New Mercedes cabrio may not be the brand’s top convertible, but it got to the top of Monte Bianco, the highest peak in the Alps.
For certain automakers, it’s not enough to just unveil a new vehicle and wait for the applause to die down. They have to show it to the world in an over-the-top dramatic fashion. Mercedes-Benz sure found a way to do that with its 2018 E-Class Cabriolet.
The new E drop-top is longer and wider, and has a longer wheelbase and wider track than the car that it replaces. Rear seat room in particular goes up. An insulated, fully automatic, traditional fabric top – available in dark brown, dark blue, red or black – sits above a redesigned interior trimmed with heat-reflecting leather. AIRSCARF brings heated comfort during top-down driving in cold weather; the available AIRCAP cuts down on interior wind turbulence.
Instead of driving the 2018 E-Class Cabriolet through a breakaway wall or roaring across the stage at an auto show in it, Mercedes took it to Italy for a high-flying trip into the Alps. In the above video, the action starts with some transportation techs placing webs of straps under the E’s tires. Those webs are connected to thick cords that they proceed to carefully hook to a large square framework of metal tubing. Through a collection of cords above, that’s linked to…a helicopter.
After slowly picking the E-Class up from the ground, the chopper takes it high over the Alps. Destination: Monte Bianco (aka Mont Blanc). At 15,774 feet above sea level, it’s the highest mountain in the legendary range. In other words, it’s the perfect place for Mercedes to set its newest convertible down on…but not for actually driving the E Cabrio. Nobody ever said something dramatic has to make sense. If they did, Mercedes never heard them.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
