Falcon AU - Mercedes CL. shell similarities

jphanna · 11-02-2009, 11:52 AM

I recon there must have been a thread about his when the current Merc CL came out, but I will take a chance, and ask the AU owners what they thought about the copy cat Merc design. Why is it that the AU was not well received back then, but the current CL MERC body shape which has an uncanny resemblance from behind, to the AU, (from a distance) is 'cool'.

I often wonder if a ‘tidied’ up AU shell with MERC running gear and MERC badges was shown to the motoring public in 1998, whether they would have bagged it as much as the Falcon AU was back then. Is it just the MERC badge, or was the AU ahead of its time and that’s why it was rejected?

madmelon · 11-02-2009, 12:09 PM

It's a bit of both. I rekon the front end of the CLS is pretty un-cohesive and not in keeping with the Merc design language but the knobs at a drive day I attended kept going on about how good it looked. That said, the back end does seem to suit it well.

I'm not a big fan of where Mercedes is heading with their designs. The E class is a good example- the replacement just shown at Detroit looks terrible compared to the current model which is the best looking car in the range imho.

Nikked · 11-02-2009, 12:23 PM

just shows that the Au was a innovative and foward thinking design, dispite what some closed minds think.

A bit off topic but when the EA falcon was showen to Euro Press and various other people, it was favored over the designs but the likes of BMW and Mercedes.

blackwood · 11-02-2009, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikked

A bit off topic but when the EA falcon was showen to Euro Press and various other people, it was favored over the designs but the likes of BMW and Mercedes.

I believe the European motoring media thought it was the Audi 80/100 replacement.
It was shown without badges and no-one was told who's design it was.

I heard somewhere (I think I may have read it here) that a MB designer once said
(when asked about the similarity between the CLS and the AU) that the problem with AU was that it's design was to far ahead of it's time.
I believe it was also noted that the AU served as part of the inspiration for the CLS design.

So we're all on the same page...

Au rear

Merc CLS rear

kocho · 11-02-2009, 01:57 PM

Can you fit the AU tailights into the CLS and vise-versa?

**Peuty** · 11-02-2009, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kocho

Can you fit the AU tailights into the CLS and vise-versa?

No way. Not at all. Never.

86XFFairmont · 14-02-2009, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackwood

I believe the European motoring media thought it was the Audi 80/100 replacement.
It was shown without badges and no-one was told who's design it was.

I heard somewhere (I think I may have read it here) that a MB designer once said
(when asked about the similarity between the CLS and the AU) that the problem with AU was that it's design was to far ahead of it's time.
I believe it was also noted that the AU served as part of the inspiration for the CLS design.

So we're all on the same page...

Au rear

Merc CLS rear

id prefer the au neday as the mercs are a to tow wen they shut down least wth the au the key opens the doors n boot, theres no electronic steering lock and theres no shift lock on the transmission.

Walt Kowalski · 14-02-2009, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 86XFFairmont

.....id prefer the au neday as the mercs are a to tow wen they shut down ......

Welcome to Australia. Glad to see you have already bought an Aussie car. If you decide to go for citizenship and need any help please PM me.

**Polyal** · 11-02-2009, 12:32 PM

Well I reckon a AU3 Forte looks alot better and classier than a BA XT. BA's are very plain.

Im on the hunt for a new daily and the AU3 represents far better value for money. Actually I dont think there is a car that is better value in the entire market. $6k gets a a good low k AU3 pretty easily.

irlewy86 · 11-02-2009, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polyal

Well I reckon a AU3 Forte looks alot better and classier than a BA XT. BA's are very plain.

Im on the hunt for a new daily and the AU3 represents far better value for money. Actually I dont think there is a car that is better value in the entire market. $6k gets a a good low k AU3 pretty easily.

+1

I used to have a maroon AU3 Forte as a work hack. Might have been the "ugly duckling" in the minds of BA and VY drivers but I never minded. AU is one of my favourite drives.

Auslandau · 11-02-2009, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polyal

Well I reckon a AU3 Forte looks alot better and classier than a BA XT. BA's are very plain.

Carefulll you might upset a few ...... ooopps .... too late

If there wasnt such thing as personal taste, the AU would have been released and we would still be driving them today ........ which wouldn't be a bad thing. (Except for Series 1!)

| [/url] |

Fev · 11-02-2009, 01:58 PM

the CLS came out what - 3 or 4 years later? lol not that far ahead

the first time i saw one i thought it was an AU with a crappy bodykit hahaha

HLC · 11-02-2009, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fev

the CLS came out what - 3 or 4 years later? lol not that far ahead

the first time i saw one i thought it was an AU with a crappy bodykit hahaha

AU first released 1998
CLS first released 2004

6 years.

Riksta · 11-02-2009, 01:58 PM

Every time I see one of those Mercs I comment "AU Mercedes".

I doubt the tail lights would be swappable though.

**Polyal** · 11-02-2009, 02:03 PM

Interchangeable parts with an AU and a Merc...LOL

It might look similar but settle down.

When the Au first came out everyone said "geez that backend needs a spoiler". And alot where optioned straight on, even dealers stuck them on as quickly as they could.

Personally AU (other than a T3) look heaps better without spoilers. A low AU, with some nice rims and good paint looks shmick.

barbarian · 11-02-2009, 02:07 PM

Merc is oozing with quality from what ever angle you look at it from.. it's also more refined in its looks.

AU is dead set ugleh.

kocho · 11-02-2009, 02:08 PM

I was joking just so you guys know. ;)

Didn't expect so many to take it seriously.

jphanna · 11-02-2009, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kocho

I was joking just so you guys know. ;)

Didn't expect so many to take it seriously.

of course the lights are NEVER going to be a straight swap...i was saying the shell is very similar from behind and also from the side. by NO means interchangable, but even the crease along the side bears some resemblance.

take a close look on the road next time you see one.

Nikked · 11-02-2009, 02:18 PM

I would love to get a Au and do a full custom job to it, shaved filled etc. Its a nice shape.

What made the au bad was the trim.

-Ugly Grill
-Silly chunky side moulds
-Cheap Bumpers
-Shocking hubcaps etc

Ride hight being a falcon was shocking, this didn't help.

Cookie-XR8 · 14-02-2009, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikked

I would love to get a Au and do a full custom job to it, shaved filled etc. Its a nice shape.

im building one lol every thing shaved apart from door handles,

they do look alike, but the au is better

Mr Hardware · 11-02-2009, 02:19 PM

They should have released the BA with the AU interior and engines in 1998 and then the AU with the BA interior and engines in 2002

phillyc · 11-02-2009, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

They should have released the BA with the AU interior and engines in 1998 and then the AU with the BA interior and engines in 2002

Spot on! Only it should've been the 4.6L 240kW V8 in the AU instead of the 175/185/200/220kW 5.0L windsors.

Heck the T series could've been 4.6L S/C 300kW/600Nm in 2000! With that rear end, it would've annihilated the GTS300/Clubsport255 models!

**DJM83** · 11-02-2009, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phillyc

Spot on! Only it should've been the 4.6L 240kW V8 in the AU instead of the 175/185/200/220kW 5.0L windsors.

Heck the T series could've been 4.6L S/C 300kW/600Nm in 2000! With that rear end, it would've annihilated the GTS300/Clubsport255 models!

There was one built

:

DoreSlamR · 11-02-2009, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 51RTE

There was one built

:

The 300+?

Damn that car looked awesome I remember seeing that at the motor show along with the Dual cab ute

**DJM83** · 11-02-2009, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

The 300+?

Damn that car looked awesome I remember seeing that at the motor show along with the Dual cab ute

Um well there is that one, but i was refering to Daniels (CAT600)'s T1 TS50

**Elks** · 11-02-2009, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 51RTE

There was one built

:

Cat600 has a T1 with supercharged 4.6 quad cam cobra motor

**Elks** · 11-02-2009, 09:16 PM

And I wish people would stop comparing my car to a busted a$$ CLS. It cheapens it.

Joking folks, joking.

**CAT600** · 13-02-2009, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by phillyc

Spot on! Only it should've been the 4.6L 240kW V8 in the AU instead of the 175/185/200/220kW 5.0L windsors.

Heck the T series could've been 4.6L S/C 300kW/600Nm in 2000! With that rear end, it would've annihilated the GTS300/Clubsport255 models!

As far as AU was concerned, it was never going to cop the 4.6L as a SC version. For a start, there was no production engine built until mid-2002. (What should have happened though is for Ford Aus to have used the Terminator engine in the BA's until 2005 - when production stopped, then picked up the GT500 engine when it became available). The AU engine bay is too tight for a DOHC modular

: and Ford would never have let AEC build the 300+ either in low production or en masse. I spoke with Jay Upton at the time and you could see that he was never really confident.

Oh yeah, I like the CLS myself, looks classy.

Daniel

Fev · 11-02-2009, 02:24 PM

Sorry - still find the AU butt ugly lol.. it just looks like a cheap korean sedan to me

wheres my flame suit and fire truck??

**Peuty** · 11-02-2009, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fev

Sorry - still find the AU butt ugly lol.. it just looks like a cheap korean sedan to me

wheres my flame suit and fire truck??

Each to their own mate. You're not the first person to say that and I doubt you'll be the last.