new E-Class
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From: Toronto
new E-Class
Mercedes' sixth coupe, codenamed C219, is gearing up for production in the 2005 model year. And these are believed to be the very first pictures of the upcoming four-door coupe.
Our first “official” preview will be at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show next fall - but that will likely be in "concept" guise. The new four-door coupe is scheduled to go on sale in the third quarter of 2004 and will likely be arriving on our shores as a 2005 model.
The new CLE - based on the E-Class sedan - will have four doors, but with sleek coupe styling. Frameless and tinted side windows, a large rear window and coupe-like proportions, as well as many cues up front borrowed from the SL models including the three-point star mounted in the center of the grille round out the elegant styling.
Standard features will include a six-speed automatic transmission, with choices between active body control or Airmatic air suspension. Options and other gizmos will include power armrests, night-vision and a tint-adjustable electrochromatic glass roof. Additional features offered will be an advanced telematics system including a traffic data monitor that provides information including road conditions and traffic congestion.
The new CLE – as it has been commonly referred to – will have a complete engine lineup, including a 3.0-liter V-6 with 231-horsepower for the CLE300, the CLE360 with a 3.6-liter supercharged V-6 with nearly 300 horsepower and a CLE450 with a supercharged V-8 pushing nearly 400 horsepower. In addition, CLE320 and CLE400 versions will be available with a six-cylinder and V-8 turbodiesel engines.
Article from: Car Connection
Our first “official” preview will be at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show next fall - but that will likely be in "concept" guise. The new four-door coupe is scheduled to go on sale in the third quarter of 2004 and will likely be arriving on our shores as a 2005 model.
The new CLE - based on the E-Class sedan - will have four doors, but with sleek coupe styling. Frameless and tinted side windows, a large rear window and coupe-like proportions, as well as many cues up front borrowed from the SL models including the three-point star mounted in the center of the grille round out the elegant styling.
Standard features will include a six-speed automatic transmission, with choices between active body control or Airmatic air suspension. Options and other gizmos will include power armrests, night-vision and a tint-adjustable electrochromatic glass roof. Additional features offered will be an advanced telematics system including a traffic data monitor that provides information including road conditions and traffic congestion.
The new CLE – as it has been commonly referred to – will have a complete engine lineup, including a 3.0-liter V-6 with 231-horsepower for the CLE300, the CLE360 with a 3.6-liter supercharged V-6 with nearly 300 horsepower and a CLE450 with a supercharged V-8 pushing nearly 400 horsepower. In addition, CLE320 and CLE400 versions will be available with a six-cylinder and V-8 turbodiesel engines.
Article from: Car Connection
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From: Southern California, USA
03 White on Stone E320
It looks nice enough, but I really don't understand what market they're going for. The E-Class is beautiful as a regular sedan. The CLK is fine enough. Someone looking for a coupe is going to be judging it by the number of doors it has. If they wanted utility, that's what the E-Class is for (or S or C depending on budget).
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sl and M-class E320 4Matic SLK350
Hey, if someone gave me one of these I'd take it, but otherwise this is one vehicle that answers the question nobody asked. Placing the stoogy S Class lights on what looks like a bloated CLK takes the term "sporty" (as opposed to "sport") car to a new level of absurdity.
Now if Mercedes had decided to leave the Suicide doors ala the new Mazda then I'd say this car offers a unique alternative to the buyer who wants something unique. However, as it eventually turned out this car is all about compromises (a sedan, but not a sedan, a coupe, but not a coupe, a sport car but not a sport car, an E Class, but not an E Class, an S Class derivative, but not an S Class derivative, a CLK, but not a CLK). What do you want to bet that this car was designed by committee?
But then again, Daimler-Benz may well know their demographic. There is a large segment of Mercedes dealers/buyers who are afraid of anything new and daring. What else explains the fact that while Mercedes offers a dozen or so different colors for its cars 80% of them are ordered by the dealers in silver (or in California Desert Silver?) Ever tried to go to a volume dealer's lot to get an idea of what the new and less common colors look like only to find a sea of silver or desert silver with a sprinkeling perhaps of black and an occasional white?
Now if Mercedes had decided to leave the Suicide doors ala the new Mazda then I'd say this car offers a unique alternative to the buyer who wants something unique. However, as it eventually turned out this car is all about compromises (a sedan, but not a sedan, a coupe, but not a coupe, a sport car but not a sport car, an E Class, but not an E Class, an S Class derivative, but not an S Class derivative, a CLK, but not a CLK). What do you want to bet that this car was designed by committee?
But then again, Daimler-Benz may well know their demographic. There is a large segment of Mercedes dealers/buyers who are afraid of anything new and daring. What else explains the fact that while Mercedes offers a dozen or so different colors for its cars 80% of them are ordered by the dealers in silver (or in California Desert Silver?) Ever tried to go to a volume dealer's lot to get an idea of what the new and less common colors look like only to find a sea of silver or desert silver with a sprinkeling perhaps of black and an occasional white?
Last edited by northbenz; Jul 21, 2003 at 10:26 PM.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 108
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HORRIBLE
Its an ACURA,or at the very least we get to see what Chrysler influence will do to Mercedes.Look at the front shot.The stance and look is all LH/Intrepid influenced going back to the 90's "cab forward" designs. The car is crap,I will stay with my e500.....
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 917
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I like the headlights. Probably the only design element of the "E" that I am not crazy about is the 2 separate oval headlights...even though they are a mark of the "E" class. I like these better...
Flame away....
Flame away....
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From: SoCal
W221
From the front it looks like a CL with another 2 doors slapped on and from the rear it looks like the S. Like someone said does mb want to confuse people with whether to buy the E or the S? One angle it looks like the S. it looks significiantly bigger then the current W211 but who knoes. just my lil 2 cents even though it doesn't mean much comin from a " lil boy"
