Photo: Theophilus Chin
With BMW and Mercedes-Benz taking turns replicating each other’s models (BMW created a rival for the B-Class in the shape of the 2 Series Active Tourer, while Mercedes-Benz charged full-on the SAC segment where the X6 was previously the sole occupant), you’ll never know what this niche-filling race might bring.
Even so, we’re pretty confident that the BMW 5 Series GT shouldn’t worry about getting company anytime soon. For one thing, in many ways, it would be like BMW got to work on a new model for its range to rival the R-Class, the only other flop from these two brands of a comparable scale.
Like the Mercedes-Benz R-Class, the BMW 5 Series GT wasn’t a bad car, it just had the misfortune to forsake its exterior design in favor of extreme comfort and functionality. In an area of the market where looks are everything, that’s akin to committing suicide. Bar for the few people who appreciate a brand for what it is and can’t be bothered with what others think about them, the others wouldn’t touch these two cars with a ten-foot pole.
Looking at the rendering signed by this old friend of the automotive industry that goes by the name of Theophilus Chin, it’s easy to see that the same thing happened. Gone are the beautiful proportions of the new E-Class and in come a strange roofline and a bloated derriere.
If we were to describe the hypothetical E-Class GT in as few words as possible, we’d say it looks like a Mercedes-Benz CLS that’s been on the “supersize me” diet for six months or so. There’s no arguing that the inside of this car would be a nice place to sit in, given the extra head room and larger greenhouse, but what about those on the outside? What did they do wrong?
As out of the blue as a potential E-Class GT would be, there’s actually something to consider here: last year, Mercedes-Benz announced it would discontinue the CLS Shooting Brake model starting with the next generation, so the idea of a more practical car of roughly the same size that isn’t a station wagon could hold some water. Not a lot of it, but enough to keep you from dying if you’ve just finished a marathon across Sahara.
Like the Mercedes-Benz R-Class, the BMW 5 Series GT wasn’t a bad car, it just had the misfortune to forsake its exterior design in favor of extreme comfort and functionality. In an area of the market where looks are everything, that’s akin to committing suicide. Bar for the few people who appreciate a brand for what it is and can’t be bothered with what others think about them, the others wouldn’t touch these two cars with a ten-foot pole.
Looking at the rendering signed by this old friend of the automotive industry that goes by the name of Theophilus Chin, it’s easy to see that the same thing happened. Gone are the beautiful proportions of the new E-Class and in come a strange roofline and a bloated derriere.
If we were to describe the hypothetical E-Class GT in as few words as possible, we’d say it looks like a Mercedes-Benz CLS that’s been on the “supersize me” diet for six months or so. There’s no arguing that the inside of this car would be a nice place to sit in, given the extra head room and larger greenhouse, but what about those on the outside? What did they do wrong?
As out of the blue as a potential E-Class GT would be, there’s actually something to consider here: last year, Mercedes-Benz announced it would discontinue the CLS Shooting Brake model starting with the next generation, so the idea of a more practical car of roughly the same size that isn’t a station wagon could hold some water. Not a lot of it, but enough to keep you from dying if you’ve just finished a marathon across Sahara.
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