FLier than the rest of 'em...
Posted by Ebun | Posted in design, miscellaneous | Posted on 1:15 AM
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I'm gonna take a break from the usual. Instead of posting something I produced/designed I'm going to critique someone else's design. In this case, the 2010 Mercedes SLS AMG.
I love cars and hope to one day design some amongst the myriad of other things I will design. Anyhow, anyone who is familiar with the iconic 1955 Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing
will immediately recognize the similarities within these two models.
The iconic "gullwing" doors, front grille, side vents all re-emerge on the 2010 SLS AMG. This design feels like it was born out of nostalgia and an intent to establish the SLS as the same iconic car the 300SL became back in the 50s. However, it must be said that a lot of car manufacturers are looking back in the past and recreating classic designs; namely Ford with the Mustang;Dodge with the Charger and Challeger, and Chevrolet with the Camaro. Are these designs all recreated out of nostalgia? Or are they a last ditch effort to recapture the hearts of customers more concerned with fuel-economy and practical cars? That's a discussion for another day. Back to the critique of the 2010 SLS AMG.
In plan view (above) the car looks like a bird with its wings outspread, which lends to the notion of flight and speed which I'm sure Mercedes were going for, except you won't be flying down the freeway with the "doors" up, or at least I'd hope not.
The back I'm not too sold on. The design gurus at Mercedes could've really set off this design with the back. I figure they went "safe" with the front because it's one of the most recognizable aspects of the car and understand why they kept it very similar to the 1955 Gullwing. The back looks like the lovechild of the 1997 Acura 2.2 CL and the 2003 era Infiniti M45. Not what you would expect from a car that's gonna run you a few million pesos.
The profile, the whole car actually, looks very similar to the SLR McLaren except for the cropped front grille on the SLS versus the pointy one on the SLR McLaren. I'm not sure exactly, I haven't read up on the status of the McLaren, but I'm guessing the SLS will replace the SLR? I don't see the sense in producing both cars simultaneously.
In comparison to the classic of the '50s though, I commend Mercedes for making the gullwings doors actual, well, doors. See, the 1955 model had a high sill (as seen in the pic above) which made entry and exit of the vehicle difficult. So the fact that the doors swung all the way up was rather foolish from a functional design standpoint. However on the 2010 model it looks like you can actually put your legs on the ground and exit the car without much effort.
I was hoping to really tear this car apart, but I really can't. There isn't much to really say about it either way. I'm not overly impressed because it's a familiar design just modernized. Of course this is just from seeing the car in pictures on the internet, so take my critique with a grain of salt. As far as the interior, I am not impressed. At all.
The center console looks like it was manufactured by Dodge and not Mercedes.
If I'm fortunate enough to own one in the near or distant future (depending on how many shirts I can sell) or get to see/drive one, I'll update this post with a more in-depth and accurate review. This will do until then. Cheers.
