Sales of luxury cars produced by German marque Mercedes-Benz surged by 69 percent in India during the first six months of 2010.

The figures are a sign of the growing market for luxury car brands in India, where overall passenger sales are expected to grow by 12-13 percent this year by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers.

The luxury market, although only accounting for a tiny proportion of overall sales, is rapidly gaining traction with Indians seeing a rise in income levels, thanks in part to foreign automakers making more vehicles easily accessible in the country.

Mercedes-Benz has passed Audi to become the second-best selling premium car brand for the first half of 2010, according to reports released in the last week.

Mercedes posted a 13 percent rise in global sales for the month of June, enough to push it past Audi’s year to date sales, despite Audi having held the second spot in global sales by a whisker for the first five months of the year.

Both automakers trail fellow German marque BMW, which sold 585,755 units in the first half of 2010 according to Automotive News.

Audi presented the design concept of their Soccer Table (Foosball Table) back in 2008 and today they have announced they will put it into production.

Over the last year, the Audi Design team worked closely with table soccer manufacturer Leonhart, which has been building tables since 1949.

According to the German manufacturer, the table meets the standards demanded by professional tournaments.

On July 21, the UK will host the fifth annual Salon Prive, the country’s luxury supercar display & concours d’elegance, which promises to be the best edition to date.

Salon Prive offers a unique opportunity to see the most exotic modern and vintage super cars in the world, with the exquisite and exclusive Hurlingham Club as a backdrop.

A “Garden Party” atmosphere infuses the event during the day, and in the evenings, the stunning grounds and super cars are subtly lit, transforming the event into a magical spectacle.

Jaguar is using Salon Prive to celebrate its 75th anniversary by showing off its latest range and a selection of cars from its Heritage Collection.

Audi has launched the next generation of the Audi A8 – the sportiest sedan of the luxury class sets new standards.

Luxury car maker, BMW, said Wednesday it planned to launch its own small car that might be based on its Mini model to serve a sector that is developing rapidly.

“We expect by 2020 growth of between four to six percent” in the market for small, high-end automobiles, BMW boss Norbert Reithofer told a press conference in Munich, southern Germany.

“We want to be more present, not just with Mini but also with BMW,” he said.

“On the frame of future Mini generations, we could imagine building a BMW,” development director Klaus Draeger added, without giving any launch date.

German rival Audi rolled out this year its A1 model to tap into growing demand for high-end autos that consume less fuel.