German Car Zone

While many would attribute Mercedes current stying direction to the teutonic snausage days of the late 70s and 80s, Rob you seem to have a point. Cadillac's Art and Design philosophy and BMW's bangalization certainly seem to have taken effect on Mercedes overall design trends over the past few years.

In any event, I doubt this wagon will do well in the US. I don't think we're ready to embrace wagons again... yet. Certainly not ones that look like this.

On the other hand, having spent the last few days in and around the bay area, wagons seem to be a hit. So what do I know? I'm apparently just not living in wagon-friendly territory...

Cadillac has a history of razer-edges and flat panels.



Let me remind you that the same year Caddy showed this (1999):



Merc showed this:



Cadillac captured the zeitgeist for the following decade much more accurately.

So they've both been at it for a while. Still don't see where one has influenced the other if they've been at it for years. We all know Mercedes' have been angular and flat also. I have no idea what that last picture is, it surely isn't a SLR.

Yet, still...all of this irrelevant because at the end of the day a Benz doesn't look anything like a Cadillac and vice versa.

Cadillac showing an edgy concept in 1999 doesn't say much Rob. Mercedes was just finishing up their latest brick-like and wedge/angular era then with the W140 (1998) and R129 respectively.


M

Thanks, it has been the cause of several arguments

People keep comparing these new Mercs with the Sacco models -- but they have an entirely different character to the Sacco cars.

I have never suggested that they are carbon copies ...and I am not suggesting that Merc has copied Cadillac -- really, I am giving kudos to Cadillac for being so bold and taking a major risk ...and contributing to the trend/direction the industry has been going in. A lot of noise is made about how influential BMW has been ...but Cadillac has also been very influential.

BMW, yes (unfortunately for some like Toyota, Acura and others who saw BMW and goofed their imitation of BMW big time) has been very influential, but I don't see where Cadillac has been. They've turned a complete 360 on the caliber of car they make inside, out and under the hood, but design wise I just don't see where they've been anything but a also ran. Mercedes was the one to copy, emulate from the ground up at one time, then Audi (interiors) and now BMW(exterior design), the latter 2 still hold that status more than Mercedes does now.


M

Cadillac's influence can be found in GM products around the world -- and look at the new Acura.

There are some subtle similarities in the design language of some of GM's products and Mercedes' recent models.

Disagree, disagree, disagree Rob and Acuras are so ugly and hodgepodged in their styling its hard to tell where it all came from.

M

LOL

The new TL is very ugly ....it does pick up on the obvious V theme of this aesthetic.




This V-shape (chevron) theme has spread around the car industry like a virus -- seen on exterior and interior stying. Mercedes did have a very subtle arrow shaped bumper on the W129 -- and the Bentleys (particularly before the Arnage) also had a subtlety pronounced V shaped grille.

Mercedes reintroduced this theme (on its production cars) when they face lifted the current E class.

I think I've mentioned this before, but I always think of this comment when the comparisons between Caddy and MB are made:

Q & A: Mercedes-Benz's Bruno Sacco - Latest News, Auto Show Coverage, and Future Cars - Automobile Magazine


Maybe MB Brass listened and took note of what Cadillac was doing design wise... Perhaps to return to where they were with Sacco...