Mercedes just keeps getting uglier. There is this strange concoction of retro & modernism that simply do not meld. As if there is some internal conflict and the result is this!

Even the modernity is more Star Trek the 60's television show than Star Wars!

And the proportions seem to have been rendered in a fun house mirror! MB is going through it's "fugly" phase as BMW has. There seems to be some hope for BMW to perhaps emerge I would say by the third cycle form where it stands currently. Audi's A4 is suspect as well, however the A5 is simply beautiful.

saab, change the interior. I can live with the l shape layout, audi uses it and caters to the driver! Yet the instrument cluster is an absolute mess!

Did you have someone at gaz of russia design it? My god, for a company that touts it's aviation heritage< did you have to stay with the biplane technology?

And yes i am indeed yelling!

I wish it was a little more aggressive, however like it overall very much.

The dashboard, in particular the instrument cluster is a mess, an utter mess. Disgusted by the plastic and analogue instrument gauges! They should have taken a look at what the 2010 Range Rover instrument cluster looks like!

My apologies for the multiple posts, it is incomplete, yet something wrong with the site today.

NC2010 there is much truth in the essence of what 'Gazzed' stated. Porsche is intimated by Audi actually. And they realise the superior build quality, and interior (do not get me started on the interior, even VW's SUV Lineup is far more superior to that of Porsche's) workmanship will cannibalise Porsche's sale. Certainly Porsche has it's own customer base, many of whom have bought into the brand, rather than the car itself. However perceptions are changing. The Panamera looks pregnant and clumsy for one, much like the outgoing 7 series. Regardless, Porsche has lived off the technological progress and development of VW & Audi for years.

NC2010 there is much truth in the essence of what 'Gazzed' stated. Porsche is intimated by Audi actually. And they realise the superior build quality, and interior (do not get me started on the interior, even VW's SUV Lineup is far more superior to that of Porsche's) workmanship will cannibalise Porsche's sale. Certainly Porsche has it's own customer base, many of whom have bought into the brand, rather than the car itself. However perceptions are changing. The Panamera looks pregnant and clumsy for one, much like the outgoing 7 series. Regardless, Porsche has lived off the technological progress and development of VW & Audi for years.

NC2010 there is much truth in the essence of what 'Gazzed' stated. Porsche is intimated by Audi actually. And they realise the superior build quality, and interior (do not get me started on the interior, even VW's SUV Lineup is far more superior to that of Porsche's) workmanship will cannibalise Porsche's sale. Certainly Porsche has it's own customer base, many of whom have bought into the brand, rather than the car itself. However perceptions are changing. The Panamera looks pregnant and clumsy for one, much like the outgoing 7 series. Regardless, Porsche has lived off the technological progress and development of VW & Audi for years.

NC2010 there is much truth in the essence of what 'Gazzed' stated. Porsche is intimated by Audi actually. And they realise the superior build quality, and interior (do not get me started on the interior, even VW's SUV Lineup is far more superior to that of Porsche's) workmanship will cannibalise Porsche's sale. Certainly Porsche has it's own customer base, many of whom have bought into the brand, rather than the car itself. However perceptions are changing. The Panamera looks pregnant and clumsy for one, much like the outgoing 7 series. Regardless, Porsche has lived off the technological progress and development of VW & Audi for years.

Please help me understand how Apple was the only company that made an effort to reduce the power consumption of its processors, thus bucking an industry trend.

If I recall, Apple merely made the decision to switch to Intel processors, thus joining the rest of the industry. Intel has been working to reduce power consumption for years, and the rest of the manufacturers - only recently including Apple - have benefited from their efforts. Apple doesn't make processors, do they?

For the record I drive an Audi. As for your question, for years the computer industry was convinced that merely improving the heat sink systems and various cooling systems was the way to go, (similar to the idiotic HP wars that car companies were involved in and not just exclusive to American makers) whilst Apple at the time worked with IBM and Motorola on a little known concept, low voltage processors. The idea being....well let's just say it was a different approach. And one more thing, much of the hybrid architecture was developed by GM back in early 80's yet deemed unnecessary due to low petrol prices!

The point is, (and GM is not the only company guilty of this) there was no vision. Whether petrol is $.50 or $8 it is not a sustainable source of energy period! GM failure can also be traced back to quality issues of the past yet that is another story. I am done with this, glad to see Wagoner gone and glad to see the government take charge on this issue.

Axial66...Hey I have no sympathy for Wagoner. But WHY bring up Toyota as a shining example?

They offer 6, that's 6, SUVs. They have three (more if you count Lexus) of the biggest gas guzzlers (in their class) on the market. Those gas guzzlers have plumeted in sales as much or more than most.

Why didn't they see it coming? Why did they introduce 2 of their biggest and worst guzzlers right when gas hit 4-5 bucks a gallon?

Why did their quality go down so much in recent years?

I am sick of hearing how great Toyota is because they came out with a hybrid.

Image is more important than reality. Again.

I am no fan of Toyota, yet their strategy paid off greatly by having this Halo car during the energy crisis in the Prius! Thus bolstering their image as a company that does things right. NO ONE, talked about the monstrosities they had built, in fact little was said about essentially how the Lexus 600H is a farce. Yet they won the public relations battle and the sales.

The point is, whilst many other manufacturer was pointing to a trend of reducing engine displacement, GM was building larger SUV's, and Chrysler was touting the Hemi engines!

As for me, I going to support Fisker and Tesla, and any other manufacturer that produces an electric vehicle. As a former Range Rover driver I have been converted. No I am not going to pay 200K pounds for an electric RR, yet a $50K Tesla S sedan sounds reasonable to me. I love the Volt concept, and if Chrysler can build the 200C EV, I will be the first in line with a deposit!