Shooting brake. What kind of coupe station wagon is this? TOP10 Shooting-brake of all time Exterior and interior of Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake

The new one debuted at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, and exactly two years later, there, in Paris, the world premiere of the Shooting Brake station wagon based on it took place.

The front part of the new product completely replicates the four-door coupe, and the rear part is designed in the style of the same name, which was shown at the April 2010 Beijing Motor Show.

Options and prices Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake 2019

The new Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake (2016-2017) is 160 mm longer than the sedan, and its trunk volume when loaded under the shelf is 595 liters. With the backrests folded down, the volume increases to 1,548 liters.

The Mercedes CLS station wagon went on sale on the European market in the fall of 2012. At the same time, at the beginning, buyers were offered only two diesel modifications. Under the hood of the CLS 250 CDI there is a 2.1-liter engine with an output of 204 hp, and the more powerful modification of the CLS 350 CDI is equipped with a 3.0 engine with an output of 265 hp.

Accepting orders for new Mercedes-Benz The CLS Shooting Brake launched in Russia at the beginning of February 2013. And currently we are supplied with a restyled station wagon, which is available with three powertrain options - two petrol and one diesel. The basic rear-wheel drive five-door CLS 250 d with a 2.1-liter (204 hp) engine costs 3,520,000 rubles. Diesel modification 350 d with a 3.0-liter engine (249 horsepower) and all-wheel drive for 430,000 rubles. more expensive.

Price of a 333-horsepower station wagon Mercedes CLS The 400 Shooting Brake costs RUR 3,950,000, and the top one with a 5.5-liter 557-horsepower bi-turbo V8 under the hood will cost buyers almost six million. All versions are equipped with a 7-speed automatic transmission, except for the initial one, which has the latest nine-speed automatic transmission.

Updated Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake 2015

At the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2014, a presentation of the updated sedan and Mercedes-Benz station wagon CLS-Class 2015 model year. Both received a retouched appearance, an improved interior and a pair of new engines.

Externally, the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake (2016-2017) is distinguished by new bumpers, different head optics (already fully LED in the base) and a different radiator grille. The design of the bumpers on the version with the AMG package has also changed.

Inside, the previous infotainment screen has been replaced by a larger 8-inch touchscreen display, shaped like a tablet computer. The steering wheel and the design of the front panel have also undergone minor changes.

The base diesel engine for the new Mercedes CLS station wagon 2015 is now a 170-horsepower engine (400 Nm), which is installed on the CLS 220 BlueTec modification. There was also a version of the CLS 400 with a 333-horsepower 3.5-liter gasoline “six.” And the previous 7-band automatic transmission has been replaced with a 9-band 9G-Tronic transmission.

In addition, Multibeam head optics became available as an option for the updated Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake 2016, in which the electronics, based on data from the video camera and navigation, can automatically change the parameters of the light beam of each of the 24 LEDs in each headlight. This allows you to highlight turns, road signs and do not blind drivers of oncoming and passing cars.

Sales of the restyled version of the CLS station wagon started in August. The car costs the same as they ask for a sedan. Only now the CLS 500 version is not presented in Russia. The price range for other modifications varies from 3,520,000 to 3,950,000 rubles.

In October 2004, Mercedes-Benz launched a car that is still the envy of its competitors. Of course, we are talking about the CLS model.

For the grace of forms and the swiftness of lines with someone's light hand The beautiful sedan was dubbed a 4-door coupe. Arose new segment automobile market. Many car manufacturers have tried to repeat the feat of Mercedes-Benz, but no one's attempt was so successful.

In particular, Porsche released the 4-seater Panamera model. The car has a comfortable interior and good driving performance. One cannot ignore the fact that the Panamera has sold extremely well around the world, especially in the United States. This despite the fact that her appearance causes a large number of negative comments.

The Aston Martin Rapide, on the other hand, is almost flawless from an aesthetic point of view. And he drives so well that the British company sent him to the 24-hour Nurburgring marathon. However back seat This beauty can only accommodate teenagers. In addition, climbing it is very difficult. These inconveniences raise the question of whether it was worth “fencing the garden” at all?

The most important Mercedes-Benz competitor, the BMW company, has been bringing concept samples of a large 4-door coupe to China for two years in a row, but remains stubbornly silent about plans to launch a series of similar models.

And very soon the first copies of the second generation Mercedes-Benz CLS will roll off the assembly line of the plant in Sindelfingen, Germany.

Authentic presentationEmployees of the German company prepare for the premiere themselves and prepare public opinion in advance - the second task is sometimes solved in non-trivial ways.

For the Detroit auto show, Mercedes-Benz designers prepared not a concept car or a prototype of a car, as one might expect from them, but a sculpture, albeit made on a specialized theme. When you look at this work of art, you get the feeling as if the car is growing from the depths of the earth. Although someone may have other associations: with sand dunes or a snowdrift, hot lava or mercury.

“Many of our designers come from artistic families, have creative ambitions and have found their place in automotive design precisely because of artistic talent,” explains the reason for such a choice of the exhibit, prof. Gorden Wagener, head of design at Mercedes-Benz.

However, despite the fact that the shape of the car, presented in such a complex and coded way, is perceived very vaguely, an attentive and partial observer of the Mercedes-Benz brand can see behind the code a product that is nearing the end of its development - namely, the second-generation CLS model.

Equipment for Europeans During the next global motor show in Geneva, there were no samples at the Mercedes-Benz stand that were in any way related to the latest version of the CLS. Although the experimental F 800 Style showed some design elements that would soon become characteristic of Mercedes-Benz styling, its main purpose was less artistic and more technological.

This five-seater sedan was built on a unique multi-wheel drive platform suitable for both fuel cells, as well as for plug-in hybrid drives. In both cases, the result is environmentally friendly premium cars, which, according to Mercedes-Benz, also feature excellent dynamics.

But the technologies shown on the F 800 platform are not of today.

Brake & BreakEverything changed at the Beijing Auto Show. Mercedes-Benz engineers said that optimized engines internal combustion still have advantages over any other power drive, not forgetting that they also have a decisive influence on the efficiency of hybrid systems. And the concept car presented in China, judging by all the signs, is actually ready to go on production line.

We are talking about a very interesting 5-door and 4-seat sports station wagon, for which Mercedes-Benz decided to use the mysterious term Shooting Break (and not Shooting Brake). And there is no mistake here.

The phrase Shooting Brake previously referred to English “utilitarian” vehicles based on luxury cars, in particular, on the Aston Martin chassis. They were used for trips to places of active recreation. Hunting should be considered only as one of many options for such a pastime.

The concept shown by Mercedes-Benz at the Beijing Motor Show is precisely a reflection of the view of German designers on cars of this type. The biggest difference is the 5-door version of the German version (British cars have a 3-door estate body). However, Mercedes-Benz also experimented with a 3-door version - in September 2008, the company presented the Fascination concept.

Break is a homonym for the word Brake. Once upon a time, this name was given to carriages in which wild horses were harnessed in order to ride them: break - to break the will.

As a result, the Mercedes-Benz designers decided that the car, which is used for hunting trips (a conventional term), can be called both a Shooting Brake and a Shooting Break. And they preferred their own option.

Coupe PlusIdeological kinship with British cars is only one aspect of the 5-door Shooting Break project. The new Mercedes-Benz car, first of all, demonstrated a further understanding by the designers of the German company of the possible direction of development of the coupe concept. The designers from Professor Wagener's team wanted to prove that elegance, power and practicality can coexist and that the latter does not necessarily result from a compromise in both style and driving dynamics.

The designers succeeded in everything, or almost everything.

The Mercedes-Benz Concept Shooting Break looks fast when viewed from the side and appears quite elegant when viewed from the rear.

The design of the front end of the car is completely new, but at the same time it uses elements that refer to the SLS AMG supercar - this is the radiator grille with a large three-pointed star and horizontally arranged wing slats.

The headlights look somewhat artificial. Most likely, for the reason that the designers incorporated LEDs (and all the lighting equipment of this concept is built exclusively from them) into headlight blocks that have a completely traditional shape.

The Shooting Break station wagon differs in size from the current version of the CLS. With an overall length of 4,961 mm and a height of 1,445 mm, the concept is slightly longer and slightly taller than the current model. Taking into account modern design trends, its width is almost 8 cm larger - it reaches 1951 mm.

The new 4-door Mercedes-Benz CLS, which is scheduled to premiere in September this year at the Paris Motor Show, should have exactly the same dimensions. Same as new sedan The CLS, the Shooting Break wagon, is built on the E-Class platform with a wheelbase 20 mm longer than the old CLS version, equal to 2874 mm.

Comfort of the interior According to the designers of Mercedes-Benz, the exterior of the Shooting Break concept was supposed to become emotionally attractive (this feature will now be characteristic of all cars of this brand). And he is!

In addition, through the elegant, although not devoid of muscular, appearance of the coupe-station wagon, its technical potential clearly (but not crudely) emerges.

And the interior of this car makes a completely different impression!

It greets you with a combination of soft shapes and natural materials in incredibly warm shades. The most impressive is the combination of two skin colors - dark brown and soft cream. Mercedes-Benz calls this light cream color “porcelain.”

The overall feeling of extraordinary comfort is enhanced by wooden finishing panels. The unusual texture of silky oak can drive you crazy with its unexpected beauty, but in fact it has a calming effect.

The luggage compartment floor is made from the same wood. Therefore, it is good that the floor is protected by aluminum loading bars. In some ways, this solution is reminiscent of the approach used in the construction of yachts.

Four compartments (on both sides of the luggage compartment) are used to store small items. They are also covered in leather.

At the Beijing Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz designers could not resist and let slip that the interior of the Concept Shooting Break is an almost exact copy of the interior of the future production Mercedes-Benz car CLS (coupe-sedan).

Only this fact pushes you to conduct an immediate audit of your bank accounts and business transactions. There is only one circumstance that confuses me. This car is so comfortable that you want to live in it. But is it worth driving such a car? Or just sit there, remaining in place, sinking your bare feet in the soft pile of flooring from the Maybach manufactory, in peace and quiet?

An affirmative answer to this question is given by the design and shape of the four individual seats, as well as the precise location of all controls. And it is supported by strong technical arguments.

New engineThe Shooting Break concept that visited Beijing featured a prototype of one of two new V-shaped engines. gasoline engines Mercedes-Benz, whose serial production will begin in the third quarter of this year at the Bad Cannstatt plant in Germany.

It probably makes sense to recall that Bad Canstatt is the cradle of not only German, but also the entire world engine industry - it was here that Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach built their engine 125 years ago.

Family Mercedes-Benz engines The V6 and V8 will be assembled at the plant, which officially opened in 1997 and was significantly expanded in 2004.

It is worth noting that in addition to the assembly of motors, the same enterprise also carries out machining their key details. And other components are supplied from factories located nearby in Germany - in Hamburg, Berlin and Unterturkheim.

The latest naturally aspirated petrol V-shaped 6-cylinder engine from Mercedes-Benz with a displacement of 3499 cc. cm, develops power up to 220 kW (306 hp) and torque up to 370 Nm, available in the range from 3500 to 5250 rpm.

Fuel efficiency is also encouraging. The S 350 sedan with the new V6 engine consumes an average of just 7.6 liters per 100 km with CO2 emissions of 177 g/km - a very good indicator of efficiency for an engine that develops such considerable power.

The biggest change in the design of the 6-cylinder engine compared to its predecessor is the reduction in the camber angle of the cylinder block from 90 degrees to 60 degrees. First of all, this led to a reduction in crankshaft vibrations and improved comfort.

Power was increased, and fuel was saved literally bit by bit. However, among probably several dozen engineering innovations, it is worth highlighting the most important technologies. These new features include a multi-spark ignition system and a direct fuel injection system with piezoelectric injectors, Start/Stop technology, as well as a new and more compact variable valve timing mechanism.

A large amount of work has been done to reduce losses in general and reduce friction in particular, as well as to optimize the operation of all auxiliary devices. These include: water pump, oil pump, fuel pump high pressure, "intelligent" generator.

2 million hours of computer modeling, 52 thousand hours of bench tests and 7 million km of road tests - there is nothing more eloquent than these figures.

We already know the result: the new engine has 34 hp compared to its predecessor. (11%) higher power and 2.4 liters (almost 25%) lower fuel consumption.

Sedan and station wagonAfter completing an extensive testing program, both V-engines of the new Mercedes-Benz family (a naturally aspirated 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder turbocharged engine developing 435 hp and 700 Nm) are ready to go into mass production. As are the new cars for which these engines (among other cars) are intended - the 4-door CLS coupe and the 5-door coupe - the successor to the Concept Shooting Break shown in Beijing.

However, some publications talking about this pair of models use other terms - “coupe-sedan” and “coupe-station wagon”. Although it seems it would be better to call one car a sports sedan and the other a sports station wagon. However, it was not the journalists who confused everything, but the Mercedes-Benz company.

The well-informed American online publication Edmunds.com believes that there is a high probability of serial production of both versions of the car and names their in-house designations: the sedan code is C218, the concept code is X218.

According to the same online resource Edmunds.com, Mercedes-Benz Chairman Dieter Zetsche has long wanted to release a 5-door car. Moreover, back in 2003, Mercedes-Benz designers made a similar car, but for unknown reasons it was not even shown to the public, replacing it with a 4-door version. Perhaps the time was not right then. But now the situation is changing quickly. The demand for versatility or, if you prefer, universal mobility is growing all over the world.

The Mercedes-Benz Concept Shooting Break offers just that. Its body is not only incredibly comfortable for a crew of four, but also allows you to easily accommodate a wide variety of luggage.

The latest engines combined with advanced automatic transmission 7G-Tronic transmissions are promised (in addition to safety environment and fuel economy) decent dynamics. And the Shooting Break chassis guarantees sportiness, slightly diluted with imposingness - approximately this behavior is typical for the new Mercedes convertible.

Perhaps the situation regarding the serial production of the sports station wagon will finally become clear in Paris. Most likely, this car will end up in model line already 2012.

Mercedes styleCars used for recreation - and for active recreation in the first place - often connect their owner and his friends with other types of transport, or rather transport and entertainment vehicles: yachts or boats, helicopters or airplanes, motorcycles or jet skis, ATVs or snowmobiles and .etc. All this relates to the style and lifestyle of certain people. While working on the Mercedes-Benz Shooting Break project, Gorden Wagener and his colleagues thought about this once again and decided to take an important step - creating a studio that would take their creativity beyond cars and extend it to other areas, especially those , which are named just above.

The new design studio has two main goals. The first is to expand the sphere of influence of Mercedes-Benz style. After all, the original meaning of the “Three-Pointed Star” is mobility on land, on water and in the air. On the other hand, from working with new products, designers will draw inspiration, which they will transfer to the main thing - cars.

The new studio was called Mercedes-Benz Style.

The new division of Mercedes-Benz has already developed the basic principles of its work. The team works only with reputable customers and partners. All its projects must comply with the unified Mercedes-Benz style and, of course, maintain high quality.

The first stepMercedes-Benz style is valued all over the world, and therefore there was no need to wait for orders. The new division is currently designing the exterior of a luxury yacht.

And a little more than two weeks ago, on May 4, in Geneva, at the business aviation exhibition (European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition 2010 - EBACE), the first finished product of the Mercedes-Benz Style studio was presented - a modification of the EC145 helicopter from the Franco-German company Eurocopter, designed for corporate and VIP clients.

The basic EC145 helicopter is a good fit for Mercedes-Benz as it is a leader in the class of medium 2-engine helicopters. It contains the latest Eurocopter design innovations, as well as avionics and electronics solutions. This helicopter has a hingeless rotor system and improved main rotor blades, which provide it with low noise and vibration levels, allowing the machine to be operated in urban environments.

The interior of the special modification of the EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style helicopter has all the attributes of style and luxury that you can expect from a Mercedes-Benz car. Luxurious seat upholstery available in several color ranges. Expensive types of wood are used on the ceiling and floor. The designers borrowed the lampshades for interior lighting from S- and E-class cars.

When developing the interior, which can accommodate up to eight passengers, the Mercedes-Benz Style designers took a modular approach. The seats are mounted on rails, so they can be quickly and easily moved, or removed altogether. Three multifunctional boxes contain a cool box, cup holders, a 15-inch monitor and a DVD player. Drawers for things are built into the partition separating the cockpit from the passenger compartment. It has fully retractable glass.

You can use the tail of a helicopter to transport luggage. You can carry golf clubs, bicycles or surfboards here - there are plenty of mounts for all these things.

Sales of the EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style helicopter will begin in the fourth quarter of 2011.

So very soon, when you transfer from a Mercedes-Benz Shooting Break car to the cabin of a Eurocopter EC145 Mercedes-Benz Style helicopter, you will definitely notice signs dear to your heart and even smell your favorite smells. And then the hour will come when an elegant motor yacht will be added to a couple of your favorite things.

If you look at the history of cars, you can find many very interesting representatives with an unusual segment. It turns out that cars used to be more logical, sophisticated and clearly belonged to a class. If there was a coupe car in front of you, you could immediately tell. If we were talking about a hatchback car, it was difficult not to notice. Today, a sedan can be a hatchback, and a coupe can be a station wagon. The crossover is often a hybrid class, and many new segments have also emerged. Now virtually every car can find its own small class and remain unique. Previously, everything was a little different. Let's remember such a sports segment of transport as a shooting break. This is a wonderful car that combines the advantages of many types of cars.

By design, this is a two-door car, which also often has only two passenger seats. The vehicle is a hybrid of a station wagon and a sports car. Often, classic shooting breaks had a fairly long engine compartment, what made them related sports cars. Also, cars in this segment had the appearance of an elongated hatchback. Today the term Shooting-break is used for the commercial name of a sports station wagon. This is not entirely correct, and today we will prove to you that this segment has a right to exist. Let's look at the most interesting representatives of the class and show the unusual capabilities of this car with all the technical solutions.

Ferrari 365 Daytona - a classic of the segment with incredible capabilities

Development in 1968 makes this car the predecessor of almost all sports cars. But this was not a traditional sports vehicle, but a shooting brake car. One of the oldest examples of a modern car that made the world a little different. Today, many take their example from this car, which has a mass technical advantages And important features. The Ferrari 365 Daytona had the following design capabilities:

very roomy interior - this was the only car from Ferrari that could actually be called a cargo truck when compared with other offerings;
for the first time, some appearance features were applied, which then became sports classics, so many of today's features come from this class;
this Gran Turismo offered a 12-V engine with a displacement of 4.4 liters, which made it sporty beyond any doubt; 353 horsepower was cosmic at that time;
the design by Pininfarina received many important responses that made the Ferrari Daytona a classic that will never become outdated or irrelevant;
Today, only a few hundred of these cars have been preserved in perfect condition in collections, although the circulation of the cars was quite large and extensive in the models.

This is one of the most prominent representatives of the shooting break. The Italians called this class gran turismo, and since then it has become a custom to use this term for station wagons with sporting capabilities. You can find many unusual features in a fairly simple, but unique car with unusual features for that time. Ferrari became the de facto founder of the segment, but far from being the most amazing manufacturer.

Volvo P 1800 ES - an example for all times

Another legendary shooting brake worth considering today is this offering from the famous Swedish manufacturer Volvo. The car is historical, and today it is valued by collectors no less than the previous copy. The concept was developed in 1961, the company produced not many outlandish cars. But the appearance of this car is much closer to the realities of operation than that of other representatives of the class. The main features of the machine are as follows:

amazing appearance, very long engine compartment, fairly large body, but only two doors for passengers to enter, somewhat uncomfortable operation;
an excellent car for two people who use the car for long trips, as the comfort here is simply amazing, the car drives smoothly and comfortably;
Taking into account half a century of production, all design and functional solutions of transport look very promising and interesting, pleasing to the buyer’s eye;
all glass back door gave this representative of the Swedish family of cars an offensive name - at one time the car was nicknamed “Snow White’s coffin”;
the engine is very powerful, there were several modifications power unit and gearbox, which makes some versions of the shooting brake actually valuable and very expensive.

The Volvo company has not yet continued its ideas in car production, but some of the modern station wagons can well be called followers of the shooting break class. This is an excellent opportunity for the corporation to develop success in this direction and offer customers alternative and more or less affordable developments in this unusual segment.

Aston Martin Bertone Jet 2+2 - it's time to move on to modernity

If you value only modern and up-to-date cars, pay attention to the Aston Martin Burton, which is still on sale, which is also available in a shooting break body. Among the important achievements of the car is the popularization of this segment, even if the manufacturer did not dare to produce the car in a large series. In most representatives of this model range four doors for passengers, but there are also two-door solutions. The main differences between the car and its competitors are as follows:

The Aston Martin sports car has practically no rivals on the modern market, so the price is inflated to the point of impossibility; production today is possible to order;
acceleration to 100 kilometers per hour takes the car 3.4 seconds, the engine works at its maximum capabilities, the car was boosted in the best studio in the world;
all-wheel drive clearly turns out to be quite an interesting solution for transport, stability and ride comfort are significantly increased and turn into safety;
power 476 horsepower it doesn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary, but this is a completely unusual vehicle that requires operational solutions, and not just sport;
There are a lot of important differences in the interior from regular coupes, so this particular car deserves the title of shooting brake, and not other sports class options.

Many companies today produce concepts in this segment, but only a few decide to produce production cars in this class. It must be remembered that Aston Martin offers this opportunity individually to each buyer. So, if you have a few hundred thousand dollars to spend on a car, and you absolutely want to own a shooting break, it's time to go directly to the factory to make the car for you.

Chevrolet Corvette AeroWagon - another participant in the modern market

The limited edition of the unusual Chevy Corvette was a real surprise for every supercar owner. The company did not release separate car, but offered to those who wanted to convert their coupe or sports sedan into a shooting brake. The cost of such a conversion will be $16,500. The service is not available in Russia, but Americans may well take advantage of this opportunity. Interesting features of the Chevy Corvette AeroWagon are as follows:

modification of the power plant is envisaged, we are talking about adding a 450-horsepower unit or a 650-horsepower engine with mind-blowing capabilities to the car;
the car is offered with a modified body, so the company is working on the geometry and tuning of the chassis for the new parameter of the car;
the vehicle acquires a completely different behavior, the features of the unusual body force it to change its habits and become more aggressive on the road;
the rigidity of the controls and all the special parts makes the car really unusual and amazing, the buyer gets the most interesting features from the car;
This is a redesign that will help you completely change your attitude towards Corvette and get new emotions from driving one of the legendary American sports cars.

It is worth recognizing that in Russia there is not a single variant of the AeroWagon. Therefore, the import of such a car will be a revolutionary decision for collectors. Most likely, you can make good money on a car by finding an interested client. But it must be said that in America today there are not many shooting breaks of this type. So it will be quite difficult to find and bring a car to Russia without any problems. It is impossible to even imagine what the price of this invention will be. We invite you to watch a test drive of a shooting break simulation from Mercedes:

Let's sum it up

We can discuss for a long time the features of a particular body in a car. different types. But it is worth recognizing that most shooting brake vehicles have unique features that cannot be replicated in another body. Today you can find station wagons in the offer of famous manufacturers, such as the Mercedes CLS Shooting Break, which is very far from the classics of this body. This is a car that simply uses a well-known and beautiful combination of words to sell its ordinary station wagon. So there is no real shooting break on the market of more or less affordable cars.

At different times, manufacturers offered various solutions, which in one way or another turned out to be similar to this class. Today you can also find an imitation shooting brake, but the true class turned out to be inaccessible and very expensive along with sports cars. Only “royal” manufacturers from the cream of the automotive society take on this segment. Therefore, cars become collector's items, and their prices are not comparable to any reasonable idea of buying a car. What do you think about the shooting brake body type?

New nine-speed automatic transmission did not improve the acceleration dynamics of the CLS, but began to shift gears more smoothly, and transitions to new gears practically ceased to be noticeable.

Economics of Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake

Economy in the combined cycle in test mode does not exceed 5 liters/100 km. Of course, such efficiency is unlikely to be achieved in real life, but with leisurely driving around the city and its environs, most likely the car will not exceed the consumption limit of 6-7 liters/100 km. CO2 emissions - 149 g/km.

Exterior and interior of Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake

The only choice that will torment the Shooting Brake buyer is which engine is best to take, since the updated model comes in one configuration.

The entire AMG range features stunning 19-inch AMG wheels, an AMG bodykit, lowered suspension, leather upholstery, Multibeam LED headlights, climate control, internet, satellite navigation, heated front seats and an automatic tailgate.

The CLS Shooting Brake has many options and two additional specifications.

How does the CLS Shooting Brake drive?

The Shooting Brake lives up to its reputation. To say that driving it you get an unforgettable pleasure is to say nothing! No matter what road it is on, on the highway, on a winding country lane, in the city, everywhere this five-door shows an abundance of power and torque, as well as the well-coordinated operation of everything from the gearbox and engine to the suspension and brakes.

But the Shooting Brake looks best on the highway, of course. It was created for highways! Long trips, travel, long business trips, the CLS station wagon is more practical than is commonly believed. But at the same time, it is much more beautiful and more advantageous in appearance than the same E-Class Estate (although a matter of taste rather plays a role here).

In 2013, there was a fashion trend for stylish station wagons. Marketers have even increasingly begun to use the age-old definition of “shooting brake.” And, probably, the majority of auto shows in 2013 were not complete without a visit from representatives of this “breed.” Well, for example, the Aston Martin Rapide shown in Geneva or Audi crossover Allroad Shooting Brake.

What exactly does “shooting brake” mean, have you wondered? Where did this definition come from and what does it look like today?

So, a shooting brake is, so to speak, a style/type of car body, which throughout the history of its existence has meant different things - each time there has been a rethinking of what a “hunting rest” or “hunting wagon” is (as this is literally translated from English phrase). By the way, the term “shooting brake” is older than the oldest car. It began to be used in the distant past to refer to roofless carriages transporting aristocrats who were keen on hunting.

The form factor has changed, but the essence of the term has remained unchanged, when in the middle of the last century the shooting brake began to mean high-speed three-door station wagons, usually built on the basis of luxury coupes.

The birthplace of these cars was Great Britain.

Again, the rich bought such cars for hunting trips or other sporting events involving firearms. These cars were distinguished by an elongated trunk. It was important that cargo compartment competently, fashionably and stylishly complemented the appearance of the coupe. The trunk itself could easily accommodate guns, a tent, hunting dogs, a couple of friends (or servants) and boxes for trophies (game). Of course, for the most part, these cars were meant to emphasize status.

Start

A little earlier. Initially, shooting brakes were cars actually intended for hunting, and they stood out not because of the type of body, but because of its equipment. Such cars were most often ordered by Indian maharajas. Indeed, they were built mainly on the chassis of expensive English brands, but they had mounting brackets for hunting rifles and special supports for them, a height-adjustable seat for the shooter and powerful additional spotlights with an autonomous power generator that could be removed from car and install it at a distance from it on special tripods, as well as other amenities in the same spirit.

It was possible to get into the “cargo” part of the interior of “extended” cars either from the stern or from the side. By the way, the first motorized carriages intended for safari were also called shooting brakes. At that time, shooting from a car was prohibited, so instead of doors and windows, the safari version had roll-up canvas curtains that protected from bad weather and allowed hunters to quickly and quietly leave the crew if necessary.

Despite the hunting boom of that time, most often a car with a shooting brake body had to be made to order in special studios or ordered as a more expensive special version directly from manufacturing companies. As a rule, elongated bodies had a wooden base, and the rear of the car was combined with a trunk.

Over time, some manufacturers began producing production versions of shooting brake cars. They were built on the basis of serial cars. The factory simply extended the luggage compartment, usually leaving all four doors.

In the pre-war years, the phrase “shooting brake” began to mean simply luxury utility vehicles (estate cars), custom-built in body shops on the chassis of premium cars. Typically, Rolls-Royce or Bentley were chosen for conversion. As an example - Rolls Royce 20/25 Shooting Brake.

Its body was worked on in the 1930s by the company Vincents of Yeovil, which still exists today, but now deals not with Rolls, but with the sale of cars of Japanese and Korean brands. The copy is built on the chassis of the so-called “junior series” Rolls-Royce cars, which bore the digital index 20/25. The passenger part of the body is made of Honduran and African mahogany. 81 cars were made on this chassis, and only a few of them have survived to this day. The maximum speed of such a car for hunters is about 80 km/h.

And in the 30s of the last century, the classical understanding of the shooting brake began to blur, and subsequently all utility vehicles were called this, regardless of their design. For example, cars of the station wagon type began to be classified in this category - something like modern station wagons, which were originally used to transport passengers and their luggage from stations and railway stations. Further, shooting brake, station wagon and estate began to designate the same type of body - “station wagon”. And then the concept of a shooting brake somehow disappeared, and rarely, in isolated cases, came up.

Renaissance

The revival of the shooting brake began in the 60-70s of the last century.

These were three-door station wagons with a sporty appearance and a sloping roof shape, in which elongated rear side windows replaced the usual doors. These cars were also usually built to order on the basis of fast and luxurious coupes, but inexpensive mass-produced models were also periodically produced. So, some hatches with an extended wheelbase and elongated back the bodies began to be classified as shooting brakes.

An example of a shooting brake from this era is the Aston Martin DB6 shooting brake. Released in 1967, this machine made it possible to move quickly and comfortably on long distances. It is driven by a 325-horsepower 4-liter engine, maximum speed which is 241 km/h, you can accelerate from zero to hundreds in just 6.2 seconds.

Another example is the Ferrari 330 GT Vignale. Presented in 1968 at the Turin auto show, the car caused a lot of noise.

Some criticized the car, while others admired it. However, this is an excellent example of the concern's desire to create a car that meets market requirements.

This car is quite spacious and has a “pickup truck” base with a wooden roof over the trunk, which creates the “effect” of a station wagon. Inside there is a combination of wood and iron, in addition there is leather. Thus, the car is both practical and luxurious.

Under the hood is a 4-liter V12 with 305 horsepower. The car reaches the first hundred in 6.3 seconds. Even by modern standards, such an indicator is considered worthy, to say nothing of the late 60s of the 20th century.

Well, in order to understand all the diversity of shooting brakes, another example is the Volvo 1800ES. Small and nimble, the car loved by the Swedes was based on the standard 1800 coupe by extending the rear end. At the same time, we managed to maintain a neat design. In addition, the car inherited a number of advantages from the smaller version.

So, the car turned out to be not very wide and minimally long. The salon was designed for 4 people, who could comfortably fit inside, and the rear seats could easily be folded, which created a full-fledged trunk, like other station wagons.

In terms of power, the car is far from the old-timers of the market like Ferrari and Aston Martin. Only four cylinders for 135 horsepower. The car does not shine with speed, but this is not required of it.

In modern usage, the term shooting brake has been expanded to include a range of vehicles, from five-door station wagons to three-door models that combine station wagon and coupe features.

In 2006, The New York Times stated that the shooting brake was designed to “carry gentlemen hunting with their firearms and dogs, and although their popularity faded before World War II, in recent decades the body shape has demonstrated signs of a revival as automakers strive to invent something new, but now for fashion hunters.”