DaimlerChrysler has a lot of rivals in that niche market, but its Russian prospects still look extremely bright. Last year, the company celebrated a record 92-per-cent increase in Russian sales. It put a new Mercedes model encrusted with Swarovski crystals on display in its Moscow showroom. The ice-blue crystals add 300000 to the price of the Mercedes SL500, one of the fastest sports cars in the world.