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Our car is expected to come off the assembly line October 2nd. Do the 'new' 2019 C63S's have those ugly 5mph bumper bumps? Or, is it plain? I'm seeing both on people posting picks of the 2019 model.
Yes, but they are only on US models. Other countries don't have the same 5 mph bumper regulation. As far as I understand they are meant to absorb an up to 5 mph straight impact to the rear of the car in a parking lot. I don't mind them too much. They don't look as bad in person and sort of make the bumper less plain. They come in handy as a protection if somebody should bump into the car. I'm not quite understanding how many other cars get away with not having something similar, though. Like the C63 sedan, but I think it has to do with the height at which the bumper sits (it's lower on the coupe) and also the somewhat concave design of the bumper causing damage to other areas during an impact. Just be thankful they don't look like this:
Last edited by superswiss; Aug 22, 2019 at 08:43 PM.
Yes, but they are only on US models. Other countries don't have the same 5 mph bumper regulation. As far as I understand they are meant to absorb an up to 5 mph straight impact to the rear of the car in a parking lot. I don't mind them too much. They don't look as bad in person and sort of make the bumper less plain. They come in handy as a protection if somebody should bump into the car. I'm not quite understanding how many other cars get away with not having something similar, though. Like the C63 sedan, but I think it has to do with the height at which the bumper sits (it's lower on the coupe) and also the somewhat concave design of the bumper causing damage to other areas during an impact. Just be thankful they don't look like this:
I don’t mind it either. It doesn’t look that bad. I’m not sure why they don’t made it like on the E Coupe. It smaller and less protruding.
Yep, these bumper guards (aka Bumperettes) are part of most US and Canadian Mercedes cars (mostly seen in Coupes) which have bumpers that are really low due to regulations (aka 5mph bumper regulations) dating back to 1970s. 2018 C63/C63S coupes (and lot of other cars described below) sold in the US have them.
3) What are the Federal regulations for bumpers?
49 CFR Part 581, "The bumper standard," prescribes performance requirements for passenger cars in low-speed front and rear collisions. It applies to front and rear bumpers on passenger cars to prevent the damage to the car body and safety related equipment at barrier impact speeds of 2� mph across the full width and 1� mph on the corners.
This is equivalent to a 5 mph crash into a parked vehicle of the same weight. The standard requires protection in the region 16 to 20 inches above the road surface, and the manufacturer can provide the protection by any means it wants. For example, some vehicles do not have a solid bumper across the vehicle, but meet the standard by strategically placed bumper guards and corner guards.
As said earlier, even Chiron, 911, AMG GT, CLS53, etc. have this. In some cars they are well integrated and match the shape of the rest of the bumper that it doesn't look out of place, but in C63 it does feel oddly placed.
CLS53
AMG GTR
E coupe
911 Carrera
Chiron
These can be removed but will show holes and will require filling them up, repainting the bumper to have a uniform finish and possibly also color matching with the rest of the body.
Here is one thread where a MBWorld member tried this.
PS: Another recent thread where I shared the same info.
I think it's because yours is black. Hides the ugliness a bit better.
Definitely better without them though. They are ugly, period.
You are probably right that the color matters. But I think it's also because the US license plate is very narrow. The pic above with them removed looks a bit odd to me, kinda naked. I think the EU bumper design looks much better with EU license plates.
Mine with EU export plate (also narrower)
Last edited by superswiss; Aug 23, 2019 at 12:32 PM.
You are probably right that the color matters. But I think it's also because the US license plate is very narrow. The pic above with them removed looks a bit odd to me, kinda naked. I think the EU bumper design looks much better with EU license plates.
I also feel, it's well designed and better integrated into many other models - eg. CLS53. In the GT63, it is poking outside but still slightly better than C63. If the rest of the bumper is almost or at the same level, it gives a better look.
I have seen these bumperettes in cars while driving, and unless I know that I need to look for it, it's not that visible.
From Tux's pics, it looks like a Euro version would fit. So even if I could somehow order one through Ebay UK. However...once I mount it (the bumper) and have a rear-end fender bender, I'm concerned insurance would be denied due to the modification and the fact the mod goes against the NTSB-mandated standards.
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Slideshow: A one-of-one U.S.-spec Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster became even rarer after a factory-backed transformation at McLaren's headquarters.
