Mercedes CLS...Coupe?

[PerfAdv]

There have been several threads for the CLS but none really discussed why the CLS is considered a Coupe. As you can see the new CLS has 4 doors. The CLS is between the E and S-Class cars. In the writeups, it's 470 litre trunk is bragged about. Gigantic trunks, not the hallmark of traditional coupes. Is it the roof profile, as it swoops down towards the shapely rearend? What makes a coupe a Coupe?

[jcp123]

Coupe comes from the french word Couper, which means to cut (probably to cut the back doors off) so I say as I always have any 2-door is a coupe.

Sleek car, BTW, but the forward rake ruins it for me.

[PerfAdv]

Pronunciation Key - couldn't render special characters but both koo-pay and koop are acceptable.

cou·pé
n.
1. A closed four-wheel carriage with two seats inside and one outside.
2. also coupe (koop) A closed two-door automobile.


1. Coup'e \Cou`p['e]"\ (k[=oo]`p[asl]"), n. [F., fr. coup['e], p. p. of couper to cut. See Coppice.] 1. The front compartment of a French diligence; also, the front compartment (usually for three persons) of a car or carriage on British railways.

2. A four-wheeled close carriage for two persons inside, with an outside seat for the driver; -- so called because giving the appearance of a larger carriage cut off.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.

coupe
n : a car with two doors and front seats and a luggage compartment
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So you need two doors and a separate enclosed luggage compartment. That excludes the liftback and hatchback two door cars from the definition as well.

[henk4]

Originally Posted by jcp123

Coupe comes from the french word Couper, which means to cut (probably to cut the back doors off)

Couper reflects the cutting oof of the roofline. In that sense the CLS is a coupe. Whether the car makes sense in comparison to a regular S-class remains to be seen. There is less headroom in the rear, so it is useless of a chauffeur-driven car. Does it have a sportier chassis?

[PerfAdv]

Originally Posted by henk4

Couper reflects the cutting oof of the roofline. In that sense the CLS is a coupe. Whether the car makes sense in comparison to a regular S-class remains to be seen. There is less headroom in the rear, so it is useless of a chauffeur-driven car. Does it have a sportier chassis?

The CLS is built primarily off the E-class and uses the front suspension and brakes from the SL. I don't know how sportily its tuned but image seems the main reason the CLS. As one article stated that Mercedes was trying to give buyers a car without the E-class' Stutgart-taxi image. It is heavier than an 'E' but just about as quick.

[henk4]

Originally Posted by PerfAdv

The CLS is built primarily off the E-class and uses the front suspension and brakes from the SL. I don't know how sportily its tuned but image seems the main reason the CLS. As one article stated that Mercedes was trying to give buyers a car without the E-class' Stutgart-taxi image. It is heavier than an 'E' but just about as quick.

Well the concept has already been tried out long ago in the Lancia Gamma, but nobody would claim that was a success. On the other hand the Citroen CX was.

[PerfAdv]

IMO, it's an awesome shape. The only think puzzling is the coupe designation. Marketers??
It seems they want the older country club set to feel like they are doing something irresponsible by buying a Coupe. So, they get the SL-like image and not have to trade it in after the infatuation is over. Since the CLS is lots more practical than the 2-seat and 2+2 mercs.

[henk4]

Originally Posted by PerfAdv

IIt seems they want the older country club set to feel like they are doing something irresponsible by buying a Coupe. So, they get the SL-like image and not have to trade it in after the infatuation is over. Since the CLS is lots more practical than the 2-seat and 2+2 mercs.

That might be a spot-on description of the intended clientele.

[Luciferous]

Its simple why Merc are calling the CLS a four-door coupe.
Theyre cheap.
They want to cash in on the whole 4-door coupe thing that the RX8 started, but don't wanna actually spend any money on making something with suicide doors, so they mutilated the E-class (hence the massive overhangs) to look kind of like a sports car, stuffed in an AMG engine for the range topper and signed it off for overpaid tossers to buy as the new thing from the three pointed star.

[Coventrysucks]

It isn't a proper coupe - its a 4 door coupe.

Mercedes think they have found a completely new segment in the market - a car that is as practical as a 4 door saloon, but doesn't have the "middle-age family man" look.

However, I think most CLSs will be sold to middle-age family men who want to appear trendy.

Whether or not they are copying Mazda is debatable - it is possible that they came to this conclusion using their own independant data.

[QuattroMan]

Originally Posted by PerfAdv

There have been several threads for the CLS but none really discussed why the CLS is considered a Coupe. As you can see the new CLS has 4 doors. The CLS is between the E and S-Class cars. In the writeups, it's 470 litre trunk is bragged about. Gigantic trunks, not the hallmark of traditional coupes. Is it the roof profile, as it swoops down towards the shapely rearend? What makes a coupe a Coupe?

i don't know what hell to say

[islero]

Look, it's a nice car, and Merc is trying to look cool by calling it a coupe. In actuality, it's more a saloon with a lowered roof than a coupe with two extra doors.

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

I think it's pretty much the biz

[IWantAnAudiRS6]

Though they could have done an Alfa Romeo and put door handles next to the windows to make the illusion a little more believable.

[PerfAdv]

Originally Posted by IWantAnAudiRS6

I think it's pretty much the biz

That's right. Marketing...selling what sells. All those car based, non-offroad-worthy SUVs being sold as trucks, same thing.