Mercedes Benz F700 Concept TOTAL RX8 ripoff!
 

Alright folks, I just saw pictures of the MB F700 concept and it looks like the design team really love the looks of the RX-8 and has borrowed a lot of design cues from Mazda.

Just look at the fender flares. I thought the current S class was obvious, but this concept is absolutely the love child of an RX-8 and S. German design takes a bow to Japanese design. Hooray. Just shows you how progressive Mazda's design team is.

The rear treatment looks like they borrowed some cues from the SC430.

More pictures of the F700 copycat here: http://www.autoblog.com/photos/frank...oncept/391826/

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x...x8_comparo.jpg

I think you're stretching it.

eeehhhhh


I'm not really seeing it.


The triple-hump front design is nothing new - lots of cars use it. If you want to claim that the Benz rips off of the 8, then it's only fair to say that the 8 ripped off of the PT Cruiser...

The fender flares and sides of the car are, once again, pretty cliche designs on both automaker's parts. I'll admit they both have the same curvatures on their profiles - a side-by-side profile picture of their silhouettes would look nearly identical if the bumpers were cropped out... but anyone who's unlocked cars in the arcade mode of Forza 2 can tell you that LOTS of cars have similar silhouettes.

As for the rears... I see no similarity to the 8. The SC430, yes - but not our cars.

...I dunno - maybe I just need to see more pictures. But as it stands right now, I don't see much similarity.

hahaha! and I got called dumb because I thought the ass end of the new Mazda 6 looked similar to the new Sebring.

Every new car rips off the RX-8's styling. Didn't you guys know that? ;)

It can't be a copy. It's twice the size and twice the weight. Here's the part that will hurt though. Regardless of these shortcomings, it still can manage over 40 mpg and no it's not a diesel.

I think it looks more like those fugly Lexus convertibles.

Imagine what it could do if it dropped a thousand or 2 pounds.

It may not be an RX8 ripoff but it's styling looks more like the new Mazda styling than Mercedes.

Everyone seems to borrow styling from others. I guess nothing under the sun is ever truly new or 'fresh'.

Paul.

It is a hybrid but the engine itself is actually pretty neat. They call it Diesotto which is a combination of the diesel and otto cycles. Details are few but from what I gathered it starts conventionally as in spark ignited gasoline and then after it warms up it transitions into compression ignition like a diesel does. All still on gasoline.

I see some 8 cue's but I dont think its a total ripoff. If anything seems that Mercedes is borrowing design cue's from Mazda as a whole. The car just seems to flow a bit although its kinda bulky. But I agree the rear looks like a total ripoff of the Lexus.

Yes I have seen just a little bit about it before. It is really neat. Either way with a few thousand lbs to carry you could get horrifically fantastic mileage.

nope, does not look like it

reminds me of kabura more than the 8...

+1 i was thinking the same thing...

Bruce Van is right in so far as the front fenders but nothing more than that. The fenders are by far the most similar to the RX8's of any other car out there, more similar than the Miata's, the CX7's, the Mercedes S class, and the new Mazda 6. He's also right about the SC430 rear.

Blue Eyes was and still is stupid for suggesting the rear end of the new Mazda 6 is even remotely similar to the Chrysler Sebring's.

Glad I was able to clear that up for you guys.

Yes, Mazda invented fender flares, suicide doors, the rotary engine, and the automobile.

and early mazda engineers designed steel as well, im sick and tired of seeing cars using steel in their bodies such a major ripoff.

Don't forget about gravity! Mazda invented gravity too!

I guess some of the people on this forum don't seem to see the subtlety in car design as I do. I have always been interested in car design and pay close attention to curves and surface treatment.

It's in the details folks. Oh well.....

I'm still seeing a lot of this...

http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/L...s/LeftRear.jpg

oh no! take it away! take it away!

I know. I've never liked those things. I think Lexus crafted the design on father/son day. Somebody's 6 year old drew up the design with Crayola markers and the rest is history. No combo of aftermarket rims, body kits or lowering springs have ever succeeded in making this car appeal to me. Every car magazine except one (I'm drawing a blank but they fuggen loved it) have called it dud as well.

50+ y/o silver haird ladies seem to love that thing right around the 27MPH mark.

and all of a sudden you're an expert in the field now, holy crap. Now im gonna get my doctorate in looking at pictures so that i may engage in discussion.

I believe the SC430 was designed by a French company for Lexus. I really don't care for the looks myself, but I love the timeless original SC, which was what I drove before the RX8.