Re: a 911 Turbo-priced Gullwing Mercedes
A very important thing happened to Mercedes when designing the current CL-Class - the decision of peter pfeiffer to ditch the organic designs which plagued merc since the release of the previous S-Class: it was designed to take away ostentatiousness which was the main criticism of the 2 generations ago S-Class (Garoupa) but it dated FAST - just look at any Garoupa S-Class today and the W203 C-Class ... wa liao.
The current S, CL and C-Class design motif IMHO heralds back to the 500SEC design days, a Bruno Sacco masterpiece ... At the end of the day, looking back at Peter Pfeiffer's career, I'd say that Bruno Sacco is the best designer Mercedes Benz ever had, and it is MB which leads the world in design even now, with a brief interlude from Chris Bangle, regular service resumes.
Benz or not, this mid-engined 2 door is a great looking car.
It harks back to the days when MB designs were simpler and less gimmicky. I agree that some recent MB designs like the unpalatable 'garoupa' were below par compared to previous efforts. You could also point to the current SLK with its F-1 nose. It looks so contrived when planted on a compact roadster.
Bruno Sacco, was, undoubtedly the only recent MB designer who has left an enduring legacy. His work not only defined MB cars, but helped to shape a whole generation of German industrial products that were instantly identifiable through their functional, unadorned appearance. He has been quoted as saying:
"You concentrate very hard on avoiding gimmicks ... and when you do, it's fairly easy. You act in normal, straightforward way. There are many examples of long-lasting design in other fields: in architecture and fashion. You can design a suit to last either 3 months or 10 years. It's the same with a car."
Of all the work he produced, I like the baby Benz, the 190E the most. Even today, the simplicity of line and the harmonious proportions still make it a good looking car. If you look closely at a W-204, especially at the front end, you will see the influence of Bruno's work. Not bad for someone who wasn't even German. Bruno was an Italian.