Mercedes-Benz cool? Apparently it is. I’d always thought it distinguished, high status, the epitome of engineering achievement. But cool? Maybe it’s me. Not absolutely sure what cool is. Asked number one daughter: “Are you trying to hang out with the cool kids?” She identified, “Sock hop Red Bull trendy enjoyed by youff and up-to-the-minute.” Number one not much help.
The Centre for Brand Analysis put 1200 brands in order of innovation, originality, style, authenticity, desirability and uniqueness - or cool - and Mercedes-Benz is delighted at coming 16th. Aston Martin was third coolest after Apple and YouTube. Rob Halloway of Mercedes-Benz came to the rescue: "Coolness is in the perception of others. Cool things have a certain style, elegance and swagger. Cool people have these and cool brands blend a timeless quality with absolute topicality. It sounds like an oxymoron, but that’s what makes cool “cool”. Like style over fashion, cool endures where trendiness tends to be transient.”

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT Official F1™ Safety Car saw a lot of action in Singapore

So that’s OK then. Other coolies were Twitter, Google, BBC iPlayer, Glastonbury, Virgin Atlantic, Bang & Olufsen, Liberty, Sony, Bose, Häagen-Dazs, Selfridges, Ben & Jerrys, Mercedes-Benz, Vogue, Skype, Nike and Niko. Liberty? Selfridges? All those ice-creams? I suppose they have to keep cool. Vogue? I will keep Mercedes distinguished, high status etc., and remember 1950s motor racing when it was über alles, 30 years before Vorsprung durch Technik. Now it is only a front runner by virtue of supplying Mclaren with engines. Red Bull Renault leads the constructors (297). McLaren Mercedes (261), Ferrari (245), Lotus-Renault (231), works Mercedes-Benz (136). That’s not cool.

Sebastian Vettel takes second successive Singapore Grand Prix for Red Bull Renault