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The 40-year-old German has been head honcho in the design studios at the three-pointed star for more than a year but the first clear sign of his new direction is revealed at the Detroit Motor Show. Except, it isn't.
Wagener will not tip his hand until later this year when his first all- original design, for the second-generation CLS four-door coupe, goes public. But Benz cannot wait until then and so it unveils the most unlikely concept car of the Detroit Show in 2009 — a giant sculpture of a car under a cover. The shiny silver artwork shows a hint of SLS Gullwing around the nose, a bit of AMG muscle and a predictable four-door coupe silhouette, but that's about it.
"It gives you an abstract idea of how we at Mercedes-Benz comprehend the theme of 'distinctive style'," says Mercedes-Benz chairman, Dr Dieter Zetsche, as he unveils Wagener's giant tease. Zetsche also pulls the covers off the final member of the latest E- Class family in Detroit, unveiling the four-seat convertible model, while also talking bullishly about the company's future.
"We enter this new decade like one of my favourite comic characters, The Hulk," says Zetsche. "We're strong, we're green, and we're ready to roll." Unlike the sculpture, which has no wheels as such, and was positioned to the side of the Benz stand to leave the field clear for the E-Class convertible.
"Mr Wagener wanted to give an indication of what he is thinking. Yes, he has worked on other cars already including the new E-Class range, but the CLS will be the first car which is completely his ideas," says one of the Benz spokesmen at Detroit. The real business at Benz comes down to everything from the quality of the S-Class flagship, which wins the overall J.D.Power quality rankings in the USA, to a continued push on BlueEfficiency diesels and a growing emphasis on electric cars.
Mercedes already makes battery-powered versions of its Smart and B- Class cars and research chief Thomas Weber promises in Detroit that the A-Class will join its plug-in family in 2010.
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