California

Hey fellow coupe owners. Have you guys noticed that the new w203 based "CLC" Euro coupe for 2009 has resolved the ugly issues on our coupes?

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2008/01...-official.html

Yep. They lifted the butt. They removed the see through window thingy on the back hatch. They put on a huge new grille star (finally... that tiny MB star on the grille really kills our coupes' look, imho)

They changed the lights to the new MB look (I can take that or leave it)

But more importantly, they retrofitted the butts of our coupe.

Took out the top part off the tail lights. Inserted metal there instead. Widened the tail light look as it wraps way over into the license plate area.

Most importantly for me at least, they lifted the badge line and put the badging along the former hatch window.

All these additions, especially to the butt of the coupe, really make a difference. They corrected some of the lines of the car. I am glad some MB designer got it. The added "weight" of the missing top piece off the tail lights makes a difference. Not so ugly anymore. Even from the side. Standard 18" wheels, too.

SO OF COURSE I WANT TO UPGRADE:

I want the new grille.

I want to rebadge across my hatch window.

How do I get my MB Star to attach along the window? Anyone know? Read on another thread that they have two pins holding it in place. So I need to drill into the plastic window?

Grilles available in May. Can't wait.

MJ50

FYI, those parts will not fit on ur car...

California

I know I will have to retrofit. But I smashed up my hood a tiny bit a while back and I might as well have the MB body guy I know rig up the new grill at the same time.

I am curious if the new hatch would fit our old hatch in one piece.

Don't forget, most MB dealers said the 05 coupe grilles would not fit on an 04. They were wrong. Slight retrofitting needed.

MJ50

good luck

benz_addict

I want that COMAND and cluster

SeaCoupe

Do it and document the heck out of it. I like the look. Rear looks easy to do. Front, not so much.

Nice to hear the 3.5 will make an appearance. I wonder if there are even plans to import it?

E

KIRA

the rear end look like the "new" lincoln...

tommy

Hmm - the plastic window may have looked a bit odd from the outside, but it did help a lot with rearward visibility.

I do like that they've finally done rpms in one digit like every other manufacturer does; that was a pet peeve of mine.

Overall, it looks like someone took an existing W203 ccoupe, and slapped Depo projectors on it - I'd prefer much more of a redesign than just a facelift on the outside. Inside's a wash for me; hate the steering wheel, but everything else looks more upscale.

KIRA

the rear is "EXACTLY" the same as the old one, but just new style trunk, and tail ight

California

Yes, that little window totally helps with rearward visibility. I've noticed that I really have to be careful lane changing on the freeway. Wonder how they justified that safety wise. But with the butt lift, and taking out the top of the rear tails and rebadging across the former rear window, it does look a lot better, designwise.

I am really going to figure out how to get a new CLC grille on it and rebadge over my rear window. My black coupe already has 05 tails that are smoked; I may totally "smoke out" the top portion of the taillights to make it look more congruous with the new CLC look. (I suppose if I had a white coupe, I'd "white out" the top of the tail lights somehow.

Anyway, I think it looks better. And I drool over the iPod bluetooth Comand functionality.

Bet it's only a Euro car though.

jedcred

I wonder how hard it would be (just curious, I don't want to do this myself) to get a facelifted hood, bumper, fenders, lights, and grille and pop it onto an older coupe? I can't imagine them changing toooo much behind all that, though the light mounts are probably different, just from looking on the outside.

Also, I concur with the above points about the old rear hatch glass. It's great for parking and the like; looks be damned.

Personally, the new "thick" look of cars (sorry, that's the best way I can describe it) doesn't do it for me. Plus, that rear line of lights is just driving me up the wall. Looks way too cheap and doesn't fit with the design of the rest of the car, IMO.

slammer111

Those are some seriously sweet mirror. They stick farther out too! Wondering if these can be retrofitted to a W203... i'd pay for that. Euro mirrors too

advans

IMO, Mercedes can never make the c-coupe more "sedan like" like how the 3ers make their coupes, because if they did, it would kill the CLK. Since the CLK is usually on the level with 3er coupes.

FrankW

that's because the C-coupe isn't on the market to compete the 3-series coupe. It's on the market to compete with the 3-series hatch the "Ti" models. why? because they know by selling the CLK as the C coupe and follow the C-class engine line-up they simply can't compete with the 3-series for being more sporty and driver's car. by selling the CLK with engine line-up mirroring the E-class it brings the CLK up market and doesn't compete with the 3-series.

advans

I think the new c coupe will kinda be compared to the 1 series.

Usually, on comparision wise, the CLK is usually affiliated with 3er coupes