The car giant started by marrying the daughter of the king

When Land Rover Range Rover became the leader in the global high-end SUV market, Mercedes-Benz was also not idle.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan, which has been prepared for a long time, finally ushered in its own production line ceremony.

The number of BMW Group's models has increased, so the scale of the roll-off ceremonies for each model is naturally not that large.

Even so, a number of media outlets participated in the event.

Various reports began to appear in various newspapers, quickly attracting everyone's attention.

"Wols, Mercedes-Benz in China has launched an S-Class sedan. I feel that its positioning is exactly the same as our 7 Series."

Vardy is now also paying more attention to the movements of the BMW Group.

Because their new models have very good reference significance in terms of appearance design.

It is impossible for exterior designers of major automobile companies around the world to ignore the existence of the BMW Group.

Many of the new models launched in recent years have been influenced by the design elements of BMW Group's products.

Even BMW is no exception.

So when Mercedes-Benz's flagship sedan rolled off the assembly line, Vardy knew the news.

"I also saw the Mercedes-Benz S advertisement. The exterior design of this car is very classic."

"We can't say that our 7 Series has any advantages over it."

The expression on Walls' face was quite serious.

This is not good news.

Although the brand strength of Mercedes-Benz from China cannot match that of BMW, there is still a very large gap at least at this stage.

But if you ignore the brand and simply put the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series together, I guess many people would consider buying the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The appearance of this car is stunning enough.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan is like a flowing work of art, exuding unparalleled charm and nobility.

Looking from the front of the car, the iconic inverted trapezoidal air intake grille is small in size but extremely exquisite.

Like an elegant emblem, it is embedded in the front end of the vehicle.

The chrome frame of the grille shines brightly in the sun, as if symbolizing its superior quality.

The horizontal bars inside the grille are neat and orderly, like the keys of a piano, showing a delicate sense of rhythm.

The shape of the headlights is the finishing touch of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The dynamic "butterfly" headlights, like two butterflies spreading their wings about to fly, are embedded on both sides of the front of the car.

The lines of the headlights are smooth and natural, blending perfectly with the contours of the vehicle body, not only providing excellent lighting effects, but also adding a sense of agility and elegance to the vehicle.

The turn signals are cleverly integrated into the rearview mirror.

This innovative design soon set a trend in the automotive industry and became one of the unique symbols of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

On the side of the car, the slender lines extend from the front to the rear, giving people a sense of smoothness.

It is like a lively stream flowing on the surface of the car body.

The waistline is simple and powerful, like a sharp blade in the hands of a sculptor, cutting across the body of the car, outlining an exquisite three-dimensional sense.

Make the car body look tougher and more stable.

The wheels adopt a unique alloy wheel design, which is stylish and elegant in appearance and complements the body of the car.

It not only provides good support and stability, but also adds a sense of sportiness to the vehicle.

At the rear of the car, rounded lines fill the entire rear, making it look elegant and agile.

The classic triangular taillights, like three shining gems, are inlaid on both sides of the rear of the car. When lit at night, they emit a unique light and are highly recognizable.

The design of the taillights is not only beautiful but also highly safe, allowing vehicles behind to clearly identify the vehicle's position and driving status.

The chrome trim strip at the bottom of the rear of the car echoes the air intake grille at the front of the car, further enhancing the overall sense and luxury of the vehicle.

Overall, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan designed by Jiang Hui has perfectly coordinated body proportions.

No matter from which angle you look at it, you can feel its elegance and dignity.

Its appearance design allows people to fully feel the luxury and atmosphere, and also incorporates fashionable and smart elements.

There is no doubt that this car will stand out among many models and become a classic in the history of automobile design.

"In terms of the classic appearance, only the Range Rover, also designed by Jiang Hui, can compete with it."

"Other models are indeed a bit inferior to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class."

Vardy didn't want to admit that this was not okay.

After all, everyone has sharp eyes.

When the advantage is big enough, there is nothing to argue about.

"We need to speed up the replacement of our 7 Series, otherwise the sales will be greatly affected."

"Even if our sales were surpassed by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, it would affect our brand reputation."

Walls thought a lot and felt a sense of urgency.

The days ahead will be difficult.

The only one who felt the same as him was Saito Shangying.

"President, once the Mercedes-Benz S-Class comes out, our Lexus flagship sedan LS400 will have a hard time."

"We have previously surpassed similar models from BMW and Mercedes in the American market."

"But I'm worried that the Mercedes-Benz S-Class will overtake me later."

"Especially since this car is under the operation of General Motors, it is registered under the name of Cadillac."

Saito Shoei quickly reported some of the information he had obtained to Shoichiro Toyoda.

In the 80s, in order to compete with high-end luxury brands such as Mercedes and BMW, Toyota decided to launch an independent luxury car brand, and launched the F1 project with the aim of creating "the best luxury car in the world."

After years of secret research and development, and the investment of a large amount of manpower, material and financial resources, the Lexus LS400 was finally born.

The Lexus LS400 adopts a smooth and elegant streamlined design with simple and elegant body lines.

There are not too many complicated decorations, showing a low-key and luxurious temperament.

This design was very novel at the time. It not only met the aesthetic standards of luxury cars, but also had a low drag coefficient.

It helps improve the vehicle's fuel economy and driving stability, with a drag coefficient of only 0.29.

The details are also very good.

The front face adopts the classic horizontal bar air intake grille, matched with sharp headlights, creating a majestic feeling.

The rear part of the car is designed to be relatively simple, with unique taillights and a horizontal arrangement that complements the overall lines of the car body.

In terms of power, it is equipped with a newly developed 4.0L V8 naturally aspirated engine with a maximum power of 256 horsepower and a maximum torque of 353 Nm.

This engine adopts advanced technologies such as dual overhead camshafts and multi-point electronic fuel injection, and has the advantages of strong power output, smooth operation and good fuel economy.

It is matched with a 4-speed automatic transmission, which has smooth shifting and quick response, and can well meet the driver's demand for power.

It can be said that this car is Toyota's highest-end model.

After it was launched on the market, it lived up to expectations and successfully surpassed the BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S Series in the North American market.

Now that he sees the BMW Group launching the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan, Saito Shoei immediately feels that the status of his own flagship sedan is no longer maintainable.

"The appearance of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is indeed more classic and more fashionable than our LS400."

"In terms of power, they are not weaker than us at all, and they are even better than us."

"In this situation, it's hard for us to win simply by comparing cars."

"We need to compare the brands in terms of brand heritage and other aspects to widen the gap between the two sides."

Shoichiro Toyoda has a very thorough understanding of the problem. He knows that his own products currently have no obvious advantages in terms of technology and design, so he must start from the advantages.

Otherwise, life would be really difficult.

"The BMW Group has started to cooperate with many automotive magazines, and some high-end magazines also have their advertisements."

“I think we can consider increasing investment in this area and reducing the exposure of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan?”

Shoei Saito felt it necessary to respond to the actions of the BMW Group.

"Why don't you ask the R&D department to buy a few Mercedes-Benz S-Class cars, disassemble them and compare them to see which aspects they are not doing well."

"Then we revealed these shortcomings to some newspapers or magazines and asked them to report on them."

"Or we can collect some of the other party's market disadvantages and then conduct guidance and publicity."

"We can't let the sales of Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan exceed that of LS400."

After Shoichiro Toyoda said this, Saito Shoei immediately understood what was going on.

They have used similar methods in the past.

However, as Toyota grows and becomes stronger, most of the time they are on the offensive while others are on the defensive.

So there has been less action in this regard.

Now that he has picked it up again, Saito Shoei is still very confident that he can do a good job.

After all, any car will definitely have some problems of its own.

It is impossible for any car to avoid traffic accidents.

At that time, taking some out-of-context methods to mislead consumers can have a certain effect.

"No problem, I'll make arrangements right away."

……

"Nifer, Mercedes-Benz, a subsidiary of the BMW Group from China, has launched the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan."

"The positioning of this car is very similar to our S-Class, and even the naming is the same."

"I think the company needs to take some countermeasures."

As the design director of Mercedes, Bruno has always been paying attention to the developments of Mercedes-Benz cars.

He had long been dissatisfied with the fact that the other party's car names were all modeled after Mercedes.

It’s just that Mercedes-Benz’s sales in Germany were limited before, and he hasn’t found a very good way to fight back yet, so he just held back.

This time he couldn't hold it back any longer.

Because the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan touched Mercedes' sensitive point.

"What specific response plan do you have?"

Nefert also knew that what Bruno said made sense.

BMW Group's overall sales have surpassed their company.

Although that is the sales volume of several companies combined, it is already scary.

"I think some of the design elements of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class were copied from our S-Class sedan."

"Although the other party made some flexible adjustments, there are still obvious similarities in some places."

"We can take the other party to court and ban the sale in Germany."

Bruno knew that with the few accusations he had, he could only win the case in Germany at best.

It doesn't work well in other places.

After all, you said that the styles of the two cars are somewhat similar, which is barely acceptable.

But to say it's plagiarism is a bit far-fetched.

If this could be used as evidence of plagiarism, half of the cars in the world would be removed from the shelves.

"Are you sure?"

Nefert naturally knew the situation.

It’s not like Mercedes hasn’t had lawsuits with other car companies over the years.

“Whether you are sure or not, you should always give it a try.”

Nefert did not refute Bruno's statement.

Just give it a try.

I feel a little uneasy when I do nothing.

……

"Jiang, congratulations, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class sedan has been successful again."

Edward called Jiang Hui with mixed feelings.

As the general manager of General Motors in Shanghai, Edward has a relatively good understanding of the situation in China.

Although Mercedes-Benz is considered a Hong Kong-funded enterprise, it is actually a genuine Chinese enterprise.

It is very rare for such a company to develop a car model that has a global influence.

"The current performance of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is mainly due to the help of General Motors in the North American market."

“Our cooperation is a typical example of a win-win situation.”

After Jiang Hui said this, Edward felt much better.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is selling well, and General Motors can also make a lot of money.

And few ordinary consumers in the United States know that the Cadillac S-Class sedan is a rebadged car.

People will just think that General Motors has launched another classic luxury car.

For GM, that was enough.

"We at Shanghai GM are preparing to introduce more models for sale in China."

"There will be more cooperation with Nanshan Technology."

Edward told Jiang Hui his thoughts directly.

Anyway, this is a win-win cooperation.

"The scale of the Chinese market is still far behind that of the American market, but the potential is huge."

"It will sooner or later be able to rival the American market."

"GM's increased investment in China is definitely the right choice."

Jiang Hui said what was really in his mind.

However, he didn't know how much the other party believed it.

Sometimes, others may not listen to the truth you tell.

On the contrary, it was a lie that the other party kept in mind.

"I think so too, but some people on the board have doubts."

"If you have a chance, I hope you can persuade our president."

Edward expressed his request.

Although allowing General Motors to increase its investment in China will affect the interests of the BMW Group, the impact is very limited.

Without GM, there would be other car companies.

So Jiang Hui did not refuse. (End of this chapter)