Maserati GranTurismo

The GranTurismo is Maserati's new entry model, which replaces the old Coupe and Spyder models that date back to 1998. Whereas they were designed by Giugiaro, the new model continues the collaboration with Pininfarina that began with the Quattroporte in 2003. There are visual links to both the Quattroporte, on which the GranTurismo is based, and the acclaimed Pininfarina Birdcage 75th concept of 2005, particularly the pronounced snout and prominent front fenders that combine to give this car a lot more presence than the outgoing model. The new grille is particularly successful, with its concave section and vertical bars completed by a large, floating trident emblem. This is supported by a wide slot underneath that cleverly serves to exaggerate the feeling of the snout from many angles.

The rear is more linear than the front end, with a flat decklid and quite sharp edges to the design. The lower bumper area has overtones of Ferrari, with four exhausts sitting in a wide slot with a rear diffuser section beneath. It might not have those distinctive boomerang lamps of the original 3200GT but it's a distinctive rear end nevertheless.

Overall, there's much more tension in this design than the Quattroporte [of which we were very critical at the 2003 launch], especially in the beltline and shoulder area where the line crests over the wheels. Interestingly, in some ways the new Audi A5 coupe is trying to achieve this same look with its side character line but the Maserati does it with more conviction. In summary, this is a very handsome V8-engined coupe that makes Maserati a real contender in the luxury GT market again.

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Maserati Quattroporte - Frankfurt Motor Show 2003 

Audi A5

In an unusual twist, Audi are showing both the new A5 coupe and the performance S5 version of the car together. The differences are most obvious at the front end, where different grille treatments are used and the two blades either side of the grille in the lower chin are used as visual differentiators. The S5 has deeper blades and much bolder trapezoid side grilles - a nice example of using new areas for model delineation. The main grille fits into this face more comfortably than most recent Audis and the new headlamps add a Hi-Tech look, using LED sidelamps as used on the new R8.

In many ways, the surfacing of the A5 is a logical combination of both the TT and the R8 treatments. The bodyside and hood creases are the exact opposite of the TT, for instance. Here, the bodyside steps out in a Bentley-like section, while the front grille and hood center are recessed relative to the surrounding surfaces. Similarly, the side character line where it rises up over each wheel can be seen as a version of the R8 theme. Opinions remain deeply divided about that side character line though: some accept it as a logical dilution of the R8 idea, others saw it as a whimsical line that lacks any tension and looks too casual when applied to a sports coupe.  

While the front end seems to work well, the rear three quarter view reminds quite strongly of the BMW 3 Series coupe, particularly the taillamp graphics. Having said that, there's a nice design solution on the trunklid, where the extended trunklid lamps and the underlying licence plate recess neatly resolves the problem of the normally-visible laser welding joint. But this is a design detail: overall the A5 seems underwhelming.

 

Mercedes Benz C-Class

When the 190 original 'baby Benz' was launched in 1982 it extended the Mercedes-Benz range to four core models. Twenty five years later the C-Class is one of eleven models (not including coupes and the SLR) and sits above both A and B-class hatchbacks in the range. But despite being ultimately less significant as an individual car to Mercedes Benz than the 190 was, this global market design is still the brand's best selling car and one of the most significant debuts at Geneva.

Just as its immediate predecessor did in 2000, today's new C-class takes a lead from the S-Class, with which it effectively sandwiches the quad-lamped and slightly more conservative E-class in the Mercedes sedan model line up. The relative conservatism of the E-Class is much more to do with it pre-dating the new wave of more dynamic Mercedes car designs, than it is due to the new C-Class being particularly distinctive. Like the BMW 3 Series with which it will compete, this is essentially a conservative design inside and out.

But the W204 does have one distinct design innovation: it is the first time Mercedes have put its coupe grille type on a sedan. On the Avantgarde trim package the grille has three horizontal slats with a huge three pointed star in the centre as opposed to the Classic and Elegance versions which still have the traditional sedan grille and logo atop of the hood. For several decades aftermarket companies have been showing how effective such an apparently subtle difference can be, and now Mercedes are using this to usefully broaden the appeal of the new C-Class range.