The 2011 Mercedes-Benz Shooting Brake concept shows the influence of both the CLS sedan and SLS sports car.

Few recent designs have had more of an impact on industry styling than the coupe-like Mercedes-Benz CLS.  The sweeping shape, blending elegant form with functionality, has strongly influenced any number of competitive offerings, from BMW to Volkswagen, as well as a variety of U.S. and Asian makers.

And it’s inspiring some creative efforts right inside Mercedes German design studios, as these images of the CLS-like Shooting Brake concept wagon suggest.  From a side view, the influence of Mercedes’ Coupe-Like-Sedan is immediately apparent, though there’s also a touch of the new, gullwinged SLS roadster in the nose of the new concept vehicle – which will make its debut at the upcoming Beijing Motor Show.

With the grand proliferation we’ve seen in the luxury market, in recent years, it’s increasingly common to see one maker life another’s design.  That happened with the swooping form of the original CLS sedan.  Here, however, Mercedes seems to be responding to arch-rival BMW’s new 5-Series Grand Turismo line – but rather than echoing the heavy and angular Bavarian shape, Mercedes has repurposed the sleek likes of the CLS.

This is clearly not the sort of wagon Baby Boomers grew up with, and with more and more manufacturers looking to revive the moribund segment in the U.S. market, this CLS Shooting Brake could shatter long-standing opposition to the wagon.  In other parts of the world, like Europe, this Shooting Brake concept could stretch already strong demand for two-box models even further.

Silver metallic seating accents the matte metalic interior design details.

On the inside, the concept is designed for four, with identical sport-style seats, front and back.  They’re covered in a metallic silver leather, which compliments the matte-finish metal accents of the interior.  A large wood console effectively divides the passenger car into quadrants, and in the rear, it’s finished in large inlaid wood lettering harkening back to the 1920s in style.

What you see may be what you get, though we’ll have to wait for the Beijing news conference to get definitive word on whether the CLS Shooting Brake comes to market.  (And as for the name, Mercedes prefers to call its concept a Shooting Break, the correct, if not classic, spelling for a European wagon.)  Our sources say it likely will join the next-generation CLS sedan in Mercedes showrooms.

The challenge with a vehicle like the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake is to balance form and function.

And that means the powertrain in the concept is also likely to be set for production.  Make that powertrains, for the automaker will reveal a turbo-direct injected 3.5-liter V6 expected to make at least 300 horsepower, along with a 435 hp V8 and the de rigeur AMG offering, which will boast a 5.5 liter V8.  Unlike the 6.3, naturally-aspirated AMG engine, this package is expected to se turbocharging and direct injection to yield 563 hpo and 664 lb-ft torque.