All Entries in the "MERCEDES-BENZ" Category
Second Generation Mercedes CLS Takes A Bow
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Daimler AG ::: 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class
SEVEN years after forging a new niche – the four door coupé (with careful emphasis on the accent aigu over the “e” in coupe) – the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class embarks upon its second generation which bows in Paris. Only this time the CLS will face plenty of competition; from the Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera to Audi A7 and BMW Gran Coupé. And despite the original CLS’ dowdy appearance that many misguided critics thought “sexy”, we should thank Mercedes for having the foresight to attempt to reintroduce sex into the sedan marketplace.
The first (C219) and likely the second generation CLS-Class coupés were/are based on the (W211 & W212) E-Class, only the new CLS is sculpted to appear even more provocative with “refined sportiness”, “athletic proportions”, and a “perceptible design idiom.” I’m not actually sure what that last bit meant but only know that Mercedes means business when they say it.
The original CLS-Class sold 170K units worldwide. With all-LED exterior lamps (71 bulbs in all) and more flame surfacing than a crême brulée shop (there’s that accent again!) we can expect similar enthusiasm particularly from the newly moneyed East.
As for skeptics, given that some of us thought the original CLS looked like it owed much to the late 90s Mercury Sable, the jury’s still out on the next generation.
And Now Your Automotive Moment of Zen LII
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon (estate) in Top Gear
Mercedes R-Class Is Not, Repeat, NOT a Minivan
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Daimler AG ::: 2011 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
THE R-Class is not a minivan.
So sayeth Mercedes-Benz marketing who on MBUSA.com are -seemingly with gritted teeth- laughing off any correlation between the 7-passenger, whale-shaped, family friendly bus conveyance known as the R-Class and something so low, ha ha, as a Dodge Caravan or Honda Odyssey. Oh, how silly.
In fact, they’d like you to call the R-Class “crossover.” Yes, that’s the same kind of half-step SUV that one might associate with BMW’s plumb X6 or Cadillac’s Lexus-fighting SRX.
“Thanks to the newly designed R-Class crossover, you don’t have to settle for a minivan,” the text on MBUSA.com claims.
Mercedes used to classify the R-Class as an “SUV”. But now its designation’s resolved. Cross that question right off the list. The Mercedes R-Class is a minivan crossover because Mercedes marketing calls it a minivan crossover.
That was easy.
And Now Your Automotive Moment of Zen LI
Mercedes-Benz Formula Zero Concept
The Hyper-Focused Science of Internal Audio Engineering @ Mercedes-Benz
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: YouTube ::: Mercedes-Benz engineering
FROM a marketing standpoint, this video reflects very nicely on the obsessive nature of German engineering – upon which, as we all know, Mercedes-Benz has become such a household name. In-car acoustics is a big deal – particularly as interior cabin environs are getting ever more quiet due to the greater success of insulation and slipperiererer aerodynamics.
One point, however.
Rather than fussing over the exact decibels of how loud the signal indicator’s soft click-clicks should sound, why not grant the driver the option to customize to his/her own preferences?
After all, no matter what settings the committee of Benz boffins establish, in the end, the customer will always be right.
eBay Watch: 1967 Mercedes-Benz 230SL
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img via eBay ::: Mercedes-Benz 230SL
PARTIAL though I am to the R107 generation SL (1972-1989), there are plenty of Benz aficionados who favor the svelte simplicity of the earlier W113 “Pagoda” SL (1963-1971).
Truth is both generation Mercedes roadsters make for classic weekend tourers. Pagoda fans (the SL got its nickname from Paul Bracq’s slightly concave detachable hardtop) might wish to gaze on this seemingly perfect Californian 230SL with Euro headlamps.
Signal red over black MB-tex (vinyl) interior with black Pagoda roof, this 1967 230SL underwent a bumper-to-bumper restoration 800 miles ago. No word on how many miles the SL traveled beforehand.
Buy-it-now price is on the high side @ $38,900. But for a beautiful topless Teuton from the 60s, as classically beautiful as Anne Margaret, what price perfection? Caveat emptor!
[2011 Mercedes CL63 AMG Updated. Styling Cliches Included.
by Gunnar Heinrich ::: img Daimler AG ::: 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG
CLAWING furiously for market share in a fiercely competitive market, Mercedes’ design team seems to be throwing every cliché including the metaphorical kitchen sink at their customers.
The latest refresh of the W216 generation CL-Class (S-Class coupé) is one such highly stylized tell-tale. The 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG appears bolder with taller, clap-top hood, squared-off grille, mildly scalloped headlamp housings (a hint of SL) and then there are those LED accent lights set in the front air intakes…
Mercedes rightly picked up on Audi’s usage of LED accent lighting. For Ingolstadt, they’ve become a signature accent to Audi models from the R8 on down.
Trouble is Mercedes has yet to convincingly incorporate the new lights in such a way that can convince us their original in concept. It’s one small example of how team Tri-Star is fumbling awkwardly through this decade of countering the last’s ambivalent avante-garde trends.
The current result – LEDs included – seems too deliberately stylized. And on a functional point, Mercedes is still using Xenon discharge lamps as primary headlight source when rival Lexus has already implemented LEDs as the actual headlights.
This is odd, considering Stuttgart’s hyper knack for keeping up with its rivals in every design and technological trend. Not that the latest refit of the handsome-enough CL is bad, per se. But Mercedes still lacks clear direction in product design.
And Now Your Automotive Moment of Zen XLIX
220 SE Cabrio in Männerpension (1996)
Separated On The Draft Table? Mercedes GLK & Toyota Highlander
Ed. note: Hardy sent us an email recently with the below comments on the GLK. With his nod, we’ve reposted his words here to highlight a less than glamorous similarity between Mercedes’ GLK (featured in Sex & The City) and the humble Highlander.
by Hardy Drackett ::: img HD for ADLX ::: 2010 Mercedes GLK
THE 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK has always reminded me of the original Subaru Forrester because of it’s hard edges.
I never realized until seeing them next to each other how similar the GLK is to the previous generation Toyota Highlander in terms of proportions and silhouette.
