RE: Audi to build rival for Mercedes CLS
Thursday 15th June 2006
Audi to build rival for Mercedes CLS
Expect to see four-door coupé in 2009
 Mercedes CLS: imagine it with an Audi grille |
Audi is to build a direct rival for the good-looking Mercedes CLS, the so-called four-door coupé, to be called the A7. It's part of the German company's drive to build a million cars per year, a move that would place it in the top bracket of carmakers.
It's not confirmed for production, according to Autocar, but you could expect to see a concept within the next 12 months.
The car's likely to be around the same size as the A6, and based on the company's new modular platform, an adjustable floorpan that provides Audi with a single design for all its longitudinal-engined cars. Effectively, without such a system, the company couldn't build the A7, given that this machine is likely to be a relatively low volume product.
It'll arrive in 2009 at the earliest - and we've no details yet.
Discussion
The end of the noughties will see Porsche, Aston Martin, presumably BMW, etc, all doing the same thing...we're getting too many niches within niches...
Top Trump said:
The Merc CLS is an ugly, ungainly looking beast.
I beg to differ old boy... IMHO the CLS is one of the most original and striking designs in the past few years (especially for Mercedes!) and infinitely more desirable than any comparable 'Banglised' BMW - and I know I'm not alone on this. Although, as the saying goes, one man's face is another man's foot-bottom... 
I'm with you there! The CLS has to be one of the best looking sports coupés (or any car full stop) on the road at the moment. It was a new design, not just put together by taking bits from the Mercedes panel parts bin and it looks great from all angles. Although I'll never be able to afford one, it still rates as my number one potential Gentleman cruiser!
summit7 said:
Why do AUDI want to copy one the most fugly cars about. The back end is all wrong and looks like it has fallen out of someones bottom - there's just no delicacy to the design.
Thank you! Someone who can see clearly. It's such horribly self-conscious design.
Audi should steer clear of this niche and concentrate on their RS cars. The CLS is a car for fat plutocrats for whom only the Mercedes badge will do.
Can't get excited about the CLS and am sure that the A7 won't do the trick either. It's just a type of car I find utterly irrelevant. Lots of "premium" and no fun. Might work to impress the neighbours standing in the drive way but driving them is just pointless. There are many cars that are actully fun to drive (in any price range). In case you just want to get from A to B in comfort, any decent hatch that's on the market these days will do.
Dr S said:
Can't get excited about the CLS and am sure that the A7 won't do the trick either. It's just a type of car I find utterly irrelevant. Lots of "premium" and no fun. Might work to impress the neighbours standing in the drive way but driving them is just pointless. There are many cars that are actully fun to drive (in any price range). In case you just want to get from A to B in comfort, any decent hatch that's on the market these days will do.
I have the CLS 500 and to quote your last sentence would mean you have never driven one. I have lost count how many cars I have owned but can't remember any being as comfortable or quiet as the CLS. I'm with the others as well for obvious reasons
Edited by tony wright on Thursday 15th June 19:53
[quote]=The CLS is a car for fat plutocrats for whom only the Mercedes badge will do.[/quote]
I would have thought a fat plutocrat would go for an S-Class..
IMHO the CLS is a stunner, totally different from anything else out there, which nowadays with all this safety and aerodynamic stuff is quite a feat to pull off. There's a couple of black CLS's going round my home town, and they always manage to turn my head...
Just think, in black, with that twin-turbo 6.0litre V12, lowered a little,and wheels with polished rims and a black center.... [/drool]
I would have thought a fat plutocrat would go for an S-Class..
IMHO the CLS is a stunner, totally different from anything else out there, which nowadays with all this safety and aerodynamic stuff is quite a feat to pull off. There's a couple of black CLS's going round my home town, and they always manage to turn my head...
Just think, in black, with that twin-turbo 6.0litre V12, lowered a little,and wheels with polished rims and a black center.... [/drool]
CLS are fugly, except for those AMG versions I kinda like those, depends what angle I see them at though :scartchchin:
Event the MAserarti Quattroporte doesn't look that great (well ok in darker colours it's not bad) but as much as I want to like it like everyone else, all I see is a sedan wanting to be a coupe, it's probably the best of the bunch of sedoupes or coupdans at the moment, but they dont really do it for me any more than hatchbacks trying to look like SUVs. What should we call them? SUH's? (Stupid Ugly Hatches)
Event the MAserarti Quattroporte doesn't look that great (well ok in darker colours it's not bad) but as much as I want to like it like everyone else, all I see is a sedan wanting to be a coupe, it's probably the best of the bunch of sedoupes or coupdans at the moment, but they dont really do it for me any more than hatchbacks trying to look like SUVs. What should we call them? SUH's? (Stupid Ugly Hatches
)sidesauce said:
Top Trump said:
The Merc CLS is an ugly, ungainly looking beast.
I beg to differ old boy... IMHO the CLS is one of the most original and striking designs in the past few years (especially for Mercedes!) and infinitely more desirable than any comparable 'Banglised' BMW - and I know I'm not alone on this. Although, as the saying goes, one man's face is another man's foot-bottom... With you all the way on this one. I keep seeing them and I always turn for another look, I cant think of any other ordinary (eg not sports or rare classic) car that I do that for. I'm trying to persuade Dad that he wants one
damn I didnt think there were so many people against the CLS design - I think it looks very good - and I know they call it a 4-door coupe and everything but really... its the new shape for a sedan... slowly but surely, all 4 door cars will start to get the fast-back treatment. I once heard someone say that the traditional 3-box shape will be gone by 2010. I dont think it would happen as soon as that but it certainly will happen eventually, down the road sometime...
And IMO - the CLS is NOT the first '4-door coupe' ...that would be the previous generation Audi A6 (which is probably the best looking sedan ever IMO)
And IMO - the CLS is NOT the first '4-door coupe' ...that would be the previous generation Audi A6 (which is probably the best looking sedan ever IMO)
Edited by 604 on Friday 16th June 04:28
GravelBen said:
I'll have to put my vote in with the "CLS is fugly" crowd. Proportions are just wrong, kinda like they reversed into a wall at speed to change the lines of an S-class, and then smoothed it out a bit.
(IMO of course, I see some poeple like it. I just don't see why)
(IMO of course, I see some poeple like it. I just don't see why)
I guess if I was the CLS designer I'd prefer that my efforts ended up in polarizing opinion rather than have anyone say it's 'boring' - love it or hate it the CLS is certainly a very distinctive design. My main reason for liking it is for the smoothness of the profile (side on) view.
I suppose one could argue (the same case of distinctive design) for the new generation of BMWs but somehow I think in 10-15 years time the 'Flame Surfacing' idea will have dated rather horribly, kind of like a middle aged woman who spent a little too much time under a sunbed - she was nice to look at when she was young and fresh but now she's
(Not to mention the fat arses new BMs all seem to sport...) BTW I'm with the man who said he likes the old Audi A6 - what a great design indeed!
Edited by sidesauce on Friday 16th June 05:48
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