Interview with Bruno Sacco

The World Wide Web is so dynamic that sometimes valuable information that we stumble upon today may no longer be available tomorrow for some reason such as the site administrator may no longer keep up with the tedious demands of maintaining and archiving static data.

So while I'm on it and googling "W201 Retro Design Concept". I'm going to make a small breakdown of what I have stumbled upon, Automobile Magazine's Marc Nordeloos Q & A session with the legendary Mercedes-Benz designer; Bruno Sacco. So without any futher adieu. Enjoy!

Automobile Mag: What Mercedes-Benz models do you consider to be your best designs?

Mr. Sacco: The 1980s W126 S-class, the 1990s R129 SL, the CLK, the SLK, and the W220 S-class that debuted in the late 1990s. But my favorite is the Mercedes-Benz 190 [W201] because of its importance to Mercedes.

I must agree that the W201 may not be the best Mercedes-Benz model but it's sure was very important to Mercedes-Benz especially when it was under intense pressure from competitors.



Automobile Mag: Is there a model you designed that you're unhappy with?

Mr. Sacco: The W140 S-class from the early 1990s, because it is four inches too tall.

I'm not sure about it since I'm no big fan of Big Benzes. Some may like it a lot but this particular model wasn't made based on the designer's ultimate wishes.



Automobile Ma: What current designs do you like?

Mr. Sacco: I like what Cadillac is doing with some of its models. I did not like the Allant, but the Evoq show car and the XLR are good designs. It's nice to see manufacturers come up with a new design language and develop it. But it is important to be careful which models a company chooses to feature an edgy design.

Yes, edgy is the new sexy.

Automobile Mag: What current designs make you shake your head?

Some of the SUVs from Korea. Also, BMW seems to lack a clear focus on its design theme. It is important to balance classic design themes when developing out-there designs.

And ACTYON is what I have in mind!

Automobile Mag: What non-Mercedes designs are your favorites?

Mr. Sacco: The Lamborghini Miura, the Ferrari 275GTB, and--although I know it's a Mercedes--the Gullwing.


Who would go wrong for a Gullwing?

Automobile Mag: What are your thoughts on retro design?

Mr. Sacco: It's popular and it helps sell cars, but it offers little perspective on design. I do like the Mini, though.

The Mini, The FJ Cruiser, The Shelby. The W201 retro? Somebody should run a design contest for this!

Automobile Mag: What cars do you own?

Mr. Sacco: A Mercedes 560SEC. I love the car except for the large, plastic door-handle surrounds. I am considering having my car modified to fix this design flaw.

I can't wait to see this Super Mercedes flaw fixed.



Automobile Mag: Say you have a long weekend ahead of you. What do you drive and where do you go?

Mr. Sacco: I would take a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren to Paris.

Now I gotta grab my camera and spot an SLR McLaren. See you around!

The Battle of Spa Francorchamps

It may sound like a scene in World war I with exchange of mustard gas and deadly shells from the howitzers. But honestly, it's nothing close to that. Circuit de Spa Francorchamps is one of the most challenging race venue to any racing events that it has hosted since its inception. Designed by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem, and was removed from the F1 calendar in 2006 due to financial, sponsorship and legislative problems, the circuit has been a favorite of many racers for its hilly, fast and twisty nature. From the head of starting line it spans to 14km of pure adrenaline pumping well-rolled asphalt up to the tail of the finishing line. Over the years, from Playstation to the real thing, Spa Francorchamps has never ceased to amaze the drivers and equally the fans. Although the chicanes, the twists and turns hasn't change much, but the surprises and the racing drama are always new.

Mercedes-Benz is never a stranger in this battlefield of speed, wits and endurance without compromising safety of both machines and the men who drives them. Noting the mean machines that negotiated the Masta Kink, Eau Rouge, Raidillion, The Bus Stop Chicane to name a few which is easier to mention than to receive doses of G's from it at the scruciating speeds of 200kph or even 300kph plus. Starting with the 300 SEL 6.8 V8 in which Aufrecht and Melcher has first proven their mettle as the official racing gearheads for Mercedes-Benz.



Following the legacy was the W201 190E 2.3-16 of the Deutsch Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) that showed serious surprises for BMW and Auto Union (Audi).



Up to one of the most dramatic chases completed recently by a Mclaren MP4-23 in the Belgian Grand Prix 2008 that sends one of Ferrari's wonder wheels crashing to the barrier.



Racing for the conquest of Spa Francorchamps forces a team to think hard out-of-the-box without resorting to misadventurism. Going through what the rule book doesn't cover from the art of calibrating the necessary controls, additional aerodynamic enhancers, the precise call to choose the right tyres for the unpredictable weather, a sane mind at an insane moment, a demanding pressure from an equally experienced opponent, highly-trained technical team of pit stop crews are just some of the few things to consider in conquering this crazy battlefield which is a bitter tangible testament that Filipinos can't race yet because after all, this is not just a competion of cars, Spa Francorchamps is a test of team dynamics to its fullest.

Their Multivitamins

Human beings can't live by bread alone. Because we need a balanced nutrition and as we grow older we need more and more of them and we obtain them through different sources such as supplements in the form of multivitamins that we won't normally get through our regular food(fuel) consumption.

Same goes to the modern classics that we own including my aging but still nimble W201. Depending on the owner's preference, Mercedes-Benz classics may or may not need a supplement in the form of oil conditioners (not for your hair), fuel treatments, fuel injection cleaners, fuel system cleaners. So I asked my trusted Benz Meister if these substances are cool to use for my classic, he highly recommended the use of those things since he's aware on how keen I am in spelling off the previous owner's stigma from the car. From my first day of ownership, the fuel system has been patiently worked on; taking down the tank to have it cleaned, replacing the fuel filter and fuel accumulator, no need to replace the fuel pump since it's still new.




At that time, the only thing that hasn't been done was to completely clean the fuel system; from the lines to the injectors and without knowing how much gum, varnish and moisture are stuck in one of the most fundamental system of an automobile, the best approach is always to consult a "qualified" expert to decide on what is the best way to address this issue. And infusing an agent is the most practical approach.

Good thing there was a company who demonstrated a product in an auto show that was actually what I'm looking for, so I purchased but still hesitant to put it on until it's time to do the regular tune-up and oil change, I asked my trusted Benz Meister again if this is the right thing to do and I got a nod, vertically. So the first choice was from the company called Chemisch Technische Produktion GmBH. And the product is a self-explanatory Fuel System Cleaner.



All that is needed is to pour this product to a half-tank or 3/4 full tank of petrol during oil change. As from any other promises, I didn't expect the effect to be immediate, it's like a bitter pill or like cooking first-batch pancakes on a pre-heated stove, it's never perfect because, of course, the initial chunks of undesirables are pushed out to the intake manifold and burned together with the fuel including water, imagine how any type of petrol-injected engine will react to that process. The effect became more obvious on the following days; reduced (sometimes none) white smoke on a cold morning start, more stable idling, smoother throttle feel, cooler and more responsive engine. It has somehow lubricated the fuel pump to perform better.

One caveat, though it should rather be a rule than an exception, before using such substance in your favorite classic it is always advised to make sure that the powerplant and its subsystems are maintained religiously and is working in a roadworthy condition. It has always been a false misconception that the use of these car care products are perceived as silver bullet to eliminate common engine problems permanently which leads to frustration and further waste of money due to gross negligence on the belief that these products, again, will cure every engine problem permanently. Just like our multivitamins, it's a defense against sickness, not a cure.

Shooting With The Star

In the Philippines, it's quite a challenge to conceptualize a car photograph that can exude elegance of the classic and the contemporary and sometimes it is achieved by not just exposing too much heavy metal in the "frame", it is also a combination of a living being and the machine that goes with it.



A human element with the subject truly adds more value in the overall image.



Even if it's too late to make a sales brochure for this Pagoda, it looks contemporary with the younger generation.



And sometimes one might think it wasn't even shot yesterday!



These precious metals sometimes tend to manifest their joy on such moment, that one might think they had a persnolity of their own.




Such occasion is a rare opportunity in this part of the world and some enthusiasts of the marque and the people who took part on this endeavor will find that this is a fulfilling experience.




Thanks to:

Route 66 For the R107 and W113
ModelzWorld for the moral support
To the model, you know who you are :)

The Hunt Continues...

A couple of nights ago, I received an SMS ending in these words; "...buyers are not a problem Jared, our concern is the supply..." and it fell on me that I'll be rolling in this nice-to-have-problem after having the hint of knowing that one was sold in just less than twenty-four hours for a relatively cheap sum of one-point-six million pesos. This hot gray-market merchandise that I'm referring to is no other than the Mercedes-Benz W113 Pagoda SL.



I have never driven a Pagoda but I understand its enthusiast's ecstatic feeling whenever they are behind the wheel. Like from my previous post regarding this model, it de-stresses one from the high-tech pomp and pageantry and just mind the simple pleasure of driving, giving its driver "full control" of everything.



Driving the Pagoda is about taking guts and taking control. The driver takes control of the car, not the other way around. It's all about freedom from worries of a mundane life. And this rare opportunity is only offered by a Pagoda. This rarity is what put Pagoda's value in its ridiculous levels. Every phone calls I make, every SMS I send, people I know are also queried with the same question "Do you know anyone who's ditching a Pagoda?". Strangely enough even with the unstable oil price, there's a respectable number of buyers who's eager to get their hands on one before they die.



Owning a Pagoda is not about "status symbol", it's about the love of driving whether it's automatic or manual. Its technological genius was never manifested in the cabin, but in the powerplant, drivetrain and steering that directly contributes to the fun of driving it. And I guess I will go as far as stopping a driver and make an irresistible offer.

Thank you Readers!!

After just 27 posts, we hit paydirt in Google search results with keywords ranging from "benz", "pagoda", "AMG", "chedeng", "W201", "W113", "W108", "190E", "Baby Benz" and many, many more in relation with the Philippine internet landscape. This site manage to be in one of the leading results. To those who have done their searches and managed to drop by and enjoyed what they found. Thank you very much!

Proximity-wise, I would like to thank the surfers of Batangas, they seem to really like Mercedes-Benz as they are in the top of the site's statistics, profuse thanks as well to the readers from Pasig for staying at an average of 14 minutes to each article and as second top visitor to the site. Internationally, I would like to thank the readers from Hong Kong as the top international visitors to the site, I would also like to thank Mercedes-Benz Club of Singapore as the top international referring site, please do visit us in Manila and we'll tour you to some of the classics here, you guys are fun!

Our future posts will always be loaded by the usual well-taken shots of our favorite Mercedes-Benzes around the country and around the suburbs and some fun-filled fairy-tales about it :)) All these we'll promise to deliver but don't expect us to:

1.) Beg to borrow a ride from anyone just to say "Heck, I drove it blah, blah" for a nonsense review.

2.) To be self-righteous just to serve the few.

3.) Widen our papers to fill every role in the attainment of Utopia.

4.) To imbalance our ecosystem and the Yin and Yang. As usual we'll be having our fair load of mooncakes, tofus, beancurd, kimchis and ricecakes.

5.) Photoshop our pictures, that makes me cringe. Natural is Job #1

Thanks for putting us where we are now, there's no stopping this site from delivering one of your doses of Mercedes-Benz reading assignments. Rest assured this is going to be just one of the kind. Keep the search engines busy and enjoy your reading! Have a nice weekend!

The Dreaming Stops When The Buying Starts

That's the case if you're in the market for a ricer. But for the loyal Mercedes-Benz fans, the dreaming never stops. To the thirty-somethings, that one great European Dream Car has once passed their brainwaves in several of their nocturnal journeys, whether it's a Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo or even Volkswagen. But somehow during the turn of their careers they have to settle for something less because that's the choice offered to them either by force or by circumstance. Well, that's how the ricers make business; by force or by circumstance not by following ones ultimate crazy decision.



Now that you finally made it and you finally arrived and no longer under the whims of "Dad-can-I-have-a-Mercedes-instead-of-a-Corolla-next-year?" or "Dear-we-don't-need-a-Mercedes-a-Space-Wagon-is-just-fine". There's no stopping you from making that crazy dream of yours to reality. You earned it.

So there you go, jumped in to the classifieds online frantically looking for that Mercedes you really wanted and...Surprise! You're in for some real top and tough choices.

The Brand New

Of course, nobody's stopping you right? So it's got to be simple. Have a catalog ready, call a dealer, tell them to cut the bullsh*t because you already know the color and the model you wanted, ask for a test drive, cut a cheque, have the paperworks done and deliver the car to your garage the next day. Fun Factor: Zero.



But of course, there's the obligatory slamming of all the doors repeatedly to let the neighbor's know you "arrived". You're driving smoothly and out of the blue, you run over a nine-inch nail. And as usual, you have to replace the tyres by yourself. Unfortunately, you can't crank the engine because the system is telling you that tires are incorrectly placed and you have to call a roadside assistance. Perfect!

The Pre-Owned Empire

Certified or not certified these clunkers are definitely pre-owned which means someone has deflowered them before you do. You are in this market because now you learned the hard way that they don't "build cars like they used to" anymore and you don't want to spend money just to look stupid by the roadside waiting helplessly for that roadside assistance and that's very "unpowerful".

But of course, you also want to make your choice in this market to be "right the first time". But there's no such thing as "right the first time", the previous owner's wrongdoings in the car is your gallant mission to correct. Even if you have done your homework, followed the so-called expert's advice on what to look at, you still don't know what to look at because excitement will always be in the air.



You finally saw what you wanted and did an initial ocular inspection of the car, knocked the fender twice, popped the bonnet and peek through the engine block as if you really know what you're trying to look at; so far, so good for a small purse. You did a test drive and definitely the car will run according to the current owner's stupid preferences with "this-must-be-set-first-and-that-must-be-switched-first-and-that-and-that". So you haggle for further discount because you knew there's always something to fix contrary to the "nothing-to-fix" campaign in the ad and the owner gave in. And you demanded the documents, seeing that it's not registered in the owner's name and it's not clean, you didn't walk away as per the "by-the-book" advice of the so-called experts because you know that this is going to be a great car and the pride of walking through corridors of power just to get those papers laundered will be a pubic-hair-to-your-hat thing, a thing to brag in a drinking binge. So again, you haggled further for the bargain that you have never done before and it's so ridiculous that you seal the deal with a handshake and an earnest money.

Finally you're driving the car back home by yourself knowing what you're getting yourself into hoping that someday, under your helm, the Mercedes you just rescued will get back to its original glory.



It's true that the dreaming never stops when it's about our beloved marque. But the funny thing is, the dreaming seems to be more of the backward wish rather than embracing the breakthrough innovations, flashy dashboard stuff, ecological efficiencies, it's always about those great things, about those "great cars that they used to build". Because the past is all about commitment to reliability and integrity in the more personal rather than the unproven and unconfirmed environmental way.




Credits:

Route 66 - For Chester
CATS - For the ML and C-Class