DRIVEN: Mercedes-Benz C300

As we stood at the faux-wood desk in the noisy airport, I flipped through the rental agency's book that showed each of their offerings. I had just found out that our rental car was going to be a Toyota Camry--not the most exciting choice. As I turned the pages I pestered my dad about renting the least practical, and therefore coolest, cars I could find: Corvettes, Mustangs, and G-Classes. He ignored my suggestions and continued working out the details with the attendant. However, I then came upon the C-Class, and suggested this to my dad, with the preface that it is a relatively sensible family sedan. Amazingly it worked, and we soon had the keys to a Mercedes in hand. For one week our daily driver was a car adorned with the famous three-pointed star, and I was able to take a close look at both the interior and exterior design, as well as get a chance to take it for a quick spin.

The majestic Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W222 in Merc-code) debuted for the 2014 model year, and it showed off the German carmaker's new design language. The new look pioneered by the luxo-barge has trickled down to Mercedes's less expensive options, including the C-Class. Many have called the C-Class a clone of the S-Class, and the two cars can be difficult to tell apart from a distance. While the C-Class's looks are derivative, when viewed on its own, it is a drop-dead gorgeous sedan, even in base C300 spec. 

Since our C-Class was a rental car, it came in the most basic form possible, the C300 trim level with no optional packages. Even without the intricate, optional LED headlights, the Merc has a handsome face. Curved headlights aggressively point inwards and slightly downwards. The inside line of the headlights follows the outside edge of the elegant grille. A large logo sits dead center, with two upscale, chrome wings extending out from either side. The grille sits farther out than the headlights, causing the center of the logo to almost appear to be the beginning of the vehicle, and that the rest of the car extends backwards from that point. Beneath the main grille sits an upside-down trapezoidal mesh grille, which is flanked by sporty vents. The black latticework on these lower intakes creates an athletic look, which is accentuated by a comfortable, yet capable, looking stance. Angry creases flow over the tops of the vents into the lower grille, and swooping character lines extend back along the headlights and into the side panels. The chrome strip beneath the lower grille and the extra, small Mercedes logo on the hood round out the opulent look of the front of the C-Class.

A crease extends down the middle of the hood from the logo to the windshield, while other lines stretch back to the A-pillar. Piano black B-pillars and a chrome window outline carry the upscale appearance to the side of the sedan. Expressive, nearly-horizontal character lines run from the front fender to the rear wheels. Speaking of wheels, the C-Class's hubcaps feature a five-spoke, silver design, with each spoke having a hollowed out center. These large hubcaps stand out, and give the Mercedes a brawny attitude. 

The lower character line continues on the other side of the wheel well, and flows seamlessly to form the bumper. The plunging vertical taillights sweep downwards alongside the outline of the trunk, creating a coherently designed rear end. A chrome bar stretching across the trunk and the shiny strip and chrome exhaust pipes on the lower bumper add a touch of luxury to the Merc's back.

Inside, the Mercedes-Benz is a class act: both stylish and easy to use. The doors close with authority, and the sills feature chrome "Mercedes-Benz" branding. The center console features Merc's COMAND infotainment system, which includes a iPad-like screen, and, where a gear shifter would have normally belonged, a touchpad atop a knob. Our car did not come with navigation, so the infotainment system was used for music alone. The touchpad and knob were fairly easy to use--the pad recognizes north-south-east-west swipes, and can be clicked to select items on the screen. It was quite similar to using a modern smartphone, and looked sleek and stylish as well. The digital layout on the screen was clean and well organized; however, it featured pale yellow accents, which looked cheap.

Above the COMAND system control pad was piano black section that contained a hidden cubby, a series of switches and buttons, the CD slot, and the air conditioning vents. The silver plastic switches contrasted well against the shiny black trim piece, and felt solid when pushed. The three circular vents are easily adjustable and look phenomenal--they are almost reminiscent of the front of a propellor airplane. 

The placement of the touchpad means that there isn't space for a conventional gear knob. Instead, gears are changed via a stalk behind the steering wheel. This different method of switching in and out of "Drive" was initially very disorienting--at first I would reach for a traditional shifter and come up with nothing but air. However, I grew used to it, and actually came to like it since shifting into "Park" required simply pushing a button. The steering wheel in front of this stalk was well-sized, and the button layouts only included the most important functions. The gauge display behind the wheel was clean and easy to read while driving.

Perhaps one of my favorite things about the interior of the C-Class were the adjustable seats. Detailed controls, in the shape of seats, are situated just above the door handles. This type of control allowed for a wide range of adjustments, in terms of which part of the seat needed adjusting and how much it needed to be changed.

The backseats weren't quite as luxurious as the front buckets. While there was ample headroom and a solid amount of legroom, the materials felt overall slightly cheaper. The large silver trim piece on the doors felt quite empty, and the plastic-leather around the vents felt inexpensive. My only other complaint about the C-Class was its sound system, which overall felt tinny; electric guitar-heavy songs sounded very thin while the bass was barely distinguishable when listening to bass-heavy tracks.

The C-Class made up for that by being an absolute hoot to drive. The 241 hp turbo inline-four provided the sedan with zippy pickup. While it's no C63 AMG V8 powerhouse, the straight-four even emitted a pretty satisfying growl when I floored the accelerator. The steering felt heavy, but in a assertive, perhaps German, way that made me feel very confident in my ability to control of the car. The C-Class felt very nimble when making turns, and combined with the assertive steering, I felt I was able to enter corners a few miles per hour faster than I might have in my family's 2003 VW Passat or a 2014 Honda Accord. Overall, the ride was very soft and smooth--I felt virtually zero bumps while driving the Merc. The seats were extremely comfortable, hugging my body when I dove into turns. The only issue I found when driving the C-Class was in using the turning signal stalk. Pushing it down or up felt like it took far more effort than usual. Other than this minor problem, driving this beautiful, luxurious sedan was an absolute joy.

Grade

Front: A

Back: A

Overall Exterior: A

Front Seats: A

Rear Seats: B+

Overall Interior: A- 

Driving: A

Artistic Photo #6

1962 Plymouth Fury 4-door hardtop in Brooklyn, New York (Taken on September 28, 2015)

Scion Is Dead: How Poor Design Killed A Brand

Scion FR-S

Toyota recently announced that it would be discontinuing the Scion brand, rebadging some models as Toyotas and killing off others. Scion, which sold compact vehicles geared toward young buyers, was introduced in 2002, and its first models were shown in 2003 for the 2004 model year. While Scion sold fairly well in its first few years, peaking at 173,000 sales in 2006, Scion had trouble moving vehicles off the lot after that, with sales dropping as low as 45,000 for the whole brand in 2010, less than the amount of xB's purchased in 2004 alone. Despite Toyota's best efforts to market supposedly quirky vehicles to young customers, sales diminished rapidly.

Second generation tC

In 2004, Scion burst onto the scene with three new models, the xA, xB and tC. The xA, a small hatchback based on the JDM Toyota ist, was rather unremarkable looking. It featured a body colored grille, quasi-square headlights, and a floating roof. The xA performed well in comparison tests, and while it was the slowest selling Scion, it did not do too terribly. The xB, a rebadged Toyota bB, featured a radical boxy design. Right angles were everywhere, from the silhouette to the headlights to the window shapes. The xB sold extremely well, gained a cult following, was often the subject of aftermarket modification, and caused the introduction of the Nissan Cube and Kia Soul. While not everyone's cup of tea, the xB's unusual design certainly stood out in the U.S. market. The final model from 2004 was the tC, a sporty compact coupe. The tC had aggressive headlights and a mean-looking, thin, rectangular grille. With its athletic stance the mildly attractive tC was Scion's bestseller.

Second generation tC

Scion introduced the xD, a replacement for the xA, in 2004. Still based on the ist, the xD had a mix of curved and straight lines that resulted in slightly awkward styling. The small headlights were mounted high on the front fascia, while the grille was very low, creating a bug-eye look. The xD also had a extremely wide C-pillar, which caused a massive blind spot. The xD sold far worse than its predecessor, and was discontinued in 2014.

Scion iA

A second generation xB was introduced in 2007, with more rounded styling that still evoked the boxiness of the original. The skinny, set-back grille made the xB look like it had a serious underbite, and like the xD, a large C-pillar caused visibility issues. The bloated second generation's sales quickly plummeted.

The popular tC received a full redesign in 2011. More rectangular, sharper headlights, a slightly forward-leaning stance, and expressive character lines contributed to a handsome design. Nonetheless, sales dropped off, and even a facelift in 2014 could not help the tC.

Scion iA

For the 2012 model year, Scion introduced the iQ, a small city car based on the nearly identical Toyota iQ. With oversized headlights and a blacked out C-pillar, the iQ was not a bad looking car, but it proved too small for American tastes. It was discontinued just 3 years later.

The next year, Toyota rebadged its GT86 sports car as the Scion FR-S. The coupe featured angled headlights, a swept back cabin, and intricate sideways "b" shaped taillights. The best looking Scion model sold slowly, but luckily this model is going to be folded into the Toyota brand when Scion becomes no more later in 2016.

Scion iM

In 2015, Scion brought out two new models: the iA and iM. The iA, based on the handsome Mazda2 sedan underneath the bodywork, featured an ugly mug full of straight lines that contrasted drastically with the Mazda's curvy character lines and oddly placed creases beneath the headlights. While sales were dismal in its first year, the iA is going to be transferred to its parent company. The iM was a rebadged Toyota Auris, and therefore was a strikingly attractive hatchback. The angular headlights and thin grille, large vents on the lower front fascia, and wide taillights created a slick looking vehicle. Sales were similar to the iA, and the iM too will become a Toyota.

Scion iM

One possible issue for Scion's dismal sales was that many of its models competed in the same price ranges as Toyota models, but the fact that many of its models were either revolting or uninspiring to look at certainly did not help things. Since the FR-S and iM are continuing production, there is not much of Scion that will be missed. Like Geo, Eagle, and Saturn in the 1990s, Scion will fade into the past as yet another failed attempt at a cheap, compact car company.

1984 Ferrari Testarossa

The Testarossa is one of Ferrari's most iconic sports cars and one of Pininfarina's best designs. Large posters featuring this flashy coupe covered teenagers' bedroom walls throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The Testarossa has always been one of my favorite cars, even though I had never seen one until this summer. However, while visiting Modena, Italy I had the chance to spend many many hours drooling over the beauties at the local car museums, including the Museo Enzo Ferrari which has this gorgeous red Testarossa in its collection. (Testarossa means "red head" in Italian, and while it refers to the paint on the cylinder heads in the engine, red is certainly a fitting hue for the car.) The next few paragraphs will just be me praising the Testarossa nonstop, so I completely understand if you want to just stare at the photos instead. Anyway, here I go:

The Testarossa is remarkably aerodynamic—its drag coefficient of .36 beat the Lamborghini Countach's .42, and the Countach looks extremely slippery itself. This drag coefficient translates into a curvier variation of the wedge designs of the 1970s, with a dramatically sloped hood stretching back to a low-to-the-ground cabin. Hidden headlights add to the smooth, sexy front end. The thin, rectangular lower grille and running lights emphasizes the wide, athletic stance that makes the Testarossa stand out. The narrow vent just in front of the windshield further accentuates the car's width, and hints at the 390 hp V12 beast lurking behind the cabin that propelled it to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds.

The side view of the Testarossa is dominated by striking side strakes, which cool the engine. The length and horizontal nature of the strakes make the car appear longer and lower, and therefore much faster. They also make the Testarossa instantly recognizable. Above the strakes broad haunches emerge, making the Ferrari look as if it is on the verge of leaping forward even when it is at rest.

The rear fascia expands upon the design of the side strakes. Five thin, black, metal bars stretch from end to end, caging in the taillights and rectangular grille. This highlights the Testarossa's width and causes the Ferrari to look like it is hugging the road. Two sets of dual-exhaust pipes stresses the sports car's performance credentials. The buttresses extend from the roof, causing a smooth, sloping silhouette. The Testarossa is without a doubt one of Pinifarina's masterpieces, and one of the most beautiful Ferraris of all time.

Grade
Front: A
Back: A
Overall: A

Artistic Photo #5

Porsche 911T on 5th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York (Taken on November 12, 2015)

Hood Ornaments Part 1

I have always been obsessed with hood ornaments, and always daydream about them making a comeback. However, intricate designs like the ones below will most likely stay a thing of the past due to pedestrian safety standards. Here's a small collection of intriguing designs:

1928 Pierce-Arrow Series 81 Runabout in Alaska

 This dynamic archer appears on the hood of a 1928 Pierce-Arrow Series 81 Runabout. The connection to Pierce-Arrow's name is obvious, but what really makes this ornament stand out is the kneeling stance taken by the bowman, which adds a sense of movement and power to the car. The pointy tip of the arrow, however, means a design like this could never pass pedestrian safety test nowadays.

1936 Packard Dual-Cowl Convertible Touring in Alaska

 This graceful swan rests atop a 1936 Packard Dual-Cowl Convertible Touring 1408-973. Swans often adorned the hoods of Packards, and with its flat, upswept wings and curved neck, this bird is absolutely majestic.

1932 Chrysler Custom Imperial Series CL in Alaska

 While this leaping gazelle wouldn't look out of place on a 1950's Chevy Impala, it actually hails from a 1932 Chrysler Custom Imperial Series CL Convertible Sedan. The antelope's stretched body creates a streamlined look, as do the swept back antlers. But what really sticks out about this hood decoration is the set of wings extending upwards from the top of the grille. This is almost like a double-hood ornament, making the luxurious Imperial even more unique and exclusive.

1936 Hudson 65 Custom 8 Convertible at NYIAS

This hood ornament, from a 1936 Hudson 65 Custom 8 Convertible, is one of my all time favorites. While the majority of hood ornaments are made entirely of chrome, the Hudson mixes it up with the bullet-shaped, red, glass pod. Wings were a common sight in early cars, often thought to symbolize speed, like in the Aston Martin and Bentley logos. Little wings sprout out of the top of the pod, and, along with the way the grille continues onto the hood, exemplifies the obsession with streamlined design, started with the 1934 Chrysler Airflow, that was rampant throughout the 1930's.

Austin A30 in Rome

The Austin A30 is the only non-luxury vehicle in this post (it was a response to the Morris Minor compact car), and therefore its hood ornament is significantly simpler. However, the forward-leaning "A" and extremely straight lines of the wing create a visually pleasing ornament nonetheless.

Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II in Brooklyn

Rolls-Royce Ghost In Florida

1914 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost in Florida

Perhaps the most famous car mascot, Rolls-Royce's "Spirit of Ecstasy" (pictured above on a 1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II) is the epitome of elegance. This woman still rests atop Rolls-Royce grilles, although on the Phantom she can retract into the hood.

Cadillac CT6

The 1959 Cadillac Eldorado is the epitome of the American luxury flagship vehicle. With sharp tail fins that soared into the sky, bullet-shaped taillights, and its immense wheelbases, the Eldorado represents the peak of 1950s automotive extravagance. The next four generations of the Eldorado were stately, luxurious vehicles but none quite matched the lavish styling of the iconic third generation. Then, in 1979,  Cadillac's top-of-line models grew smaller and more ordinary looking. The Eldorado, no longer the stunning model of its heyday, went out of production in 2002. Since then, Cadillac's lineup has been devoid of a halo car to represent what the brand is capable of.

Cadillac has hinted numerous times with wild concepts at a replacement flagship. The 2003 Cadillac Sixteen, widely hailed as one of the best concept cars of all time, featured a massive chrome-laden grille and oversized wheels, and a ridiculous V16 engine. Eight years later Cadillac showed off the Ciel at the Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance. The convertible had rear suicide doors, pointy vertical headlights, and swooping rear taillights. Th Elmiraj Concept, unveiled in 2013, was a pillarless four door coupe, with an aggressive mesh grille, thin vertical lights, and a powerful stance. However, none of these concepts reached production, which brings us to the topic of this post: the new Cadillac CT6.

The new CT6 is not as extravagant as the Cadillac flagships of the past (it starts at just $53,000), but it allows for room above it in the lineup should Cadillac ever want to build a Mercedes-Benz S-Class competitor, or even something to take the fight to Rolls-Royce. However, the new sedan still is quite luxurious, with the front fascia dominated by a immense chrome grille with the new wreathless Cadillac logo. A gaping black lower front grille highlighted by chrome trim and small rectangular fog lamps adds to the imposing, upscale look. The most intriguing element of the front end, however, are the unorthodox headlights. The upper section of the unit is a pretty standard affair for Cadillac, a mix of LEDs and xenon lamps swooping back towards the cabin. The CT6's younger brother, the CTS, debuted an unusual but handsome headlight setup in 2014, where the separate running lights extended the line created by an LED strip in the main unit. The CT6 takes this design cue one step further, with a LED light dropping down from the main unit to become the running light. This made the Cadillac appear as if it is crying, and personally I think it causes the front end to be a bit of an eyesore.

A thin silver bar runs down the bottom of the doors, and while I usually thinks this makes cars look like they're trying to hard to look premium, I think that it works on the Cadillac. This is possibly because the extremely low placement makes it almost look like a running board. Chrome door handles and smooth stately character lines round out an attractive, upright profile. Three creases flow back from the logo across the hood, creating a powerful image. (It makes only 272 hp with the simple turbo I4, but up to 400 when fitted with a twin-turbo V6.)

While the front is a mixed bag and the side is a solid design, I find the rear of the CT6 a bit disappointing. The "Art and Science" design of the swooping vertical taillights certainly is beautiful, but it isn't very different from those on the CTS or new XT5. The top of the line model should be a bit more differentiated from the cheaper cars, or else it doesn't feel as special. The lower rear fascia is understated but very well done. A fine line of chrome elegantly reaches across the full width of the car, sandwiching reflectors with the white bodywork. An translucent reverse light intricately imitates the shape of the grille, and two sets of dual exhaust pipes give the Cadillac an athletic aura.

Overall, the CT6 is a generally attractive vehicle, but sadly doesn't live up to the hype of Cadillac's previous flagships, leaving a hole in the American manufacturer's lineup that if it were to be filled, would return Cadillac to the top of the luxury segment.

Grade
Front: B+
Rear: B
Overall: B