German Car Zone

Well, it is your job to list that .

But seriously, I haven't noticed either Audi or BMW with so many "helpings" from others. Even, MB it is only recent. I couldn't make a similar list on Benzes from one generation ago.

Well in terms of the S-Class interior and Command, MB did a brilliant job copying the two and making them 100 times better than the Bimmer.

Right now I'm not overly impressed by either of the manufacturers. But what I can say is that Audi are walking backwards. I love the R8 and S5 but everything else is blah. No creativity at all, just coward and monotonic designs.

^ I can't agree with that at all Centurion. Sure, Audi is very sedate by comparrison but it has longevity ....BMW and Mercedes will date a lot quicker.

I agree with you Luw. The Q5 and A4 or so utterly boring and predictable.

They also seem to be losing the plot with their interiors I feel. I was thoroughly unimpressed by the A4 interior.

^ have you guys ever heard the maxim "God is in the details" ?

Audi design is full of very clever and well resolved details. -- but you have to take more than just a superficial glance to appreciate them.

No, Martin.

My point is that BMW didn't come up with this idea. This notion about Mercedes seeing BMW come to market with idrive in 2002 and then rushing to copy it....is what I'm saying is BS. Mercedes-Benz clearly presented the idea years earlier, and it clearly wasn't "vague" either. It is right there in black and white what type of controller they were thinking about. I know you know that Mercedes' concepts are nothing more than a think tank for future ideas. The intent is to see where this technology can go, if it can be produced. That is the whole point of debuting such (often time ugly) concepts. I know you know this Martin. Mercedes doesn't debut those type of concepts just to put all that stuff on the shelf. A single knob interface for telematic isn't nearly as dreamy a technology as you try to make it sound.

No one here is saying that BMW didn't get it to market first of course we all know they did. What we're saying is that BMW didn't come up with this on their own and they surely didn't invent such a concept. That is my point Martin.

All this about who brought it to market first isn't what is being disputed. The notion that BMW came up with this idea first is what is being proven wrong here.

No one said that Mercedes had an competitive edge either because they introduced it first, again not what is being disputed.

Yes the rest did follow BMW by bringing it to market, but since you can speculate that Mercedes somehow stalled or shelved the idea, then we can also speculate that BMW saw Mercedes' concept car in 1995 and started work on their own version and rushed it to market with dubious results. The poor initial result on the market part is fact, the rest speculation...just as much so as saying Mercedes cooled on the idea. They could have been developing to make they didn't have the mess BMW did with their 2002 7-Series.

Fact is BMW brought it to market first.

Fact is Mercedes-Benz opened the door and presented the original concept as far as BMW and Mercedes-Benz go.


M

Speaking of technology, I just found out that Distronic was actually to be introduced in the W140!! Imagine if that actually happened. May I remind everyone that the W140 was introduced in the early '90's.

http://mbwde.cup.hl-users.com/Medien...tion/index.htm




Here's the link to the site:
Alles ber die Mercedes-Benz S-Klasse der Baureihe W140

For the W140 lovers only!

^No one in there right mind is going to argue about MB being a technology leader, they always been and will probably continue to be, after all they invented the car . It is design that is been it's Achilles heels in recent times (IMO).

That is exactly how I feel too Sunny