it/magazine/33579/f1-tecnica-mclaren-una-tapparella-nella-sospensione-posteriore-della-mp4-29

SHAKE AND BAKE TIME!!!!!!

[1Lemon]

Williams really confident.
Sauber, quietly concerned.
Force India, determined to stay in the mid-field.

[What's Burning?]

Toro Rosso determined to at least beat Marussia and Caterham.

[Jabberwocky]

Toro Rosso determined to at least beat Marussia and Caterham.

That is it guys aim for the moon

Sent using NCC-1701

[Hammer278]

Force India, determined to stay in the mid-field.

Lol you must be mad about Di Resta or something.....I don't see why they can't have their best year coming up in 2014. A strong engine, a great driver line up and their aerodynamic department isn't exactly 2nd class.

[1Lemon]

Force India, determined to stay in the mid-field.

Lol you must be mad about Di Resta or something.....I don't see why they can't have their best year coming up in 2014. A strong engine, a great driver line up and their aerodynamic department isn't exactly 2nd class.

They don't innovate, just copy others it seems. Yes I'm annoyed that they got rid of Di Resta, and you're right that taking on The Hulk was a good call. Perez not so much.

[CookinFlat6]

Mercedes posts 11.2 percent sales gain in December, hits 2013 record

The Lewis effect? A coincidence? 2013 increase in sales over 10% to new record led by C class Lewis has promoted?

All we know are the facts in front of us, new younger demographic, beat Audi for first time and these are the reasons cited by the company last year when they said Lewis would be good for the brand

Lots of haters gonna be choking about this

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUKBREA0909U20140110

[Jabberwocky]

hasn't new car sales gone up across the board?

[CookinFlat6]

Every car maker has not had record Dec and a record 2013 sales

[sagi58]

That's rather simplistic, isn't it? But, you piqued my curiousity and thankfully we now have Google,
which can answer any question one might have:

Mercedes logs record 2013 sales during new model offensive

German carmaker Daimler is catching up with Audi in the race for 2nd place in the global luxury car segment as its new Mercedes models boosted sales to a record in 2013. The lead of BMW, however, remains uncontested.

In the race for the world leadership in the premium car segment, German Mercedes cars made strong progress in 2013, boosting sales to a new company record, the carmaker's parent company Daimler announced Friday.

Mercedes sold 1.46 million cars worldwide last year, posting an increase of 10.7 percent compared with 2012. In addition, about 100,000 units of its Smart city car were shipped to customers, Daimler said.

The result meant that Daimler was able to close the gap to the world's second largest luxury carmaker, Germany's Audi , which narrowly beat Mercedes with sales of 1.58 million cars in 2013.

Mercedes' growth strategy was bearing first fruit, Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche said in a statement, noting that especially its new version of the E-class and S-class sedans were selling well.

In the United States, which remained Mercedes' largest single market in 2013 , sales grew 14 percent to 312,000 cars. At home in Germany, the top-of-the-range brand sold 2.2 percent fewer vehicles than in the previous year.

But in China, which has become the world's largest car market, Mercedes made the biggest strides in its effort to catch up with global luxury car leaders Audi and BMW. Chinese sales jumped 11 percent year-on-year to 218,000 vehicles.

Despite the record result in 2013, Mercedes still lags far behind the world's top luxury brand, Bavarian marque BMW. The Munich-based automaker already announced in November that it had beaten record 2012 sales with 1.78 million cars sold by the end of that month.

Is that the article you read?

[sagi58]

Just in case anyone is interested in the North American market:

 wrote:">2013 auto sales up 4% in Canada, 8% in U.S.

Pent-up demand after the recession drives sales, with pickups and SUVs still popular

...Both Canadians and Americans continued their love affair with SUVs and light trucks in December, pushing annual sales by the Detroit three automakers to their highest levels since 2007...

Apparently, we're not into luxury cars, eh?

[CookinFlat6]

That's rather simplistic, isn't it? But, you piqued my curiousity and thankfully we now have Google,
which can answer any question one might have:

Mercedes logs record 2013 sales during new model offensive

German carmaker Daimler is catching up with Audi in the race for 2nd place in the global luxury car segment as its new Mercedes models boosted sales to a record in 2013. The lead of BMW, however, remains uncontested.

In the race for the world leadership in the premium car segment, German Mercedes cars made strong progress in 2013, boosting sales to a new company record, the carmaker's parent company Daimler announced Friday.

Mercedes sold 1.46 million cars worldwide last year, posting an increase of 10.7 percent compared with 2012. In addition, about 100,000 units of its Smart city car were shipped to customers, Daimler said.

The result meant that Daimler was able to close the gap to the world's second largest luxury carmaker, Germany's Audi , which narrowly beat Mercedes with sales of 1.58 million cars in 2013.

Mercedes' growth strategy was bearing first fruit, Daimler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche said in a statement, noting that especially its new version of the E-class and S-class sedans were selling well.

In the United States, which remained Mercedes' largest single market in 2013 , sales grew 14 percent to 312,000 cars. At home in Germany, the top-of-the-range brand sold 2.2 percent fewer vehicles than in the previous year.

But in China, which has become the world's largest car market, Mercedes made the biggest strides in its effort to catch up with global luxury car leaders Audi and BMW. Chinese sales jumped 11 percent year-on-year to 218,000 vehicles.

Despite the record result in 2013, Mercedes still lags far behind the world's top luxury brand, Bavarian marque BMW. The Munich-based automaker already announced in November that it had beaten record 2012 sales with 1.78 million cars sold by the end of that month.

Is that the article you read?

I have read more than articles. But thanks anyway. I dont think there is any ambiguity here at all. Mercedes have had a record year for sales. Their growth has been better than any other car maker. They are catching up on the other German marques who were always said to be 'trendier' and more 'youthful' and less 'daddys car' - the traditional Merc image.
This has all coincided with Lewis Hamilton arriving at the firm. Indeed the firm stated when employing him that they expected a younger and wider demographic for their sales. He has helped change their image and increase sales

I am not sure whats difficult about that. Its not about the other car makers, its not about the industry, its about Merc suddenly accelerating and outselling Audi in December so catching up over the year although still selling less than Audi. And whats BMW gotta do with anything? the car industry has picked up, so what? Merc have closed the gap and had a record year, thats the point here

Whats simplistic here and if so whats hard to understand?

In the United States, which remained Mercedes' largest single market in 2013 , sales grew 14 percent to 312,000 cars. At home in Germany, the top-of-the-range brand sold 2.2 percent fewer vehicles than in the previous year.

But in China, which has become the world's largest car market, Mercedes made the biggest strides in its effort to catch up with global luxury car leaders Audi and BMW. Chinese sales jumped 11 percent year-on-year to 218,000 vehicles.

[Hammer278]

Don't know if it's the arrival of Hamilton or what, but the road cars which Mercedes puts out aren't improving that much. It's not difficult to see why BMW is uncontested, put a Merc and BMW side by side and there's only 1 winner.

But it looks good for Lewis anyway, the timing coincidence or not, will please the Daimler board....at least they won't have extra excuses to not loosen their purse strings if the F1 team needs it.

[Hammer278]

A Merc rendering of what the car could look like;

[sagi58]

...Whats simplistic here and if so whats hard to understand?

In the United States, which remained Mercedes' largest single market in 2013 , sales grew 14 percent to 312,000 cars. At home in Germany, the top-of-the-range brand sold 2.2 percent fewer vehicles than in the previous year.

But in China, which has become the world's largest car market, Mercedes made the biggest strides in its effort to catch up with global luxury car leaders Audi and BMW. Chinese sales jumped 11 percent year-on-year to 218,000 vehicles.

Nothing ambiguous; however, definitely simplistic in that your comment didn't address the
fact that Mercedes' increase in sales was in a very particular segment, that of the luxury car.
Also, if you had the opportunity to read further about North American markets, you may
have come across the "article" I posted:

 wrote:">2013 auto sales up 4% in Canada, 8% in U.S.

Pent-up demand after the recession drives sales, with pickups and SUVs still popular

...Both Canadians and Americans continued their love affair with SUVs and light trucks in December, pushing annual sales by the Detroit three automakers to their highest levels since 2007...

Although Mercedes saw an increase in sales on this side of the pond, we apparently
are much happier buying/leasing those big bad gas-guzzlers!!

p.s. this is one reason I hate statistics, they can be manipulated to "prove" anything!