Our New Baby!

[MBRedux]

We just took delivery of our specially ordered new member to the family. A brand new 2012 C300 4-Matic. We had hoped that Mercedes would have made the C350 available in 4-Matic for the States since they just recently introduced the Coupe with that option. Nope, that sadly didn't happen so we settled for the smaller 3.0L engine since 4 wheel drive is necessary in our family. We are avid skiers. That's our only disappointment. (Sorry for the iPhone pictures. Better ones will come after some mods and the removal of the lower chrome trim.) It's loaded except for the rear spoiler (didn't like the new rear spoiler design for the 300) and the Panorama roof. 197 Obsidian Black Metallic (Available through Special Order Only for 2012) PO1 Premium 1 Pkg 07P German Built 318 Leather Pkg Sahara Beige/Black 319 Bi-Xenon Lighting Pkg / Washing System 320 Multimedia Pkg 333 Sport Sedan Pkg 731 Wood Trim 786 18" AMG Style 5-Spoke Wheels w/Pirelli P-Zero/Nero All Season M+S / Staggered 889 KEYLESS-GO 917 PZEV Emissions for All USA

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[snarlingchicken]

Looks great! Am I to foresee plans for a yakima roof/bike rack or anything?

[MBRedux]

Originally Posted by snarlingchicken

Looks great! Am I to foresee plans for a yakima roof/bike rack or anything?

Thanks!!!! Yes, ski racks, only seasonal though. C350 type rear spoiler (maybe roof spoiler as well, not sure) coil-overs, chip.

[Domm]

Congratulations. I would recommend changing your tires though. The tires you have now are summer tires, unless you have winter tires you'll put on later?

[MBRedux]

Originally Posted by Domm

Congratulations. I would recommend changing your tires though. The tires you have now are summer tires, unless you have winter tires you'll put on later?

Thanks! Actually they are not summer tires, they're Pirelli PZero-Nero All Season.




In fact, that's why they're coming off for the summer in favor of these...

ContiExtremeContact DW's



I'll throw the Pirelli's onto some aftermarket wheels for winter use! We use Thule chains when things get rough.

[Glyn M Ruck]

Very nice ~ enjoy!

[MinnBobber]

MBRedux----

Niiice.

Tire question, I was just browsing at Conti Extreme Contact DWS over
at Tirerack but the tread looks way different than your pic.
I'll try to post pic but it may not work?? Won't let me copy/paste

If someone knows how-can you post the pic?

[Domm]

Nice. I'm switching over to Conti DW as well when my treads wear out. Those chains look intense. Does the part that attaches to the bolt keep it from sliding off? I know conventional tire chains wrap around the entire wheel while this seems to hang onto the center of the tread.

MinnBobber, the pictures of the Conti Extreme Contact are the DW (dry, wet), which is a summer tire. You're looking at the DWS (dry, wet, snow), which is an all-season tire so the treads are different.

[LandSeaAir]

Those 18" AMGs are soooo nice! I want them so bad, I don't think I've found any aftermarket wheel that looks better (to me). I wish they weren't so expensive!

Congrats!

[cswang]

Curious. How did you get the Pirellis? I bought the C350 "Sport" Sedan with the same 5 spoke AMG wheels and were given Continental Touring tires? Would have been much happier with Pirellis. Did you have to ask for them?

[MBRedux]

Originally Posted by MinnBobber

MBRedux----

Niiice.

Tire question, I was just browsing at Conti Extreme Contact DWS over
at Tirerack but the tread looks way different than your pic.
I'll try to post pic but it may not work?? Won't let me copy/paste

If someone knows how-can you post the pic?

Thanks!!! DW's and DW-S's are two completely different tyres! Although the DW-S (it's just another all season tyre) looks aggressive, the sidewalls are too squishy for me. Plus the rubber is too nubby.

Nice looking All-Season tread yes, but very squishy on the road during hot summer days IMO.

However the ExtremeContactDW below is strictly a Super High Performance Summer tyre, with stiff sidewalls and will only last 2-3 seasons since the wear on these sticky tyres are very fast.

They may share the Conti DW name, but they are made completely different, especially the sidewall.

[venchka]

I'm confused. Did the GLK go in trade for the C300? Curious.

Wayne

[MBRedux]

Originally Posted by Domm

Nice. I'm switching over to Conti DW as well when my treads wear out. Those chains look intense. Does the part that attaches to the bolt keep it from sliding off? I know conventional tire chains wrap around the entire wheel while this seems to hang onto the center of the tread.

MinnBobber, the pictures of the Conti Extreme Contact are the DW (dry, wet), which is a summer tire. You're looking at the DWS (dry, wet, snow), which is an all-season tire so the treads are different.

Thanks again guys...! The chains are held in place by the bolts, but on this model, its not meant to be driven on hard pavement, or even mud/gravel/dirt etc... Packed snow only!

[MBRedux]

Originally Posted by Glyn M Ruck

Very nice ~ enjoy!

Mucho gracias!

[MBRedux]

Originally Posted by venchka

I'm confused. Did the GLK go in trade for the C300? Curious.

Wayne

Nope... we dumped the Q5!

[MBRedux]

Originally Posted by cswang

Curious. How did you get the Pirellis? I bought the C350 "Sport" Sedan with the same 5 spoke AMG wheels and were given Continental Touring tires? Would have been much happier with Pirellis. Did you have to ask for them?

It's a spin of the dice... our 2010 GLK 350-4Matic came with Dunlop's, where the remaining 90% got Pirelli's!

[jetflyboy]

This is going to be the envy of the neighborhood...and me

[MBRedux]

Quality Control Update
To be critical, there are a few exterior body panels that don't fit very well. My Nissan is flawless, but this C does have a few. Passenger door to front fender is offset. The fuel filler door sticks out way beyond the rear quarter panel (not flush at all & there's no adjustment for it that I can see) and the driver-side doors aren't flush with each other either!

There was a small water leak coming from the return house in the engine bay, and the rubber engine bay surround seal wasn't secured. The rear bumper was attached correctly but the installer on the drivers side failed to remove the edge protector-tape along the edge with the rear fended body panel. Had to remove wheel/tire, detach bumper along that edge, remove ugly protective tape, reassemble. Other than that, the car is very nice and is an added welcome.

The interior will be a PITA alright. A little too *bright* for me and will need extra care to keep it clean. Believe me, I would have preferred MB-TEX but this color combo was not available in Tex.

[EngineerGuY]

Gorgeous looking family member! Love it!

[whitec35008]

Wow she is a beauty, a clean obs. black looks the best IMO, congrats.

[MBRedux]

^^

[MDMercedesGuy]

Originally Posted by MBRedux

It's loaded except for the rear spoiler (didn't like the new rear spoiler design for the 300)

Which spoiler did you not care for?

My 250 has kind of a chunky, squared off spoiler - and right at the middle it almost comes to a point. The 300 I looked at before I ordered mine wa more curved and kind of kicked up at the middle.

I have seen a couple of other 250s and 300s with the same spoiler as I have, so I thought that the one I saw at the dealer might have been an odd one-off until the other day. There's a 2012 C300 at my partner's apartment complex with the curved spoiler that has started parking by me when I am over there. I think I like my spoiler better - but it would have been nice to have had a choice.

[MBRedux]

1st mod: As promised, removed lower door chrome trim. Total time = 22 min. both sides.

[LandSeaAir]

Originally Posted by MBRedux

1st mod: As promised, removed lower door chrome trim. Total time = 22 min. both sides.

Now that I got my AMG 18s, this picture has inspired me to take off my rear lip spoiler, in this pic with those wheels the car look awesome without it.

[f1steele]

Originally Posted by MBRedux

1st mod: As promised, removed lower door chrome trim. Total time = 22 min. both sides.

It looks really nice. How do you remove it?