C-class

After a recent facelift to freshen its appeal, the C-class will continue unchanged until early next year when it will receive Mercedes?new four-valve-per-cylinder V6 petrol and diesel engines and optional 7G-Tronic seven-speed auto. Under discussion for the UK is a four-wheel drive C350 4matic model.

Early development work on the third-generation C-class has started but don't expect anything before 2007.

C-Class Sports Coupe

Having just received a subtle mid-life facelift and reworked four-cylinder engines, the
C-class Sports Coup? Won't see much change until early 2005 when it, too, adopts the new four-valve 3.5-litre V6.

A second-generation model is due in 2007 and will be based on the same rear-drive underpinnings as the new SLK; expect a separate coup?and soft-top.

http://www.autocarmagazine.com/news_...p?na_id=207471

 

Mercedes said over a decade ago that it would not be possible to meet coming emission control standards (such as EU-3) with a four valve design. So all their Vee engines got the lame three valve heads, the concept being that the exhaust temperature needs to be kept high to make the cats warm up sooner than they would otherwise, helping with emissions certification.

In hindsight it was a bad idea, as BMW in particular has been kicking their **** in specific HP and fuel economy - plus meeting all emission standards with ease - with their four valve inline sixes and V8s.

Interestingly, M-B never did apply the three valve idea to the M111 engine (thank you!), probably because they thought it'd be phased out before EU-3 standards came into force.

So with 4 valve Vee engines, I imagine these revised powerplants should become a lot more fuel efficient and powerful...

 

Wouldn't you wish they kept I-6, though?

 

Not a bad idea for the time. Consider that when the four valve motors were making 190-215HP, MB was getting just as much from 3. And meeting the emmisions standards on the cheap.

Not everything works out the way the engineers envisioned....Toyotas attempt to increase combustion chamber temps turned out to create sludge in the motors, leading to a horrendous seizure rate on its 3.0 L V6.

I'm anxious to see the new 3.5 in the coupe...with the coming pedestrian regs in Europe, I think the current coupe might be the highwater mark, as hoodlines have to rise to meet these idiotic regulations.

 

My guess would that around January of 2005 we will get the 7G-Tronic and the new 3.5 engine.