Not everything was better in the past. But the Mercedes design. In my opinion. Therefore, this is a strictly subjective article, I am mentally prepared for a possible shit storm. But I have to get rid of it.
Mercedes-Benz. The inventor of the automobile. And the creator of automotive legends. The grille, which is typical for many years, is a lesson in product design. Those who had the idea at the time to put the star on the bonnet should get a small memorial in front of the main entrance in Stuttgart. Can there be better and more lasting customer loyalty? Whenever a Mercedes driver drives his car, he sees the emblem in front of him. The perfect head-up display of a very similar kind. Unfortunately, the brand with the star has been lost in recent years. First it was the C-Class, which as an avant-garde was allowed to have the sports car grill with the star in the radiator. It was the same with the first A-Class, but here it was dictated by the body design. A star on the steep hood would have been invisible to the driver.
So it happened that the star, the holy grail of the brand keepers, in the sedans of the C- and E-Class, the base model (and the Elegance) graced, the expensive Avantgarde, however, the star in the grill. It is only logical that this misery was recognized in the current C-Class, here the dominant star now costs an extra charge - as part of the “Exclusive Exterior” package for just € 1.249,50. At least with the crooked gross prices, Mercedes-Benz is sticking to old traditions.
The package would be worth every penny to me, because a symbol like the Mercedes star does not deserve to be caught between two brittle plastic clips.
In my opinion, a break with old values can also be seen in various model series. I let myself in on the fact that a CLA with its overhangs that are too long must look like it - the car is very successful internationally and I myself am often surprised at how many people in the circle of acquaintances find the “chic” or “classy”. Would you say that if there was an Opel or VW logo on the car? In the grill, of course, not on top. Where the star actually is ... but let's leave it.
A Mercedes always wore the emblem between the headlights: It was the SL-Class, or "the SL" as one can still say today. With the gullwing 300 SL, the name came down to earth on Mount Olympus of the car gods and the legend was continued with the successor series W121 and W113 ("Pagoda"). The models R107 (1971 - 1989) and R129 (1989 - 2001) will not be forgotten. Symbols of clear automotive design "made in Germany". And above all “made for Germany”.
2001 got worse, SL number six, R230 models, saw the world. And looked through ... yes what actually? They didn't want to get to the four-eyed face, but it should be quoted a bit. Why was it always ridden around on the fried egg lights of the Porsche 911 (996)? Otherwise there was too much E-Class to see in the R230, too much mainstream, too little quiet glamor that distinguished the predecessors. 2012 then R231.
The SL caricatured itself. The much too long front section had to correspond to Asian and American designs, it builds up too dominantly in front of the viewer. The compact rear tries to bridge the gap to classic SL lines, just doesn't fit the rest of the car.
The facelift this year, three years after the premiere. This short model cycle already shows that an SL is no longer a driving legend. Coupé and Cabrio of the S-Class have recently shown that they can still draw cars in Stuttgart under Gorden Wagener. The C-Class as a coupé also passes as "ok", although the similarity to the faded Renault Laguna Coupé is unmistakable. The Frenchman looked sleek, slim and timeless. The monstrous SLS and the successor in spirit, the AMT GT are also cars that will go down in design history. Hats off for this achievement.
Los Angeles, November 2015 - Mercedes conjures up the SL facelift from its sleeves. I hold my breath ... and almost choke. In terms of model policy, between the S-Class Cabrio and the GT AMG, the SL planners unfortunately do not attempt the hoped-for liberation.
A new grill, a modified bumper and other small changes unfortunately do not change the fact that the SL of the current series is an oversubscribed face that lacks any elegance. The now flatter headlights do not save that either. If so, the car only looks good as a sophisticated AMG version with large black rims, slightly chubby and roaring loudly. That may serve the margin, but does it correspond to the spirit of the icon SL?
The comparison with the confectionery shelf is obvious. Ferrero advertised the "Yogurette" for a long time with joggers and the slogan "tastes so heavenly yoghurt-light". The sweet-toothed sweet tooth so reluctantly sucked the chocolate shell from the strawberry sugar mass until she discovered the nutritional table. The heavenly light product has more calories than other chocolate bars, regardless of whether it's "fully nutty" or otherwise titled. The confectionery group has meanwhile changed the claim to “it suits me”. What I personally cannot say about the SL.
In profile, R231 still looks like a snow plow, the rear looks uninspired and the sloping rear lights do not fit the rest of the car. The car looks like a wrestler pumped up for the show. Next to it is the functional training athlete GT AMG in the gym parking lot.
In January, the SLK facelift will be shown in addition to the new E-Class. The little roadster doesn't knock your socks off right now. I hereby give up hope that he will still make it under the SLC flag. But I give the SL another chance. A facelift after only three years, which is a blink of an eye in the SL world. Dear Mercedes planners, please do not put yourself under pressure. You now have the AMG sports car, so the SL doesn't have to be a pseudoracer, Black Series and Co. no longer have to be. You now have the S-Class Cabrio. So he doesn't have to become a heavy steamer either. Makes a great roadster out of its successor. Rank and slim. And light. Maybe even “super light”?