Chief Design Officer of Mercedes-Benz Charts Company's Vision for the Future
*By Amanda Weston*
Even as Mercedes-Benz unveils its latest models to the public at the L.A. Auto Show on Friday, designers at the company will be thinking much further ahead ー to the future of the auto industry.
"There is, in fact, a different time zone in our design departments," Gorden Wagener, chief design officer at Daimler AG, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, told Cheddar from the show's floor. "We're living like five to 15 years ahead in the future when you think about architecture and new cars."
As journalists explored the new limited edition AMG GT R Pro, Wagener explained the brand's philosophy of designing "something very emotional, beautiful, on one hand and something cool and rational on the other hand."
"It's always important to get this philosophy and bring it into the future and we have the opportunity that we have four brands: from Mercedes AMG as a performance luxury brand; Mercedes Maybach as an ultimate luxury brand; Mercedes-Benz representing the modern luxury; and then our new Mercedes EQ brand, the tech brand for the electric cars for the progressive luxury of the future," Wagener said.
"And that helps us to target different customers, to target different competitors, and basically do a whole range of different designs for the future."
While most of the company's plans for the future remain confidential, Wagener did reveal it is following a major trend in the auto industry: electric.
"There will be a big thing in electric," Wagener said. "We will launch a lot of electric vehicles."
Wagener said the company also remains excited about developing its Mercedes AMG sports car brand, most recently with its update of the GT family.
The two-door AMG GT Coupes and Roadsters will have the AMG DYNAMICS integrated driving control system and a new AMG Performance steering wheel.
Mercedes-Benz said the AMG GT R PRO was modified to "deliver even more racetrack performance" with a lightweight construction and new suspension.
The L.A. Auto Show officially begins Friday and runs through Dec. 9.
While the U.S. may slowly be on the path to lowering inflation (and therefore interest rates), Europe has thoroughly trounced America, putting it on the path to lower rates by this summer.
April's release of the monthly Housing Starts and Building Permits reports by the Census Bureau provides crucial insights into the construction activity in the housing market. These reports are an economic indicator, shedding light on the current state of the housing market and its broader economic impact.
Caitlin Clark is heading to the Indiana Fever, the number one draft pick and the highest-scoring college basketball player of all time. And while she may not be getting millions from the WNBA, there's a few ways she'll net compensation for her generational talents.
Author of 'Clean Meat,' Paul Shapiro joins Cheddar to discuss how the cellular agricultural revolution helps lower rates of foodborne illness and greatly improves environmental sustainability. Plus, how his company The Better Meat Co. is bringing healthier food options to the table.
Recent headlines might make it sound like World War III is imminent, but when it comes to your finances, it's not the time to panic. The market is coming off its longest winning streak since 2011.
You may have noticed fewer new venture capital-backed startups (like Airbnb or Uber) lately. The market slowed to a crawl after 2021, but things are expected to take off again in 2025.
Corporate earnings season is underway, that time when companies share their billions in sales or double-digit profits. But the data shows even companies are struggling with high inflation and interest rates.
Boeing continues their terrifying trend of having their planes fall apart mid-flight, inflation — checks notes — is still up and the future of AI looks terrifying. Cheery!
Food waste – uneaten scraps or leftovers sent to landfills – is responsible for 10% of global emissions. Mill, a new product from the co-founder of Nest, thinks technology can play a role in eliminating it.
By the time the 2024 election is over, be prepared to see some form of a recession – but this shouldn’t be as bad as what we experienced in 2020 or 2008.
