In Munich, following the reveal of the all-new Mercedes-Benz GLC, GearsMe’s Fahed Abu Salah sat down with Chief Design Officer Gordon Wagener. In this candid conversation, Wagener discusses the inspiration behind Mercedes’ bold new grille, the philosophy of Sensual Purity, and how the brand balances respect and love in its design DNA.
Where did the inspiration for the new grille and stronger brand identity come from? Outside of automotive, what inspires you most—architecture, culture?
Some good things just happen. I still remember a 5 a.m. call with Ola [Källenius] when I was in a remote camp near the Grand Canyon—freezing, zero degrees. We talked and I asked for three days. When I came back, I showed him what we had in mind, something I’d been thinking about for a long time. That was the breakthrough.
If you walk into our Design Center in Sindelfingen, you’ll see a Hall of Fame of Mercedes grilles from the past 100 years. It’s incredibly inspiring. And when I travel, especially in China, I see what I call a “sea of sameness”—faceless cars with no identity. That pushed me to make a strong statement for Mercedes.
Strategically, our philosophy is Sensual Purity—balancing heart and brain, love and respect. In the past we leaned more on “love”—sexy cars. But historically, Mercedes also stood for “respect,” status and achievement. We wanted to bring back that respect without losing the love. And of course, everything must remain beautiful. We don’t do awkward shapes or gimmicks. As Bruno Sacco once said, no Schnickschnack.
Outside the car world, what feeds your creativity?
Travel is the biggest source. Seeing new places and people keeps your eye fresh. If you sit in Stuttgart looking at the same car every day, you lose that freshness. That’s why we also do projects outside auto—architecture in Dubai or Miami, and even a super-luxury yacht project we’ll announce at the Monaco Yacht Show.
Creativity is like brain training. Designers wire their brains differently. When I look at a cup, I notice the purity of its form and materials; someone else might just think, coffee. That difference comes from training your eye.
With technology becoming so dominant, how do you keep the human touch—especially in user experience?
It always starts with the human. The sensual side of our philosophy is emotional—what we find beautiful as humans. The pure side is rational—what feels modern. For UX, ease of use is critical. It should be so intuitive that even my mother-in-law—who can’t use a smartphone—could operate it. That’s our benchmark.
You’ve described Mercedes’ design language as a “significant style.” How has it evolved since you became head of design in 2008?
Every luxury brand deserves a recognizable style—like Chanel under Coco and Karl, or Apple under Steve Jobs. When I became head of design in 2008, we asked: what does Mercedes stand for? We realized it’s always been about heart and brain. That became our Sensual Purity philosophy—our operating system.
Since then, it has evolved from 1.0 to what Ola now calls “Gordon 2.0.” With studios in Asia, the U.S., and Europe, I always challenge the teams: prove me wrong. So far, no one has come up with anything better.
Do launches like last night’s still excite you, or are you already onto the next project?
When a car debuts, we’ve been working on it for five years already. Right now, we’re busy with programs that will run into the next decade. My favorite car is always the one I’m working on now. But yes, seeing it outside the neutral presentation hall—in sunlight—is always special.
Which concepts and production cars are closest to your heart?
Wagener: Production-wise, the AMG GT (gen 1) is one of my big loves. My first project was the SLR, then the SLS, Project One—we’ve done so many. Concept-wise, the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 stands out. People call it one of the most beautiful ever. I even drove it to a private dinner the night before Pebble Beach—it felt like a Hollywood moment.
How do you envision a Mercedes in 2040?
Wagener: Not as different as you might think. Every time we tried futuristic “one-box” designs, the market always came back to classic proportions: long hood, iconic grille, rear-drive stance. Beauty ideals don’t change much. Autonomy will be there, sure, and there will be mass mobility that feels like public transport. But people will always want something individual and special. That’s where Mercedes lives.
Does electric vs. combustion change your approach to exterior and interior design?
From a brand point of view, no. We no longer do “purpose design.” Whether it’s electric or ICE, it must look like a Mercedes. The grille may vary—combustion needs air, EVs can have an illuminated wall—but identity comes first.
The challenge is packaging. Batteries raise the floor and roofline, which hurts proportions. We compensate with larger wheels and stance. SUVs handle it better than low cars. Interiors face the same issue—higher seating because of the battery. But we always work to keep it elegant.
Does fashion influence your cars? What’s the biggest design risk you’ve taken?
Fashion is too fast. Cars take years to design and last years on the road. But materials and trim can be inspired by fashion, and we sometimes design fashion lines around our show cars. Our next show car will have a fashion capsule with Art Deco touches—honoring our historic grille era.
Probably the first EQS/EQE generation was the biggest design risk. We made them very progressive—almost UFO-like.
The idea was that we didn’t want just an “electric S-Class.” That was bold. We also tried a “three-box SUV,” mixing sedan and SUV, but it didn’t translate to production. At Mercedes we take risks, but we never compromise beauty.
Gorden Wagner with GearsMe EIC Fahed Abu Salah
The G-Class Cabriolet—what’s its status? And the “Baby G”?
The design is basically finished. It’s now in data and tooling. It won’t be long.
It’s super cool. Bringing the G’s character to a smaller scale will be huge. Will it be electric? Maybe. Only one company can build a real G—and that’s us.
Gordon Wagener and his vision from Fahed’s observations
From resurrecting the G-Class Cabrio to envisioning a Baby G, Gordon Wagener’s message is clear: Mercedes design is about timeless proportions, balancing emotion with respect, and staying unmistakably Mercedes—no Schnickschnack.
