Auto Design

By Giancarlo Perini ©

The world is getting smaller and smaller and a new première cannot take just in one place at a time.

Here again we go for a world première in Beijing (for the opening motor show) and a preview in Los Angeles at a radically different happening. A meeting of art and culture that Mercedes-Benz did not want to miss.

Here is the rather realistic “show-car” announcing what the next sporty premium compact from Mercedes-Benz looks like. Take off the usual “show-purpose bright and plush” make up and you have the sleek four-door, four seater Mercedes CLA (or B) that is in the pipeline for 2013.

Its official name is “Mercedes-Benz” Concept Style Coupé and its first official description is “the style rebel”. This suggests it is a revolutionary member of the family. Indeed the Style Coupé is the long due reaction to the intense attacks from Audi and BMW in a segment that is going to grow through downsizing. Mercedes-Benz new weapon is going to place the company in the centre of the field for style and emotion and you need not to have prophetic skill to anticipate that this “Style Coupe” will be an outstanding winner, if its style, character and dynamic force are not diluted on its way to regular production.

Gorden Wagener, head of Design at Mercedes-Benz, is in charge and I am sure he will fight to death to preserve this milestone to the return to the front font.

Gorden says that “The Concept Style Coupé is almost production-standard” and that “it sets a new benchmark for avant-garde design in the executive segment”, “Its breathtaking proportions, sinewy fluid surfaces and sculptural lines are the physical expression of our dynamic design idiom.”

He has Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, on his side.

He believes that “the Concept Style Coupé is expressive and powerful in its design” and is fully committing his company to it. “This is the model against which sporty vehicles in the executive segment will have to measure themselves in future.”

Mercedes-Benz does not publish the overall dimensions of its latest entry but considering that the wheels are 20 inches and the turbocharged, four-cylinder, petrol engine produce 155 kW (211 HP) one might see this as the little brother of the CLS.

Photo Gallery

By Giancarlo Perini ©

The 2011 Auto Shanghai motor show, opening in a week time, will not be business as usual. Indeed it will mark a new era of the entire world car industry, the one steered by the Chinese market and industry. China is the biggest car market, and the one that is growing faster worldwide. The leading premium brands are betting on for most of their growth in the decade. Read the rest of this entry »

by Giancarlo Perini.

After “inventing” the convertible-coupé for their first generation SLK, first launched in 1996, Mercedes-Benz is keen to maintain their leadership in the speciality and further develop the “air and light” unique atmosphere inside their cosy Roadster. The third generation is being launched this year. With orders collected starting January 17^th. In Germany the starting price is € 38,675.00 for the SLK 200 BlueEFFICIENCY (€ 44,256.10 for the SLK 250 BlueEFFICIENCY).  Although not cheap the new Mercedes-Benz SLK is probably the most affordable convertible-coupé of this class. Read the rest of this entry »

By Giancarlo Perini ©

The rush to conquer best design talents is faster and faster.

With the aesthetic appeal emerging as a key selling point for any new cars in a market that is becoming more and more sophisticated top brands compete also in the market of human resources. BMW is recovering one of “his own” stars that two years ago deserted to Mercedes-Benz. Read the rest of this entry »

The Mercedes-Benz 190D BlueEFFICIENCY experimental vehicle.

If you too have been questioning why today cars are so large and heavy, and wondered what could they do for us and the environment if they were simpler and lighter, here some facts and food for thought from Mercedes-Benz. Read the rest of this entry »

Within the frame of the Concorso d’Eleganza di Villa d’Este, the organisers arranged a very special exhibition at nearby Villa Erba dedicate to a special category of car design (and engineering).

With the simple title of “Streamlining” the exhibition presented by the Prototype Museum in Hamburg shows the development of car with extreme streamlined bodywork designed to minimize air resistance and maximize performance (and fuel consumption in relation to performance). Read the rest of this entry »

At the Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz will be announcing the replacement of its middle-class coupé CLK with a new one called Mercedes-Benz E Coupé.

The name marks a welcome change and a new, more exciting direction in car design by the German make. The announcement comes only three months after the announcement of the new and innovative E-Class, due to go on sale next month. Read the rest of this entry »

Comes November 20^th and we will know the winner of the 5^th Design Challenge.

Nine Southern California design studios of the top carmakers have presented their own concept and design of what the Race Car of the future will be in 2025.

The Design Challenge is held within the frame of the Los Angeles Auto Show that opens its gate to the public on November 21^st.

This year theme for the challenge was to «Visualize Auto Racing in the Year 2025» along the following guidelines: «Today’s race cars have ground-breaking technology to improve speed, power, performance and safety but what a difference 17 years into the future can make. Imagine race cars that go beyond the expectations and challenges of racing today, such as never needing to stop for re-fuelling or collision avoidance assistance technology for enhanced safety».

According to Chuck Pelly, director of Design Los Angeles and partner in The Design Academy, Inc. «Automotive designers have always been fascinated with Motor Sports and this year’s Design Challenge has provided them with the opportunity to use their creative talent to look at these cars with new eyes, using innovative technologies and approaches”.

Works by Audi, BMW, GM, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen are pitted against each other to showcase their talents and further explore new ideas in automotive design.

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Entries will be judged by Tom Matano of San Francisco’s Academy of Art University, Imre Molner of Detroit’s College for Creative Studies and Stewart Reed of Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design. Daniel Simon, an established car designer and founder of Cosmic Motors, is the special guest judge this year. Simon began his design career at Volkswagen and recently published his first book: Cosmic Motors-Spaceships, Cars and Pilots of Another Galaxy. His book seems to have suggested the theme of this year challenge and the flavour of some of the works presented, whereas other works have inspired themselves to the superlative illustration technique of Syd Mead.

Starting today I am sharing with you their works. One per day. And in alphabetic order. Go to AUDI R25.

Mercedes-Benz has celebrated the retirement of Prof. Peter Pfeiffer with a brilliant farewell party at the “dome-hall” of the company design centre in Sindelfingen.

Prof. Pfeiffer has spent 40 years within the Mercedes-Benz design organisation and took its leadership in 1999, when his mentor, Mr. Bruno Sacco retired.

Much like most large corporations in Germany, Daimler Group’s rule mandate retirement of its executive when they reach the age of 65.

With the Ceo  of the Daimler Group, Dieter Zetsche, and Thomas Weber, Daimler member of the board, responsible for research and development, some 300 colleagues from within the Daimler Group and the industry at large – such as Bruno Sacco, Christofer Bangle, Michael Mauer and Murat Gunak – celebrated Prof. Pfeiffer and his successor Gorden Wagener.

More news from the even here, hopefully in few days.

Click on the image for the Photo memory book.