GREAT dRivE Get a load The Mercedes-Benz cLS Shooting Brake is the most of this stylish carriage we’ve seen in years Words by Dieter Losskarn

hooting brakes derive their name from the carriages used to break-in Sproblematic horses in the 19th century. One of the best known British hunting cars was the 1963 Aston Martin DB5 Shooting Brake. The then Aston boss, David Brown, had the legendary sports coupé converted to suit his passion for hunting and golfing. Wealthy hunters fell in love with the unusual design, and ultimately 12 cars were built. FIRST CLASS: In 1968 Reliant followed with the The Shooting Brake’s Scimitar GTE, the first series-production cherry wood-lined shooting brake. Also legendary is the Volvo boot draws inspiration from luxury yachts P1800 ES, the Swedish sports car with a tailgate. In Germany the all-glass rear end Now, I am once again impressed. It’s the CLS coupé. The laid-back car only earned it the nickname ‘Snow White’s astonishing how far Mercedes managed ever turns violent when you floor it in its coffin’. And you can’t forget the shooting to stretch their four-door coupé without ludicrously entertaining CLS63 AMG brake used in the movie Harold and compromising on the design. The Shooting version, with the faster double-clutch Maude, where a black Jaguar E-type was Brake is perhaps even more stunning than seven-speed gearbox. Due to its low-slung converted into a hearse. Now Merc has the second-generation CLS it’s based on. design, with a curved rear window and re-invented this unique car segment with It’s a station wagon for style-conscious thick B- and C-pillars, the optional an equally spectacular shape – albeit one people who don’t like station wagons. And blind-spot detection is not only helpful, for the living. the optional American cherry wood boot but necessary, as is the parking assist. Normally, nobody would stop to look at floor with smoked oak inlays makes it the But thanks to a huge number of safety a station wagon. But as Gorden Wagener, most beautiful in-car loading bay I have systems installed, the Shooting Brake stays head of design at Mercedes-Benz Cars, ever laid eyes on. It’s quite spacious as firmly on track. There is no doubt that by says: ‘A Mercedes should always produce well (590 litres, or 1 550 with the rear seats creating this sports car with five seats and a wow-effect’. I experienced this particular folded down). The rest of the interior is a big tailgate, Mercedes has added another star-studded wow-effect last year in the outfitted in typical Mercedes luxury. shooting star to their line-up for 2013. gorgeous SLS convertible – and more Despite weighing about 15kg more, it And you won’t need a hunting licence – recently in the brutal G63 AMG. still has the same driving characteristics as your driving licence is enough.

TECH AND SPEC

POWER 5.0-litre v8 bi-turbo; 300kW and 600Nm PERFORMANCE 0-100km in 5.3 seconds; Top speed 250km/h FUEL

9.2 l/100km It’s a station PRICE R1 044 000 wagon for style-conscious (CLS 500)

people who don’t like mercedes-benz. station wagons co.za

6668 GQ.co.za APRiL 2013

DRIVE_Great Drive CLS_Apr.indd 1 2013/02/22 1:11 PM