far2000

Ocean Drive may yet cruiseInitially labeled a designer’s flight of fancy, Mercedes’ Ocean Drive Concept may become a production reality by 2011.

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It may be pouring with rain at the moment, but if you cast your mind back to a sunny December you may remember our report about Mercedes’ - ONLY REGISTERED AND ACTIVATED USERS CAN SEE ALL LINKS - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Well, according to American motoring website Motortrend Mercedes is planning to launch a production version of the handsome convertible by 2011.

The Ocean Drive made its début at the Detroit Show in January in an attempt to revive interest in a long-forgotten niche in the market – the four-door convertible.

One of the possible reasons behind the demise of the four-door convertible are the extensive modifications required to minimise body flex and ensure greater dynamic stability – additions that amount to high production costs and increased kerb weight.

Based on the underpinnings of the company’s S600, the engine line up is touted to include the 5,4-litre V8, biturbo V12 and possibly the 6,2-litre V8 doing service in a number of the company’s AMG models. Ocean Drive was initially put forward as a once-off “flight of fancy” to measure public reaction to new design cues and brand ideas.

Even so, the concept played host to several technical innovations that already feature in a number of existing models, such as the SLK’s Airscarf neck warming ventilation system as well as the Pre-safe anticipatory safety system and Distronic Plus cruise control from the S Class.

Should the Ocean Drive get the green light, it could well compete with Audi’s A7 (shown in a rendering from Motor authority) four-door convertible, which is also believed to be earmarked for a late 2009 launch.

The A7 will initially appear as a tin-top set t rival Mercedes’ über coupe, the CL. Much like the Ocean Drive, the A7 will also sport a pillar-less canvas top setup and LED lights front and rear. Powerplants could range from a 3,2-litre V6 all the way up to a Lamborghini-sourced V10 unit for top of the range sports models which could also feature the company’s magnetic ride suspension and Quattro all-wheel drive.

The rumoured development of a CL convertible could, however, diminish the Ocean Drive’s chances of reaching production. Should Mercedes decide to lop the top off the CL, it would be most unlikely that it would wish to produce a model such as the Ocean drive which could potentially rob it of sales

Looks like Audi are gona beat merc 2 tha 4 door convertible..~~~

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Hypersonic

Interesting -- Mercedes would hate Audi to beat them to the market with this -- no doubt a Bentley FS, Aston Rapide, and BMW 8er (CS) convertible will follow.

vabboud

touting the ocean drive as a vehicule for new ideas is oxymoronic, it featured only currente xisting mercedes technology, and design wise if anything it was a refresh of the already dated S class design language.
such a car either had a agenda from the beginning and was only measuring reaction, or was aiming at some revival/reincorporation/refounding of the maybach brand
in

Merc1

I seriously doubt Audi will beat Mercedes to the market with a 4-door convertible. The ODC is much further along and already has an existing base to speed up development, the S-Class.

M

NarutoRamen

I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. It's hard to say really. I really love the design now but not so much when I first saw it. Let's see if this is real or false though.

Mr. Mercedes

I disagree.

The s-class design language is far from dated. In fact it probably is still coming into its own, and looks a generation ahead of comparable vehicles out there (7-series, A8, LS460 etc.).

The ODC design language is a major step forward from that of the S-class. So much so that they seem slightly incongruous when sat next to each other. While Mercedes hasn't been harping on about their design as much as BMW (which has led some people to believe that BMW is the be all and end all of car design and MB is clueless ) The ODC clearly incorporates 3 dimensional elements that BMW has gone on about in their CS concept...IMO.

I would much prefer the ODC to a CL cabriolet.

Hypersonic

Mr. Mercedes

LOL

vabboud

forgoing the issue of the S class design, to which i will come back after, you said it yourself, the ODC is a continuation and refining of the S class language. it doesn't incorporate a 3D elementality that you talk of. it has smoother line, less complex surfaces, simpler geometries than the already simple S. it tries to incorporate newer elements, but in the end it's just a revitalization of the W221 language like it should have been at first.

going back to the S, the S design is not futuristic, and it is not a generation ahead of anything. it sits squarely within its time frame.
the S is nice, beautiful, engaging, etc... anything you want. just not groundbreaking

it's not that MB is clueless, a multibillion dolalr premium international carmaker cannot be clueless (maybe it could, look at ford), but well mercedes isn't

it's just that mercedes isn't shooting at the same things others are. or are not in a position to take such a risk given their recovery form quality and chrysler.

the S design IS simple, it is geometric, and with very typical MB design cues, it is grand, and imposing. but it doesn't have any bold lines, or any groundbreaking attempt. now not every premium entry has to have the imapct of the E65 when it first came onto the market, but it is an indication that the only thing that could make the E65 feel its age is the showcasing of the CS. which as you noted is also not groundbreaking bar for some minor corrections.
it also is a reinterpretation of current banglisms, it is bangle V1.0 second edition. just klike the ODC is to the S, albeit the BMW ideas are more brutal, and more advanced, they're not shy at it.


it's not the S is ugly or anything, it's a mighty fine car, but it's not a herald of a new design age anywhere. in the MB stable, there is no coherence yet, even if you afctor in the S/CL vs C, or the CLS which rpedated them not by much, you get the idea that there is an attempt at individualization, but it is not working as well as they wanted seemingly. not that it is affecting sales in the amjor models, bar the R

Merc1

All this design nonsense, blah, blah, blah. Who is ahead of who and who leads this.....hogwash. Ask yourself does the car look like a (insert your favorite brand here), does it look good on the road, and lastly doesn't it move the styling of (insert your favorite brand here) branded cars foward? If you say, yes, yes and yes then all this other stuff about who leads what is starting to become monotonous noise.

M

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