German Car Zone

I can live with it too Marcus (BMW is similar). However I also can't stand the way the bumper sections are joined to the body -- it looks like very little thought was given to integrating them into the overall design. Audi are particular clever at integrating join lines into the overall aesthetic character of their vehicles.

Yep I was going to say that Audi still does it the way MB used to in that regard. The A-pillar, fenders and window line all meet very rigidly.

M

It looks so much cleaner and aesthetically pleasing that way to me. It's with no doubt that Mercedes did it with the W221 and its other new cars for looks more than anything else, to make the car seem to be "moving" even though it isn't. It's effective to some extent but Audi does the same without compromising its design, ala A8.

Now that's the way it should have been.

BTW, I find it interesting that all 3 of us mention about Audi in this discussion.

I thought of Audi because I was riding beside one (an A8L) tonight and I couldn't but help think of how handsome the car still is. I want one, but I can't see myself driving such a big car.

Part of this is that Rob and I both grew up looking at W126, W201, W124, and R129 Mercedes designs and they're still indelibly engrained on our brains as how a Mercedes should look and present itself. A difficult thing to let go of.

M

Fair point - the generation of mine finds it difficult to see what's all the fuss about old Benzes.

Good points Marcus. Maybe I am just sentimental.

I do think the current Mercs are good-looking and definitely more dramatic than Audi.

Still James, I'm sure your generation (Gen Y) views cars like the 300SL Gullwing pretty much the same as most of Marcus and my generation (Gen X).

To me personally, the 300SL, along with the W100 are what Mercedes is all about -- I realize it is different for Marcus, he is a big time Sacco fan . Interestingly, although Sacco worked on the W100, he was critical of aspects of it. He thought it had too much chrome for example (almost vulgar). Although Sacco was an Italian, he really was a Functionalist in the truly German sense (Less is more, Form follows function, etc). During his time at MB, he refined Mercedes design and image to a degree the marque never had before ...or perhaps since.

Rob, the line you don't like is shared by many cars, it's because of the pedestrian security laws.

this is the original vs robs PS..
and im sorry man im having a hard time to spot the diffrence.. it seems to me that fron widows on your ps are smaller..
or maybe im hallucinating..
i cant spot any more diffrences..