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Final questions in interviews with the sorts of people we talk to and write about here tend to be somewhat lighter than what occurs in the middle of what generally turns out to be a discus- sion rather than something out of an interrogation scene in a movie. Think of a typical interview as having a soft opening, a more substantial middle, and something a bit light at the end, rapport having (likely) been established. This is not meant to be a Journalism 101 how-to. Rather, it is something that struck me as being somewhat phenomenal as when I was doing the preparation to interview Gorden Wagener. I read "Interview with Gorden Wagener, Head of Design Daimler AG: Gorden Wagener on his work, his inspi- ration and good design" on the Mercedes-Benz International Corporate website (mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/ design/team/gorden-wagener/interview-with-gorden-wage- ner-head-of-design-daimler-ag/). It gives you a real sense of the man who has been heading up design at the German company since mid-2008. The fnal question asked by his corporate interlocutor, presum- ably the one that could evoke a smile or even a slight chuckle: "Who or what would you have liked to be?" Which is, of course, an opportunity to say something whim- sical or otherwise less serious than what's conveyed in all that has come before. Not that we're getting into Barbara Walters' "What kind of a tree would you be?" terrain. Wagener's answer: "Exactly who I am." Wagener is evidentially serious about who he is and what he does. And so the interview begins. ON CONTRASTS, PRINCIPLES OF GOOD DESIGN AND THE OBLIGATORY APPLE REFERENCE Wagener talks of the importance of "Sensual Purity" in design, which he bifurcates into two poles: Cool and Hot. The former is intellectual; the latter is emotional. It is about combining the two—the "Hey, that's really cool" with the "That's smokin' hot"—in a complementary relation- ship that the Mercedes designers are working to achieve, but it should not be thought that this combination is going to lead to something lukewarm or otherwise ambient. Wagener brings up a German designer who has had infuence of enormous efect, even though those outside of the design community might not be aware of it: Dieter Rams. Rams, who did signifcant products with Braun, who is considered heir to the Bauhaus movement, worked to create designs that were sustainable, not only in the environmental sense, but in terms of having longevity in the market. Wagener notes in this context that vehicle designs by their nature have long lives, as in the designers are creating a vehicle 5 years ahead of market launch, the product is on the market for at least 7 years, then it exists for years afterward in the world. While some might focus on the period of market launch (i.e., something looks fresh and contemporary when it hits the showroom), that's apparently insufcient for Wagener, who works to achieve something more. Yes, when Wagener sets about to create a new Mercedes, he aims at something that will be iconic. Something that will last. And be admired. Rams created 10 principles of "Good Design": (1) is innova- tive; (2) makes a product useful; (3) is aesthetic; (4) makes a product understandable; (5) is unobtrusive; (6) is honest; (7) is long-lasting; (8) is thorough down to the last detail; (9) is environmentally friendly; (10) is as little design as possible. Executed correctly, then it is possible for an object—be it an appliance or an automobile—to have longevity. (It is impossible nowadays to talk to an automotive designer without Apple design coming up even in passing, and that's the case here. Dieter Rams is acknowledged by Jonathan Ive as being one of his inspirations. And Wagener points out that Rams had an infuence on Hartmut Esslinger, who established frog design, and who had a contract with Apple during the early '80s, and who essentially created the design language for the breakthrough Apple IIc, which is one of the icons in the Apple collection.) There is another aspect to the temporal relationship that Wagener has with the vehicles that he and his team design, one that is not about the storied past of many great Mercedes vehicles: "It is my job to create the future," he states, plainly. Make no mistake. Wagener has a vision, a vision that he is singularly dedicated to realizing: "Design is not democratic." INTRODUCING THE E-CLASS The occasion of meeting with Wagener is based on the world debut of the Mercedes E-Class. This car is a "business-class sedan," but the business isn't boring, stufy or otherwise stultifying. At 193.8 inches in length, it is 1.7 inches longer than the model it replaces. The wheelbase, at 115.7 inches, is up two inches, so there are short overhangs. The hood is long (notably, in what could be consider Rams-like efciency, the vehicle will launch with a 245-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four) and the roofine is coupe-like as it arcs through space. The 10th-generation E-Class has a strong feature line running from fore to aft. The rear When Wagener sets about to create a new Mercedes, he aims at something that will be iconic. Something that will last and be admired. 26 COVER STORY