Why are we even showing you something as absurd as a Mercedes SUV that's been turned into a convertible? Because one very important guy working for them likes the new Range Rover Evoque Convertible and he thinks the star brand should have a rival.
The story emerged last week, when the Mercedes-Benz chief engineer for the GLC, CLS and E-Class told Autocar that making a convertible SUV "would be fun, and it’s actually not that much of an engineering challenge."
At the time, we said there weren't any renderings of a Mercedes SUV with a convertible body. Theophilus Chin has since rectified the situation by chopping the roof off a GLC-Class. He also made a 2-door body, since this has more structural rigidity and would be the preferred solution for a convertible.
Mercedes used to be a traditionalist car company that considered it knew best what pure luxury meant and didn't follow the trends. But that clearly changed, as they started following the lead set by the BMW X6 and X4 models. The success of the Audi A3 also spurred them into making their own compact cars, with bodies ranging from hatchback to crossover and wagon.
Speaking of which, it's rumored that the A-Class will have a convertible version by the end of the decade. So there should be a roofless version of just about every size and shape in the lineup, leading up to the flagship S-Class model and its AMG version.
Demand for such vehicles has been steadily declining over the past decade. Of the few people that still buy convertibles, most just like them as symbols of freedom and rarely drive them with the top down.
But offering the ultimate luxury convertible is in the Mercedes genes, and their cars have been used by everybody from Pope Benedict XVI to the most ruthless dictators of the world.
At the time, we said there weren't any renderings of a Mercedes SUV with a convertible body. Theophilus Chin has since rectified the situation by chopping the roof off a GLC-Class. He also made a 2-door body, since this has more structural rigidity and would be the preferred solution for a convertible.
Mercedes used to be a traditionalist car company that considered it knew best what pure luxury meant and didn't follow the trends. But that clearly changed, as they started following the lead set by the BMW X6 and X4 models. The success of the Audi A3 also spurred them into making their own compact cars, with bodies ranging from hatchback to crossover and wagon.
Speaking of which, it's rumored that the A-Class will have a convertible version by the end of the decade. So there should be a roofless version of just about every size and shape in the lineup, leading up to the flagship S-Class model and its AMG version.
Demand for such vehicles has been steadily declining over the past decade. Of the few people that still buy convertibles, most just like them as symbols of freedom and rarely drive them with the top down.
But offering the ultimate luxury convertible is in the Mercedes genes, and their cars have been used by everybody from Pope Benedict XVI to the most ruthless dictators of the world.