Tuesday 20th April 2010

Shooting Break: Merc's CLS Estate

Swoopy estate concept hints at forthcoming wagon version of CLS

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This is the new Mercedes Shooting Break, a sleek concept that gives a sneak preview of an estate version of the forthcoming CLS coupe-saloon.

The new car will be officially unveiled at this week's Beijing motor show and, as well as pointing the way towards the new CLS, will provide Mercedes with a rival for the Audi A7 and BMW 5-series GT.

Looking like the love child of an R-class, a CLS and the SLS AMG supercar (not that you can have three parents, but you know what we mean), the Shooting Break concept takes the tradition of the bespoke coach-built luxury estate shooting brake, and melds it with the four-door coupe concept of the CLS saloon.

The result is a further blurring of the traditional bodystyle boundaries, but one that indicates the future of Mercedes design, according to Mercedes.

"The Shooting Break concept car is based on the great tradition of a stylish, cultivated sportiness which has always characterised the great Mercedes coupes, and it takes this unique legacy an exciting step further," says Professor Gorden Wagener, chief designer at Mercedes-Benz. "At the same time it points the way towards the future design idiom of Mercedes-Benz."

The bold front end is particularly reminiscent of the SLS AMG. That will be identical to the four-door CLS - but the swooping rear end with its steeply raked hatch is unique to the Shooting Break.

Inside, the Shooting Break carries on the plush, cosy feel started by the original CLS with a bespoke interior quite different from the cabin of the E-class (on which the car's platform is based). It's also said to be very close to the interior of the production CLS, although some of the swish oak veneer and switchgear will most likely be toned down.

Underneath the bonnet of the concept is a new 3.5-litre V6 with 302bhp and 273lb ft of torque that will be one of two petrol motors offered in the new CLS. The other will be a turbocharged 4.6-litre V8 with 435bhp, while two common-rail turbodiesels will also be available.

More exciting, however, is the new CLS63 AMG, which is rumoured to be due for spring 2011, fitted with AMG's new 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8.

[adz13091982]

Make this now(this coming from a BMW fan!).

[E21_Ross]

nice from the front, really aggressive. but wtf is up with that engine bay!

[nonplussed]

That looks fantastic. What's with all the covering up of the engine on mondern cars though? We know an engine gets a bit oily and stuff, we can handle it. Seems like a pointless addition of more plastic ste. Or has it got a purpose, soundproofing perhaps?

[vintageracer01]

Bizzare line work.

I can see what they are trying to do, but it is not well balanced yet.

And too many holes in the front.

Why so aggressive anyway? Who you want to scare???

Nice rear view, though. But I am not sure it looks 'Mercedes'.


(...and it is not a 'shooting brake'. A shooting brake has only 2 doors not 4. But Germans might not know this)

Edited by vintageracer01 on Tuesday 20th April 13:12

[Dakkon]

Is it not shooting-brake?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting-brake

[adz13091982]

The engine bay looks like it may be hinting at hybrid power.

[Mr Gear]

Erm, is it just me and Wikipedia, or is this actually spelt "Shooting Brake"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting-brake

[davel*]

E21_Ross said:

nice from the front, really aggressive. but wtf is up with that engine bay!

I agree about the engine bay, I don't know why manufacturers now feel the need to cover everything in plastic.

[Mr Gear]

adz13091982 said:

The engine bay looks like it may be hinting at hybrid power.

What makes you say that? The only thing I can see in the "engine bay" is a couple of caps for fillers. Dunno why they didn't just put them under a flap on the bonnet (like the A2) if they didn't want the owners poking around under there!

[ganser]

That looks really good. Judging by this the saloon will look even better

[jdw1234]

Mr Gear said:

Erm, is it just me and Wikipedia, or is this actually spelt "Shooting Brake"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting-brake

Play on words...breaking news?

[Cotty]

E21_Ross said:

nice from the front, really aggressive. but wtf is up with that engine bay!

Most boring engine bay ever

This is more like it

[G4HKS]

With all that "flame surfacing" going on, has Bangle joined Mercedes? He cerainly can't be at BMW any more, the cars are getting more boring looking as each model arrives..

[Mr Gear]

jdw1234 said:

Mr Gear said:

Erm, is it just me and Wikipedia, or is this actually spelt "Shooting Brake"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting-brake

Play on words...breaking news?

I wish that were true, but all signs point to a spelling mistake.

[LukeBird]

I'm liking that!

[plasticpig]

It's not a Shooting Brake. It has four doors; a Shooting Brake has two doors.

[Chris-R]

Mr Gear said:

jdw1234 said:

Mr Gear said:

Erm, is it just me and Wikipedia, or is this actually spelt "Shooting Brake"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting-brake

Play on words...breaking news?

I wish that were true, but all signs point to a spelling mistake.

Oh ye of little faith...

M-B spell it 'break' in their press release.

[rfn]

Chris-R said:

Mr Gear said:

jdw1234 said:

Mr Gear said:

Erm, is it just me and Wikipedia, or is this actually spelt "Shooting Brake"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting-brake

Play on words...breaking news?

I wish that were true, but all signs point to a spelling mistake.

Oh ye of little faith...

M-B spell it 'break' in their press release.

As those keen to nit-pick would've noticed if they'd looked at the photos

[pilchardthecat]

E21_Ross said:

nice from the front

You need your eyes checkin'

That front splitter with the two big s in it that's glues to the front looks utterly fking hideous

[bob1179]

I like that.

I don't like the engine bay though. How the hell do you check the oil?