Although the world crisis seems to go deeper in the European states, the car manufacturers are better than ever. For example, the luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz informed its enthusiasts that they were going to produce over 1.25 million vehicles in 2011, a figure that surpasses last year's sales record, thus setting a new all-time high in its 125 years history. Dr. Wolfgang Bernhard, a member of the Daimler Board of Management, stated that all they did was to secure their path to the top by continously expanding their high-performance production network. The additional shifts agreed with the works council, as well as the increase in sales, have led to the famous German carmaker operating at full capacity. Furthermore, the plants all over the world will continue to work at full capacity in order to meet the high demand with the production lines scheduled to shut down during the end of the year holidays. China represents the world's number one market for Mercedes and the executives plan to invest here approximately 2.6 billion dollars in Beijing Benz Automotive, the local joint venture with Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation. But the expansion will not end in China because Mercedes will invest no more than 2.4 billion dollars in its Alabama plant, from 2010 until 2014. Beginning with the year 2013, Mercedes-Benz is going to gradually add three new premium compact models in its Chinese portfolio, besides its recent start of local assembly of the GLK compact SUV together with an increased production of the long-wheelbase version of the E-Class and the C-Class. The carmaker's plans also comprise the development of a new engine plant that will manufacture four-cylinder gasoline engines together with the opening of a new Research and Development center at BBAC. Also, more than 1.9 billion dollars will be invested by the Mercedes in the main German plant in Unterturkheim for the expansion and modernization of its facilities.