Well I still love the CL Artist ...please don't misunderstand me.

I think you are probably right that most people will not notice ...but most people are not as critical as us.

Audi and BMW are extremely design-led manufacturers ...not just in the automotive industry, but in all industry -- they are world leaders. Mercedes is also a leader of course, but I feel they have lost focus in recent times. Audi has developed an extremely strong brand image -- there is a very strong design-led culture at Audi. Mercedes is all over the place -- trying to incorporate old design cues with current styling trends inspired [mostly] by BMW.

If you take a look at the work of car design students in recent times, it is hard to see much inspiration from Mercedes in their work -- even Hussein's designs (whether it is intentional or not) take inspiration from BMW -- I would love him to comment on this discussion. Audi and BMW are probably the most favoured brands for most design students right now -- design students are usually very up-to-date with the latest trends.

The BMW 6 series is a very bold design .....maybe not the prettiest car ever -- and most of us would say the CL is better-looking. But the 6er is a much more fully-evolved aesthetic -- the Mercedes looks slightly eclectic -- much like it has been designed as a series of design cues "Mercedes Metaphors" arranged around a relatively dynamic shape -- but the overall result is not entirely harmonious. Whether you like the "Bangle Beemers" or not, they are confidently conceived around a much more fully developed design philosophy.