The Mazda Kabura concept car, above, and the Ford Shelby GR-1 concept, below, were both designed in Irvine. The Kabura shows the influence of California culture in its aggressive stance and tranparent roof.

Mercedes-Benz may be synonymous with German engineering, but Mercedes cars increasingly bear the marks of Orange County designers.

"Each of the cars we have on the road carry a lot of California spirit," said Gorden Wagener, vice president of global advanced design for Mercedes-Benz North America and the head of a 30-person design studio in Irvine. "Here we can discover new things and explore."

Toyota, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda and Mitsubishi also have design studios in Orange County. Studios for BMW, Chrysler, General Motors, Honda, Nissan, Volkswagen and Volvo dot the map from Santa Barbara to San Diego.

Those automakers' newest designs, inspired by Southern California's climate and car culture, are on display at the Orange County Auto Show in Anaheim.

One example is the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The first redesigned version of the sedan in seven years is a product of Mercedes' studios in Germany and Japan as well as Irvine. One locally influenced detail is the option of the traditional sedan hood ornament or the coupe-style grille with the Mercedes three-pointed star in the center.

"We're surprised that 60 percent of people want the coupe, the sportier look," Wagener said.

Southern California's sports history has inspired Mercedes designs since 1990, when the automaker located its first studio outside Germany in Irvine, Wagener said. Orange County's surf and skate industry, daredevil exploits on X games athletes and the innovative use of materials by companies such as Foothill Ranch-based Oakley Inc. all influence the look and feel of auto styling, he said.

For Wagener, 39, a native of Cologne, Germany, there's something in the local water.

"I am a surfer and I was always attracted to the California lifestyle," he said. "I still like to go out and catch waves, to come to work with a fresh head and inspiration."

Wagener prepared a PowerPoint presentation showing California's contributions to the automotive history, starting with some of the world's first gas stations, drive-through restaurants and freeways. Southern California also fostered a multicultural mix of pioneering auto customizers.

Hollywood helped sell cars, from Aston Martin's first appearance in a James Bond movie to Arnold Schwarzenegger's popularization of the Hummer to Brad Pitt's recent arrival at movie premieres in an environmentally friendly Toyota Prius.

Pasadena's Arts Center College of Design is one of the world's leading schools for auto designers. And Southern California's sunlight provides an ideal setting for innovative shapes, colors and materials.

"Southern California is a rich, colorful environment," said David O'Connell, chief designer for Mitsubishi Motors Research & Design of America in Cypress. "Under the nice blue sky, cars with vibrant color pick up the atmosphere."

California's "green" heritage takes form in the latest creation from Mercedes' Irvine design studio: the F700, a hybrid-powered concept car that debuted in September at the Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany. Wagener's team designed the curvaceous, silver-sheathed body, with a dorsal fin and raked grille inspired by a dolphin.

"For the F700, we went with a bionic idea, to look to nature and find clever solutions," Wagener said. "We made a car out of a fish -- beautiful and efficient."