Ok i cannot get to terms with this new style of site, its a complete pain in the ass. I dont get told if there has been any new posts on the threads, every time i post a reply i cum bak onto the site a couple of hours later and its vanished, my pics disappear, i cannot see sum peoples links and so on!!
Sorry for the rant (OFFTOPIC) don't let it bother you guys.
Yeah, I'm not thrilled with it either, but I don't get any of those kinds of problems. I just liked it the old way. However, i'm already getting used to it, like those Ford Focus fender flares.
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The Mighty AckVig
1997 S320 SWB
The black AMG with the large rims is probably the best color for this...'monstrosity'.
Saw a silver one last night and although this concoction is growing on me, I just do not have the urge to buy in. In particular, the rear end is really awful - especially the way the bumper side comes around to the back. The rear is just too much like a 745li and this is inexcusable for MB design: to take a rival's styling, poorly conceived on the original, and just graft it in -- like the Focus wheel wells, etc. The front end is quite good but the overall bulky aspect with the overdone sheetmetal work just does not come off for me. Black hides these defects to some degree, silver accents them. Dash work is not pleasing either.
Just trailed an RX8: same Focus wheel flares, and the integrated side bumper joins the back in the same pdd way as the new s550.
From three sides, this car does not have any Benz heritage.
In fact it looks more like a float boat.
Gone are the sleek lines of the previous chassis and the slab effect of 140 series.
In the plus column: Benz now has more distinctly different model iterations than ever before.
For over 4 years now BMW and MB cars could barely be made out between the C, E, and S, and 3,5,7 series as they drove towards you. Now, it is clearer for Benz especially. Which is good.
I have not liked the borrowing of the higher series details into the mid and lower series bodywork, grills, lights, etc.
The black AMG with the large rims is probably the best color for this...'monstrosity'.
Saw a silver one last night and although this concoction is growing on me, I just do not have the urge to buy in. In particular, the rear end is really awful - especially the way the bumper side comes around to the back. The rear is just too much like a 745li and this is inexcusable for MB design: to take a rival's styling, poorly conceived on the original, and just graft it in -- like the Focus wheel wells, etc. The front end is quite good but the overall bulky aspect with the overdone sheetmetal work just does not come off for me. Black hides these defects to some degree, silver accents them. Dash work is not pleasing either.
I so agree with you. The previous model was and is a classic of goood design. Restrained, understated and elegant. Will look good forever. The new one is flash harry incorporated. The dashboard looks like a nintendo set or the controls from a fairground bumper car. Awful. Leather and walnur reak of quality. Aluminium and so on look cheap.
I agree the back-end is a copy of BMW and as ugly as they all are. The front end is OK but looks as though a different designer did it. And the lights are now ordinary. Everyone has lights that sort of shape now. But the C class, E class CLK and so on have real style in the design of the lights.
The big flares on the wheelarches probably appeal to the king of people who want big flashy wheels, go faster stripes and on and on. Quality cars should be restrained, majestic, regal, understated, imperial etc etc not flashy, loud, overstated, in-your-face and boy racerish in looks.
When I sit in my W140 the car feels very uncluttered to me. I sat in one of the last 220s as we don't have the 221 here just yet at the dealership when I was getting some stuff done to my car at the start of the year. Just as a personal note there was just so much stuff that seemed in my face that I did not enjoy the feel of the interior. The 221 seems to me to be much the same in terms of the amount of 'intrusion' the car gives. I feel like I have been shoe horned inside of it. I like the way my car feels like sitting in a train or and aeroplane cabin with so much unobstructed space to move around in. I know that different stuff does 'it' for different people, but does anyone else feel like the newer S class and for that matter the W220 are deceptively small inside? I dunno some people may like it does not have to be a bad thing, I just find it a bit off.
When I sit in my W140 the car feels very uncluttered to me. I sat in one of the last 220s as we don't have the 221 here just yet at the dealership when I was getting some stuff done to my car at the start of the year. Just as a personal note there was just so much stuff that seemed in my face that I did not enjoy the feel of the interior. The 221 seems to me to be much the same in terms of the amount of 'intrusion' the car gives. I feel like I have been shoe horned inside of it. I like the way my car feels like sitting in a train or and aeroplane cabin with so much unobstructed space to move around in. I know that different stuff does 'it' for different people, but does anyone else feel like the newer S class and for that matter the W220 are deceptively small inside? I dunno some people may like it does not have to be a bad thing, I just find it a bit off.
You have a point NZ Benz. The 140 does seem very roomy. I suppose we add more and more goodies every year like satnav, phones, and loads of air bags. But I often think the main reason is the search for lower drag coefficients (cd) to improve fuel economy, noise at speed and so on. The windscreen and A pillar slope back at more and more rakish angles each year. A more upright screen gives more room in front of your face. Much less claustrophobic. And less of a blind spot at junctions. And a more upright rear screen also gives more room inside and is much easier to get at to clean. But one has to say that the fuel economy and silence at speed of the modern slippery shapes is truly amazing.
You have a point NZ Benz. The 140 does seem very roomy. I suppose we add more and more goodies every year like satnav, phones, and loads of air bags. But I often think the main reason is the search for lower drag coefficients (cd) to improve fuel economy, noise at speed and so on. The windscreen and A pillar slope back at more and more rakish angles each year. A more upright screen gives more room in front of your face. Much less claustrophobic. And less of a blind spot at junctions. And a more upright rear screen also gives more room inside and is much easier to get at to clean. But one has to say that the fuel economy and silence at speed of the modern slippery shapes is truly amazing.
I guess it is just the way design is moving for example look at the W140 comapred to the 220. Late W140 had what 6 airbags, phones, most in japan had satnav. Also most of the new features in the 220/221 are contained within the COMMAND module. Must just be the current trend of car design.
But I often think the main reason is the search for lower drag coefficients (cd) to improve fuel economy, noise at speed and so on. The windscreen and A pillar slope back at more and more rakish angles each year. A more upright screen gives more room in front of your face. Much less claustrophobic. And less of a blind spot at junctions. And a more upright rear screen also gives more room inside and is much easier to get at to clean. But one has to say that the fuel economy and silence at speed of the modern slippery shapes is truly amazing.
You are correct and I think the S550 5000 mile trip I just completed bears that out. Here are the stats from my trip and the mileage is quite amazing considering the average speed and weight of this car. These figures include all city, highway and delays along the line. BTW, wind noise was almost non-existant at any speed up to the max I ran the car at of 100mph.
__________________ 2008 SL550. Black on Black. AMG Pkg., Parktronic, P1 Pkg.
By any standards that is amazing economy for such a monster engine -and petrol too. Even some diesels would be quite proud shifting over two tons to get that. BUT DO TELL how do you average 63 with US speed limits??????????
Serious point are all US roads restricted speed? UK is 60 on main roads and 70 on dual carriageways and motorways.
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