Page 1 of 1 At the 2004 Paris Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz will be presenting its exclusive special-edition CLK-Class Cabriolet personalized by the renowned Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani. The colours and materials used give the succesful four-seater Mercedes cabriolet a highly distinctive look. And thanks to a special paint in a warm sand tone and an interior of high-quality materials to match, the Giorgio Armani cabriolet exudes a luxurious, sporty and masculine air. Only 100 units of this elegant vehicle will be offered worldwide as part of the exclusive Mercedes-Benz designo range. The designo range allows discerning customers to personalise their Mercedes-Benz using a selection of exclusive material and paint finish options. Each of the 100 vehicles represents the common design philosophy of Mercedes-Benz and Giorgio Armani and will be issued with a certificate that confirms its limited-edition status. The idea for the collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and the Milan-based fashion designer arose following the automaker's five city tour sponsoring of the Salomon R. Guggenheim's 'Giorgio Armani: Retrospective' exhibition. A Mercedes-Benz CLK Design show car was then developed that was unveiled during Milan Fashion Week in Autumn 2003.
Encouraged by the positive feedback to the show car, Mercedes-Benz decided to launch a limited-edition version under its exclusive designo range, which claims the competence to customize Mercedes-Benz cars on individual demands by working with the finest materials and special effect paints. The entire vehicle exterior is painted in an Armani-trademark matt sand colour, with discreet green shading. The unique matt paint was developed by Mercedes-Benz and translates the lines of the CLK-Class Cabriolet in a very effective way. Glossy black decorative elements in various places add an extra touch. The roof covering, the colour of which was carefully chosen to complement the vehicle body, was developed exclusively for this high-class limited-edition series.
Inside, the seating fabric and a high-tech silk matt film harmonise with the colour of the exterior paint job. Giorgio Armani has achieved surprising effects, partly by removing materials from their traditional contexts and combining them in unusual ways to create something new. For example, he has taken cuoio, a prized saddle leather often seen in the 1940s and 1950s yet rarely used today, and combined it with high-tech sportswear textiles. Thanks to the three-dimensional textile structure, the seats and other parts of the vehicle are well ventilated. In the limited-edition cabriolet, all of the interior decorative elements, which would normally be made of wood, are covered with brown leather, quilted in parts. The anthracite-coloured multi-functional steering wheel is covered with finely perforated leather. To avoid disruptive reflections in the windscreen, the upper section of the instrument panel is also dark in colour. The lower section repeats the shade of the exterior, creating an interesting contrast. To keep reflections to a minimum, Giorgio Armani decided not to use shiny chrome inside the vehicle. Instead, all of the metal trim has a high-quality, matt "aged" look. Page 1 of 1
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CLK 500 Cabriolet 'Giorgio Armani'
At the 2004 Paris Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz will be presenting its exclusive special-edition CLK-Class Cabriolet personalized by the renowned Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani. The colours and materials used give the succesful four-seater Mercedes cabriolet a highly distinctive look. And thanks to a special paint in a warm sand tone and an interior of high-quality materials to match, the Giorgio Armani cabriolet exudes a luxurious, sporty and masculine air. Only 100 units of this elegant vehicle will be offered worldwide as part of the exclusive Mercedes-Benz designo range. The designo range allows discerning customers to personalise their Mercedes-Benz using a selection of exclusive material and paint finish options. Each of the 100 vehicles represents the common design philosophy of Mercedes-Benz and Giorgio Armani and will be issued with a certificate that confirms its limited-edition status. The idea for the collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and the Milan-based fashion designer arose following the automaker's five city tour sponsoring of the Salomon R. Guggenheim's 'Giorgio Armani: Retrospective' exhibition. A Mercedes-Benz CLK Design show car was then developed that was unveiled during Milan Fashion Week in Autumn 2003.