ClayJ

The R63 arrives in the USA this August according to one of my sources with whom I talked last night.

I am definately going to try one!

AMGBOY1

Me too!! I gotta see how fast that baby can go!!

Germancar1

It will no doubt be the world's fastest 6-seater.

M

Mean-Benz

it will be no doubt the world's fastest (mini)van. (it looks strange but some regard the R as a minivan...)

MARK CUMMINS

The R Class is to Be Built in AlleyBamma USA with the M and GL

From the MBUSA site............

Welcome to Tuscaloosa County Alabama, U.S.A, and the factory where the 2nd generation M-Class and the newest members of our Mercedes-Benz line, the R-Class and GL-Class are manufactured.

Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) started with a clean sheet of paper, in terms of vehicle concept, in the way it would produce the M-Class, R-Class, and the GL-Class- in the design of the factory, and in the establishment of a new corporate culture . The result is Mercedes-Benz vehicles which will set the standard in the industry.

We build the M-Class, the R-Class and the GL-Class here in Alabama using MBUSI’s original production system which is a combination of American, Japanese, and German automotive best practices. This process contributes to the quality manufacturing of our products in a way that is safe, efficient, and predictable.

Dj Euro

so in other words our cars are going to be built by hill billies drunk on moonshine ... great!!

Germancar1

Interesting. They should get rid of anything remotely resembling American production practices, specifiy better interior trim pieces like they do for German-built Benzes and make the production methods as identical to Toyota's or Honda's as legally possible.

If BMW can get the same look and feel of their German built model with the X5, why can't Mercedes do the same with the ML/R, the GL is close though.

M

ClayJ

MBZ is building trucks and buses in Turkey; sedans in Ireland? Britain?, and in China; and SUV's in Alabama -- nothing wrong with performing production where costs or total cost can be lowered....

I do agree with the trim criticism, Germancar1 -- but I am not so willing at face-value to join other posters in dismissing those building them, and the production process in Alabama, as necessarily lacking in quality....

I do know that their total investment in production in Alabama is over $1 billion USD, and that they went back in to revamp or updgrade with additional investment just last year? this year?

So I will wait to see what the near future brings before dismissing the Alabama production quality.

Germancar1

Well so far that investment has only half paid off IMO. People are still reporting problems with the ML, R and GL. Trans issues in particular while the S-Class owners aren't reporting any. Ditto for airmatic, nothing from S/E owners but all sorts of issues from GL owners. Something is still off in Bama and when you combine that with products that don't look and feel exactly like the German made ones you have a problem. Not dismissing the American way totally, but clearly there is a lot of work yet to be done there and the first thing is getting the same interior suppliers that make the E/CLS/S/SL interiors look and feel so nice.

M

AMG1

Thank you for sharing this with us, I was not forsure weither or not that particular automobile would be hitting the US shores. I'm going to have to call my brother in law(he has 4 kids).