What's Wrong With This Picture: Gro Und Groer Edition

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Long-wheelbase Benzes have a long and proud history, having been owned by such icons of cool as John Lennon and Hugh Hefner, as well as infamous villains like Pol Pot, “Baby Doc” Duvalier and Jeremy Clarkson. And, as Auto Motor und Sport informs us, the decline of other glandular vehicles like the Suburban has not prevented a new round of six-door Benz models. In fact, something about this picture indicates that vehicular size inflation is not completely a thing of the past… can you spot it?

If you guessed that the new Benz by Binz (yes, that’s the company’s name) is simply larger than previous Großer models, you were wrong. The original 600 Pullman of 1963 measured 6.24 meters long, eclipsing this latest model’s 5.98 meters. And at 4,630-ish pounds, the latest Großer is a mere feather compared to the 1963 Pullman’s 6,100 pound dry weight. No, the answer is slightly less obvious than that…

That’s right, this is a Großer Kleiner. A stretched, six-door version of the Mercedes E-Class. Remember, Mercedes has a whole gross, er, Groß brand dedicated to 6+ meter-long, 6,000+ pound stretched S Classes: Maybach. But then, who could picture the next John Lennon in one of those?

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Mark out West Mark out West on May 08, 2010

    Nothing has eclipsed the M-100 model 600 series. Absolutely nothing. And that include that wretched Maybach thing.

  • Uncle Mellow Uncle Mellow on May 08, 2010

    Is it an illusion , or is the lower edge of that door-less model slightly arched ? Maybe when you load it with passengers it sags a little and becomes straight.

  • Wjtinfwb My comment about "missing the mark" was directed at, of the mentioned cars, none created huge demand or excitement once they were introduced. All three had some cool aspects; Thunderbird was pretty good exterior, let down by the Lincoln LS dash and the fairly weak 3.9L V8 at launch. The Prowler was super cool and unique, only the little nerf bumpers spoiled the exterior and of course the V6 was a huge letdown. SSR had the beans, but in my opinion was spoiled by the tonneau cover over the bed. Remove the cover, finish the bed with some teak or walnut and I think it could have been more appealing. All three were targeting a very small market (expensive 2-seaters without a prestige badge) which probably contributed. The PT Cruiser succeeded in this space by being both more practical and cheap. Of the three, I'd still like to have a Thunderbird in my garage in a classic color like the silver/green metallic offered in the later years.
  • D Screw Tesla. There are millions of affordable EVs already in use and widely available. Commonly seen in Peachtree City, GA, and The Villages, FL, they are cheap, convenient, and fun. We just need more municipalities to accept them. If they'll allow AVs on the road, why not golf cars?
  • ChristianWimmer Best-looking current BMW in my opinion.
  • Analoggrotto Looks like a cheap Hyundai.
  • Honda1 It really does not matter. The way bidenomics is going nobody will be able to afford shyt.
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