1990s cars haven't aged well. Sure, there are a few cult classics, but generally speaking, there is something about the design of that era that makes it seem dated, if not even obsolete.
It's probably just a cycle. The '90s are distant enough to feel very different from these modern times, but not distant enough to give the things that came out during that period vintage status. If we were to have this discussion two decades from now, it would probably sound a lot different, in that we'd be praising the imagination of those designers and, who knows, maybe even try to bring back some of the trends that were all the rage back then.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class W140 is a prime example of that. Some people may already think pretty highly of its weird silhouette and oversized (especially on the "Z" axis) glasshouse, but for most people, the way it just ignores a large part of today's design rules is just a big eyesore.
That said, Marouane Bembli (a.k.a. The Sketch Monkey) seems to think pretty highly of the W140. If you listen to the video, you find out one of his all-time favorite cars is the Mercedes-Benz SL500 (R129) of the same era so, knowing that, it's not much of a shock.
Still, even he can identify everything that's wrong with the model - to the point where he says he only really rates the limousine's rear (which explains why he chose that angle). Well, we guess you can like something even if you're aware of its flaws. Actually, isn't that what love is?
Anyway, Marouane is on a mission to modernize the looks of the '90s S-Class, and he wastes no time identifying the main issues of its design. We already talked about some of them: the tall roofline, the awkward height of the door windows, and the convex shoulder line make the first cut. Still, in order to bring the model as close to 2021 as possible, it's going to need more than that.
In the end, The Sketch Monkey takes care of all these three aspects but also adds a pair of exhausts, a new set of wheels (that were desperately needed), reworked taillights, a bumper that blends in with the rest of the body, and integrated door handles (that also hint at a suicide door configuration). Add a bit of tint to the glass, and it's done. Well, what do you think? Is that a car you would drive to work or straight into a wall?
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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