GeaKana

Hello everybody!
I'm new here.....this is my first "real" post.
I have a question 4 ya:-What does everyone think 'bout the CLE project ......It's goin' 2 b the world's first 4 door coupe & a competitor 4 the 6 series.My personal opinion is that they should have used 2 doors 2 make it a real contender.

DtS

First of all: Welcome to MBworld!

Secondly: If this is the way the CLE is going to look, I really can't say I like it. The rear reminds me too much of 80's camaro. The front looks ok, but the rear don't look good at all (not on this car anyway) IMHO.

Well, I think that a 4-door coupé (wich is a contradiction in itself, but I'm sure it's feasable in some way...) would be a pretty good idea, just to create a new car segment. I mean, if you'd like a real coupé (2 doors) MB offers both the CLK and the CL, making another 2 door coupé pretty redundant.

Callaway

Hang on a minute!

What is a CLE?
Where does it fit into the model lineup and what will/would it replace?

It looks to me to be just an alternative design that could have been used instead of the current E Class shape,with the rear doors just slightly smaller,using the coupe grille.

I thought that if you wanted a mid sized 4 door car you went for the E Class and if you needed only 2 then you went for a CLK.

Please explain!

GeaKana

Well...the CLE is intended to be the 6 series competitor...it's based on the E-Klasse......just like the 6-series is based on the future 5 series.......on the other hand ,the CLK is a competitor for the 3 series coupe (future 4 series)

Tezta

Welcome GeaKana,

I think that this is just another rendering of the current W211. But i really like the design, if they were serious about adding this to the line up, i think the logical move would be to minus the 2 rear doors, and turn it into the replacement for the C215 CL 500.

Nick

A 4 door coupe is an oxymoron........what next a?
a 2 door Limo?

ghova

I like the car. I wish Mercedes would build it. My thing is that I've never seen an automobile that they plan on bringing to the market this complete (except the SLR). Usually the car is disguised or being driven in the desert somewhere. Just my thought.

Callaway

But wait a second, Gea Kana!

The new BMW 6 series is going to be a coupe,so why build a 4 door car to compete with it.

Logic would state that Benz would produce another slightly larger CLK coupe design to run against it.

Another 4 door mid size car will just take sales away from the new E Class and not tackle the BMW 6 head on.

Where's the logic?

uag

I like the looks of the CLE and hope MB buids it!

Dema

It doesn't look good for me. What is audience of this car? Young people?

GeaKana

Yes..I understand what u're sayin'.....my thoughts r the same.......a true competitor 4 the 6 series should have 2 doors,good engines & 'bout the same size......anyway...this pic is just a p-shop .....but the idea with 4 doors is real........btw...Audi also wants a 6 series competitor based on the A6...& they also wanted 4 doors but they closed that project..(4 door)....they're gonna build a "standard" coupe.....who knows?....maybe Mercedes will also change their plans.....after seein' the customers reaction 2 a prototype.....'cuz this thing isn't even a prototype....

jco-amg

W211 Coupe is a great idea...a 4dr is a LOUSY idea...alot of extra weight and expense...less body stiffness...for very very little gain!

ciscobigot

I wonder what chassis this car will be on? Will it share a the chassis with the new E, will share the chassis with the CLK, or is it completely new? I think we will see many renditions of the car before it becomes reality.

amg55

Logic would dictate that any CLE type coupe would be based on the E chassis, since the CLK coupe is already based on the C chassis.

I agree that 4 door coupes make very little sense.

I've looked at the new 6 series spy pics, and the photoshopped CLE shown above wouldn't swing much market share away from the BMW.

Additionally, BMW does not expect to sell a lot of 6's. It's definitely supposed to be a niche car.

Callaway

I agree,if Mercedes wants to take on the new BMW 6 series they already have two existing cars to do it,the CLK and the SL.

Both are more then capable of taking on the 6 series no matter what size it turns up in.

Bora20

Who is going to fit through that back door if is not a suicide door?

94e320portline

I think the Mercedes Benz engineers have had alittle too much time on their hands, I guess redesigning the E class, CLK, Face lifting the S, ML, CL, having recently rediesigned the SL and currently redesigning the SLK isn't enough for them.

KnightRider

I think it looks excellent, I hope they build the way it is in the pics or as close to them as possible. Don't mind the rear door, not a major thing for me. Looks good with or without it.

amb9800

According to a couple sources, the original idea for the CLE had suicide doors, but then they did structural testing and found that such a huge area of open door space greatly hampers structural integrity - so they made them tiny conventional doors.

I think the rear doors aren't necessary. The 6-series is just a big coupe, so why can't MB do the same. Consumers will think this is just a 'sporty version' of the E class that has less rear space. Instead, they should take out the rear doors and redesign the layout to make it a big coupe vs. this '4-door sedan coupe' idea.

Callaway

Then they may have a problem of stealing sales from their current big coupe, the CL.

MarcusBenz

The same people who sit in the back seat of a Lexus SC430!!!! LOL

amb9800

The CL is more of a grand-tourer idea than this CLE would be. If they made the CLE more performance-oriented, sporty, etc. that would solve the problem because the CL doesn't really cover that area. Except maybe the CL55 - but the idea would be to make the entire CLE lineup sportier and emphasize that aspect.

That would allow it to compete very effectively with BMW, and would also distance it from the rest of the MB coupes.