Photo: X-Tomi
Don’t list your Mercedes-Benz car for sale just yet, the company hasn’t gone mad: this is just a rendering from our old Hungarian pal, X-Tomi, who seems to think that transforming the perfectly functional roadster into a completely impractical shooting brake would be a good idea.
Well, that’s not actually what he’s saying, he’s just in a “what if?” mood. One thing led to another and at the end of the day, this shiny, black oddity is what came off his drawing board. Who in their right mind would go for something like this when they could have it with a folding roof?
As is the case with really odd vehicles, it would probably find enough buyers who get a kick out of owning vehicles most other human beings wouldn’t even poke with a stick. It’s a confirmation of their uniqueness, it’s a pat on the back that says “don’t worry, you’re still special, and now everybody else knows it.”
But if you survive the initial shock, this weird looking car actually grows on you. It may lack the huge glass area that made the BMW Z3 Breadvan so special, but it gets that hump over the rear wheel instead, giving it a certain sporty-elegant feel, just like the whole of the current Mercedes-Benz range, really.
The chances of Mercedes-Benz building any more shooting brakes are equivalent to none, with the Stuttgart brand actually announcing it will discontinue this body version for the CLS with the next generation, which means the CLA Shooting Brake will be left alone among sedans, wagons, SUVs, and roadsters.
With the market for wagons on a downslope, the shooting brakes (those “fake” ones with four doors) might just be the solution to get people interested in practicality that doesn’t necessarily come with the increased ground clearance and four-wheel drive of the SUVs. Then again, it may just remain a gimmick that these virtual artists use whenever a new model is being launched, just so we have something to talk about.
Don’t do as we did and give this thing a minute or two before stating your verdict. Does its bizarrerie seem to fade away with time, or did your retina suffer permanent damage and now you’re suing us for the eye doctor expenses?
As is the case with really odd vehicles, it would probably find enough buyers who get a kick out of owning vehicles most other human beings wouldn’t even poke with a stick. It’s a confirmation of their uniqueness, it’s a pat on the back that says “don’t worry, you’re still special, and now everybody else knows it.”
But if you survive the initial shock, this weird looking car actually grows on you. It may lack the huge glass area that made the BMW Z3 Breadvan so special, but it gets that hump over the rear wheel instead, giving it a certain sporty-elegant feel, just like the whole of the current Mercedes-Benz range, really.
The chances of Mercedes-Benz building any more shooting brakes are equivalent to none, with the Stuttgart brand actually announcing it will discontinue this body version for the CLS with the next generation, which means the CLA Shooting Brake will be left alone among sedans, wagons, SUVs, and roadsters.
With the market for wagons on a downslope, the shooting brakes (those “fake” ones with four doors) might just be the solution to get people interested in practicality that doesn’t necessarily come with the increased ground clearance and four-wheel drive of the SUVs. Then again, it may just remain a gimmick that these virtual artists use whenever a new model is being launched, just so we have something to talk about.
Don’t do as we did and give this thing a minute or two before stating your verdict. Does its bizarrerie seem to fade away with time, or did your retina suffer permanent damage and now you’re suing us for the eye doctor expenses?
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