Car Design Fetish

The Mercedes-Benz F 800 has style written over it, no really they even included it in the name.  So it must be stylish, right?  You should be able to come up with an attractive vehicle when you combine Audi, BMW and the new swoops of Hyundai.  Yes I just threw in Hyundai when talking about a Benz.  It is exciting though to see a relatively stodgy brand create a vehicle with such emotional surfacing.  The future is looking bright and curvaceous for the brand with the biggest front emblem.

The basic theme lines of the car are nothing really new but are executed in a precise manner.  The complex surfacing looks like Bangle stopped by to touch one more car.  If everything in between these lines was simplified the vehicle would result in a much classier execution.

The rear three quarter has a cool laid back appearance enabled by the downward arc of the DLO and fender crease.  The DLO does appear to sag a bit much in the rear and pinch the front quarter panel.  I think they took this line and added too much crown to it.  The rear lights are clean and simple but mimic too closely Audi and BMW.

The overall proportion of the side view is exciting.  The lines could use some more refinement though.  The front fender crease comes and goes causing some awkward twisting of the surface.  The rocker panel crease appears too flat and loses any dynamic quality.

For a design exercise this is a great attempt by a very conservative luxury player.  Some more refinement will do wonders and help bring in a whole new demographic of buyers.  Let the sport luxury wars begin.

[pics via Serious Wheels, Car Body Design]