- Mercedes took the wraps off its Shooting Break ahead of its Beijing show debut.
- The German automaker explains its use of Break versus Brake.
- Shooting Break's 306-horsepower V6 is said to be the "forerunner to the forthcoming new V-engine generation from Mercedes-Benz."
STUTTGART, Germany — Saying that its new concept car has "philosophical links" to the Mercedes-Benz CLS, design ideas from the 2008 Concept Fascination and elements from the SLS AMG, Mercedes-Benz has pulled back the curtain on the Shooting Break concept. The concept is set to debut at this week's 2010 Beijing Auto Show.
The German automaker also provided a lengthy primer explaining why it's called "Shooting Break" and not "Shooting Brake" — obviously anticipating questions. "Break, or the homonym Brake, was the name once given to carriages used to "break" in wild horses and also to restrict (or "brake") their urge to move, so that they could be put to use as work horses," the automaker said. "Any such vehicle that was used when going out shooting was called a Shooting Brake or Shooting Break. In the 1960s and 1970s, motorized Shooting Breaks were popular in Great Britain."
The four-passenger Shooting Break concept is bound to be controversial, with what Mercedes-Benz calls its "astonishing proportions" — wide and flat with a long hood — and a sloping tail. The concept gets full LED headlamps, a panoramic glass sunroof, a full-length center console in the cabin and a luggage compartment with a wooden floor. Details include four leather saddlebags set along the sides of the luggage compartment for storing small items.
The Shooting Break gets 3.5-liter direct-injection V6 that churns out 306 horsepower and is said to be "the forerunner to the forthcoming new V-engine generation from Mercedes-Benz."
The concept is designed to provide "further insight by Mercedes designers into the possible future development of the coupe concept," the automaker said in a statement.
Inside Line says: You say Break, I say Brake. But can we agree on whether we'd want to see this German coupe design in our driveways at some point? — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
charlesb says:
10:33 AM, 04/20/2010
A bit too much of R-class droop in the roofline for my taste.
juan_mx says:
07:57 AM, 04/20/2010
We have to add "shooting break" to the list of synonyms of "station wagon".
Europeans like station wagons a lot.
autoadviseorg says:
07:37 AM, 04/20/2010
Some how the rear design of this one looks ten times better than that on the Porsche Panamera! MB really pulled well on this. It also looks more sporty, aerodynamic and stylish than the BMW 5 series GT.
I guess, Station wagons are back in style with a bang.
gordancin says:
03:56 AM, 04/20/2010
This car is almost perfect but... something around the rear C pillar and haunches just doesn't feel right. I don't know what it is but there's something not quite right there. Almost perfect but there's something wrong...
calspecial68 says:
04:31 PM, 04/19/2010
I can agree if that interior makes it to production just as it is. WOW. That is the most simple, elegant, and yet still functional interior I have ever seen in a modern car. Absolutely beautiful. Its a good thing I wont be outside the car though cuz its not the prettiest Mercedes ever. WOW is that interior amazing. All the nice subtleties. I love that deep, rich wood for the floor and trim. They should have that hand polished silver wood from Infiniti standard in here.