In a signing ceremony held last February 17, 2015 between key representatives of the APEC and Auto Nation Group, Inc., Mercedes-Benz was designated as the premium mobility partner of the APEC 2015 Summit.

Mercedes-Benz has announced a strategic partnership with Pebble Technology in the run-up to the 2014 International CES, the largest consumer electronics show in the world. These invaluable partnership gives Mercedes-Benz early access to some of the newest hardware and early releases of application programming interfaces (APIs) offered by the Silicon Valley-based company, allowing it to develop innovative integrated applications that pave the way for the future of in-vehicle use cases.

Daimler AG will help the people of the Philippines. Due to the tragic events caused by the typhoon "Haiyan" the company provides on short notice 500,000 euro for the suffering population. The donation will go directly to the German Red Cross. The money will be used to bring vital relief supplies - such as tents, kitchen sets, hygiene kits and plastic sheets - for over 15,000 people in the Philippines. In addition, Daimler asks its employees to make donations.

Two weeks ago, Daimler AG President of Central/Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia, Mr. Peter Alexander Trettin was in the country for a whirlwind visit to affirm Daimler AG’s strong support to Philippine distributor, CATS Motors, Inc.

Globetrotting in his 1988 Mercedes-Benz G-Class for the past 22 years, Gunther Holtorf finally arrives in Philippine shores—the 199th on his continuously growing list of countries in his round-the-world journey.

Gunther’s ever-reliable G-Class named “Otto”, his companion since he began the world tour, has already clocked in 800,000 kilometers—approximately 20 times the length of the equator. Gunther and Otto have shared many memorable journeys; especially that he eats, sleeps, cooks, showers, and practically does everything in his car.

Photo courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Press

CATS Motors, Inc., the official distributor of Mercedes-Benz passenger cars and trucks has reported a 10 percent sales increase year-on-year when comparing 2010 and 2011. Sales are up to 653 units compared to 596 units a year earlier.

CATS Motors, Inc. is saying that its aggressive fleet deliveries as well as the introduction of the new-generation C-Class is largely the reason for its success. In fact, the C-Class is the luxury segment's best-selling passenger car.

Meanwhile, CATS Motors's mainstream American brand--the Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brands reported a 12% sales growth year-on-year. For 2011, the group sold 341 units, up from 304 units in 2010. CATS is expecting the CJD brands to do even better in 2012 thanks to dealer expansion in the Alabang area as well as new vehicles to be launched.

The CATS Motors, Inc. growth is despite the fact that the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI), an umbrella group of Philippine manufacturers and distributors reported a net decline of 2.97 of the overall automotive industry.

Photo courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Press

What's in a name? Well, a lot if you're Mercedes-Benz.

For 2012, the Mercedes-Benz GP Petronas Formula One team will be changing its name formally to Mercedes-Benz AMG Petronas Formula One team. According to Mercedes-Benz honchos, the addition of those three magical letters signifies their seriousness and promised competitiveness for the 2012 season. With tremendous success in DTM racing, team principal Ross Brown and company will surely have the weight of the world on their shoulders.

In other news, the Mercedes-Benz AMG Petronas Formula One team have also announced that they will be delaying the launch of their 2012 challenger, the F1 W03. The launch will only make it to the second winter testing on February 21 in the hopes the additional development time will make the car much more competitive.