Un-camoflaged E at GCF
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 5,517
Likes: 20
From: Las Vegas, NV
2011 E350 Cabriolet..White and Almond Mocha
Un-camoflaged E at GCF
Picture of the new facelifted E are posted on GCF. Not much of a change.
http://www.germancarfans.com/spyphot...id/6060116.002
http://www.germancarfans.com/spyphot...id/6060116.002
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 627
Likes: 1
From: The Earth
Mercedes all the way!
sorry, but i think it stinks! what's with the front bumper treatment (dropping all the way down) and the rear lights, which seems to have grown bigger?
i'm fervently hoping this is NOT how it's gona look...
i'm fervently hoping this is NOT how it's gona look...
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 5,517
Likes: 20
From: Las Vegas, NV
2011 E350 Cabriolet..White and Almond Mocha
Originally Posted by Kar don
those are pshops guys. The proportions are off.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,783
Likes: 21
From: San Diego
2004 E320
The bigger grill, new bumper, side mirrors, & new trunk will eventually grow on me, but those taillights (the area of the rear qtr fender) are just hideous, especially with that partition to match the body paint. 
Trending Topics
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 5,465
Likes: 0
From: Palm Beach, FL
'03 Yukon XL Denali, '06 Eclipse GS
Changes I see include the grille, bumper (of course), possibly tweaked side skirts, sideview mirrors, tail lights and maybe even the headlights (they seem different to me... maybe it's just me.)
MB World Stories
The Best of Mercedes & AMG
6 Mercedes Models That Did NOT Age Well (But Are Somehow Still Cool)
Verdad Gallardo
Manual Mercedes? 6 Times Sindelfingen Let Drivers Have All The Fun
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes SLR McLaren 722 S Is Extremely Rare Example Modified by McLaren
Verdad Gallardo
8 Classic Boxy Mercedes Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine
Verdad Gallardo
Flawlessly Restored Mercedes 190E Evo II Heads to Auction
Verdad Gallardo
Electric Mercedes C-Class Unveiled: 11 Things You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes EQS Gets A Major Update: Everything You Need to Know
Verdad Gallardo
5 Underrated Mercedes-Benz Models That Don't Get the Love They Deserve
Verdad Gallardo
Mercedes 300D Has Pushed Well Past 1 Million Miles and It Ain't Stopping
Verdad Gallardo
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
The article which accompany those photos states that "a very minor strip of tape was removed by computer". I believe it is the tail light which was photoshopped. If you look closely at the tail-light, the silver portion was tape over to make the lights look like the current one. Perhaps, the portion was red in color and edited to resemble those tail-light on the CLK which I believe will be on the facelifted E.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 5,640
Likes: 11
From: GMT -8 hours
Mercedes-Benz
the shape and size of the rear tail light def wont be changing... thats quite a tooling change sheet metal wise. That front grill is clearly touched up and same with that front end. It will look similar but not quite as rough as the above pic.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,017
Likes: 16
From: Ft. Lauderdale Area, USA
2015 ML 350
The grille in the photo on this page is clearely PS'd. Its very sharply defined in an otherwise softly focused picture... It has a "pasted in" look, to those unfamiliar with computer graphics tools.
The tail light lens looks PS'd around the outline of the white portion of the lens, because lines dissapear unnaturally, not the whole tail light lens shape itself relative to the sheet metal cut out.
A redesign of the white & red portions of the lens is a good cheap way to freshen the rear of a car for very little (relatively speaking) expense... a BIG bang for the buck for an auto manufacturer to make some current owners think their current car looks dated, and other, non owners to notice a "refreshing change" to the car, possibly "visually linking" the car to their more expensive model. This gets non owners to come to the car & owners to upgrade/trade.
Changing the door mirrors is a nice idea, if done well. The current ones are stylish, but the glass area & shape is a tiny bit small.
Re designing the full front or rear end sheet metal, leads to very costly testing & recertification of the "new" car. That's why even US manufacturers don't change headlights/tail lights/grille/bumper every model year like they used to do years ago to instantly outdate "last years model". Usually a "freshening" is done by changing the dashboard/door panels/radio-face/seat upholstery's tucks-stitching or colors midway thru a model's run. Its all cheep, quick & instantly noticeable.
The tail light lens looks PS'd around the outline of the white portion of the lens, because lines dissapear unnaturally, not the whole tail light lens shape itself relative to the sheet metal cut out.
A redesign of the white & red portions of the lens is a good cheap way to freshen the rear of a car for very little (relatively speaking) expense... a BIG bang for the buck for an auto manufacturer to make some current owners think their current car looks dated, and other, non owners to notice a "refreshing change" to the car, possibly "visually linking" the car to their more expensive model. This gets non owners to come to the car & owners to upgrade/trade.
Changing the door mirrors is a nice idea, if done well. The current ones are stylish, but the glass area & shape is a tiny bit small.
Re designing the full front or rear end sheet metal, leads to very costly testing & recertification of the "new" car. That's why even US manufacturers don't change headlights/tail lights/grille/bumper every model year like they used to do years ago to instantly outdate "last years model". Usually a "freshening" is done by changing the dashboard/door panels/radio-face/seat upholstery's tucks-stitching or colors midway thru a model's run. Its all cheep, quick & instantly noticeable.
Last edited by Barry45RPM; Jan 16, 2006 at 03:59 PM.
Thread Starter
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 5,517
Likes: 20
From: Las Vegas, NV
2011 E350 Cabriolet..White and Almond Mocha
PhotoShop'd or not...the same features appear on three different cars (license plates or wheels show this) and from at least two different sources. It appears to me these pictures represent the extent of the changes for the upcoming facelift. The tail light red tape was removed and the tail light will probably have body color strip like the new S.
I agree with your summation of the redesign problems with sheet metal and such.
I agree with your summation of the redesign problems with sheet metal and such.
Almost a Member!
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
05 w211 w/appearance package and 19" presidentials
I wish that they would make the front bumper come down just a bit lower, or atleast lower the whole car in general like the euro spec ones of even the same height as the E55. I think the tailights are going to make the car more sportier, but its a car that is really made based on its luxury I think.
Super Member
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 583
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh, PA
This may sound crazy but I hope that those pictures are them because I don't want it looking better than mine! I am strange about cars but I HATE having one that is out of date so the more subtle or worse the changes the better for me
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 627
Likes: 1
From: The Earth
Mercedes all the way!
hmm... i'd really rather have CLS style side mirrors... but not sure if they'd "fit" in the design theme of the E... =)
beginning to accept that front bumper - but i still think it's unnecessarily masculine. i've always called my E "my girl"... now it's grown into a teenaged boy, and a square-jawed one at that, lol. i just don't think it fits the flowing lines of the rest of the car well... i mean, it'd look great on the new S, which is much more angular...
beginning to accept that front bumper - but i still think it's unnecessarily masculine. i've always called my E "my girl"... now it's grown into a teenaged boy, and a square-jawed one at that, lol. i just don't think it fits the flowing lines of the rest of the car well... i mean, it'd look great on the new S, which is much more angular...
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,968
Likes: 2
From: FL410
'05 E320 CDI, '08 BMW X5 4.8i, '11 Duramax 2500HD
I can honestly say .. I don't like it.
I don't like the new bumper / lower grill, and I don't like the mirrors (at least on the E).. this solidifies my resolve not to exchange my CDI for a '07 now... between the V6 engine, and the cosmetics, and all of the cost cutting and removal of standard features, it's a great step backwards IMHO.
I don't like the new bumper / lower grill, and I don't like the mirrors (at least on the E).. this solidifies my resolve not to exchange my CDI for a '07 now... between the V6 engine, and the cosmetics, and all of the cost cutting and removal of standard features, it's a great step backwards IMHO.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,348
Likes: 0
From: Northern NJ
2014 BMW 550i
Well I hope those tail lights are PS'ed, because they look like a POS! Absolutely hideous is the first reaction I have. But the changes to the front are generally nice. I hope that Bluetooth is also going to be an option.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,968
Likes: 2
From: FL410
'05 E320 CDI, '08 BMW X5 4.8i, '11 Duramax 2500HD
Originally Posted by alewifebp
Well I hope those tail lights are PS'ed, because they look like a POS! Absolutely hideous is the first reaction I have. But the changes to the front are generally nice. I hope that Bluetooth is also going to be an option.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 5,017
Likes: 16
From: Ft. Lauderdale Area, USA
2015 ML 350
In the US, if you order the lights as an option only the top (Brake Light) portion of the tail light assembly will be LED. The bottom portion of the assembly is never LED. .. but you have to order LED tail lights as an option. I believe they are standard on our E55 only.
When I ordered my car, I mistakenly thought that the LED tail lights were included as part of 2004's "Lighting Package", but they weren't, so I don't have them and would have wanted them. I don't have them still because I can't stand having to take my lights off the car & throw them away & pay for and install the LED lights. ...Oh well...
When I ordered my car, I mistakenly thought that the LED tail lights were included as part of 2004's "Lighting Package", but they weren't, so I don't have them and would have wanted them. I don't have them still because I can't stand having to take my lights off the car & throw them away & pay for and install the LED lights. ...Oh well...
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,348
Likes: 0
From: Northern NJ
2014 BMW 550i
LED's, at least on my 2004 model, came standard with the Appearance Package, old Sports Package only, and the E55. It does not seem like that is the case anymore. I don't know why. I was impressed to find out that the 2006 Honda Accord comes with LED tail lights. They should at least be an option on the E.
