K-A

Thanks. I'm starting to get around to appreciating this car, as I gave it some good TLC last night by detailing some areas. Once I get it done up the way I like it, I'll be fully on board.

It's the same Arctic White, which is a warmer, more cream white, and definitely not as crisp white as Audi, BMW, and all the other Japanese cars, etc. on the road. I always liked my whites really sharp and crisp too, but there's a depth and warmth to the Arctic White that looks stunning in certain lights.

But yeah, my 2010 seemed to have a more yellow hue than a couple 2011's I saw it next to. Here's a pic during the switch-over. Note that the cars are under different lights, but you can still kind of tell there's a slight difference:

park423

Pano roof on a white car looks good from the back and the front

K-A

Yeah, I'm gonna wrap the roof of this car and hope for the best. It just depresses me to keep seeing the white roof with the sunroof smack dab in the middle.

park423

IDK about wrapping, I also forgot to mention, I was told you cannot wrap the shark fin antenna because 1) very hard to do cleanly and 2) may interfere with reception

K-A

Yeah that sucks. I dunno how it would look with the shark fin and the rear roof spoiler being white.

ESIX3POWER

Looks like the same color to me. Your new car is under much brighter lights and there fore creates a whiter glow, so to speak. Also im sure that once your new car is out in the elements for about a year it will look the same.

ESIX3POWER

KA - your interior color combo is def the best. I would love to have that combo, didnt even know about it. I got the blk/ash and it kind of hides a lot of the beauty of that lay out.

PS im still unhappy with the cheap plastic that surrounds the interior of this car.

RJC

+1 My biggest issue with the W212's, they took 2 steps backward

petee1997

K-A don't install the wrap on the roof. It looks great just the way it is. Besides, the rear window spoiler is white and works well with the white roof. Then as the OP said, there is the white shark fin issue to deal with.
The black pano roof on a white car wasn't that great a look in the first place. It was sort of old time police cruiser. Furthermore, the white roof in California will certainly be cooler and you avoid the wannabe look which cheapens a beautiful car.

SolidGranite

Agreed. Don't do it! I don't totally agree that pano doesn't look great on a white car to begin with but everything else...Yeah, don't do it man.

ESIX3POWER

I disagree. The all white top with the sunroof in the middle just reminds me of an older 90s car. I don’t particularly like the look at all. Any white Benz with a pano roof looks gorgeous. Hook it up KA.

YYZ-E55

Too lazy to quote the various posts, but:
1) If you're worried about tinting over the reverse lights, they don't help with the back-up camera much anyway; simply install LED license plate lights and you'll get a great view.
2) Paint the sharkfin gloss black if you vinyl the roof. I had one done for $20.
3) The paint color has not changed, it is exactly the same as it's always been (code 650).
4) For the love of God, please get clear front corners this time. The blacked out amber on a white car looks hideous when clear lenses are available for 50 bucks!

SolidGranite

Right. Exactly. I just don't agree with the band-aid approach to fixing his roof look. Either live with it as is or buy a new car. Anything else will look cheese.

RNBRAD

+100,000.

IMHO, vinyl film or sticker vinyl has no place on a Benz's paint. There's ways of doing things and doing them correctly. If it can't be done correctly I wouldn't do it cause of the cheese factor. It's like years ago when all the rave was cold air intake. You would see guys with nice cars do their own thing with dryer hose or whatever they could find to make it happen. They may have a cool scoop or a missing headlight for the intake then they would pop the hood and you would almost puke. Same deal here. It would look cool from a distance as it would seem like a pano. Once you got close enough to the car to see it wasn't a pano and it was vinyl film, I'd toss my cookies.

lfranklin

I agree. Neither do plastic letters and numbers! Some folks have caught H**L for removing the trunk labels, accused of somehow being posers..Don't really understand that but that's the accusations. Cleaning up the trunk removing plastic letters from the paint improves the appearance in my opinion...just look at the pix.

Wig

K-A. Is it too late to get your 2010 back?

Only joking...

I think the wrapping of the roof is pointless. A white roof will be better in the LA heat anyway!

Btw - did you have to 'de-mod' your 2010 when you returned it?

alloutmk23

+1. I'm not a big fan of vinyl. Maybe is because i've seen it crease and stretch over time on some vehicles.

My buddy painted the roof on his white Audi S4 and that didn't look too bad (only because he got a top of the line glossy black paint and it was done by a local pro).

Also, some people are "ball breakers" about painting your roof(on expensive cars) at car meets. At least at the meets i go to on Woodward ave. lol.

You just can't mimic the look of that huge tinted Pano.

RJC

KA,

As many of us have been saying, loss of the pano is a minus for sure, BUT you've got a brand new factory fresh car, a year newer and even cheaper.
You did well, don't look back.

K-A

Thanks man. As you know, I hated the W212's interior, and it was mainly because I was so used to the all black ones, and especially with the ash wood, IMO it looks a bit too austere and cold, and gives it a plasticy look. When I sat in my now old W212, with the 3 colors complimenting each other, I fell in love!

Thanks for the comment Petee, and thank you to all the guys saying not to do it, and that it would be cheesy, because not only are you helping me save money, but you are confirming something that I have always stuck to, which is that stickers and such on Benzes are usually just cheesy, and degrading.... I just really miss the Pano look, and that black roof, and I made a big mistake in giving it up, although I wouldn't say I regret my new car overall (not sure if I do, having my 2nd and 3rd fit/finish/electrical items replaced that were defective from the factory, as well).

Aww, damnit! And now I get encouragement! Lol. I'm going back and forth on it, and if I can find a good price, I might just do it, but I'm bummed that I'll probably see it as "sticker" rather than the classy real-deal effect.

About being a poseur, I'm not really concerned with that. My intent isn't to make it looks like I have glass up there, I just like the black color on top of the white car. I certainly would never tell people that I have Pano (I had a Pano car for 1 year and never really bragged about the option even then). But I understand that enthusiasts would probably write the car off as cheesy, perhaps.

And spot on about the "90's look", that's exactly how I feel. I feel like I'm driving a 10+ year older car, when I look and/or concentrate on the roof. Good thing is, the interior ambiance I don't care for or miss as much (can't really soak up the pano from the front), it's just the black roof look, as well as the much more refined, large, and quality operating moonroof (this fixed roof moonroof operation and size is like a crude POS in comparison).

LOL. I actually was planning on repurchasing it as a CPO, in a halfhearted manner. I figured that I'd show up to the Dealer when I brought my new Car in for Warranty work, and take a look at it, and start riling the Salesman up. Then he told me that it sold BEFORE it even hit the lot. Someone out of State grabbed it up. My heart literally sank.

I only really had some tint and stuff done to it, so I'm sure they probably peeled off the taillight tint, and maybe the side marker wrap.

On a positive note, once I get my new car personalized to my tastes and liking, I think I'll like it more than my last one. The rear roof spoiler is what is convincing me to keep the roof white, as it won't work with a Pano as well I think, and it looks pretty good and just-right/subtle in OEM form, and the AMG wheels have a more dynamic look at most angled. I think when I get it tinted, etc., it'll really set the look off.

On Thursday I get the windows tinted, and I'm gonna try out slightly tinting the white portion instead of the black on the taillights, and yes, I'm blacking out the amber markers again . Hopefully the taills don't come out looking cheesy. Might as well try something different this time, and see if it sticks.

K-A

Thanks man. When I compare the pros and cons of keeping my old one VS this car, regarding options, 2011 additions/improvements and subtractions (subtraction would be the crappy alarm notification), money factor (solidly cheaper monthly on this car, but higher up front due to re-modding, and extended Lease, etc.), I keep forgetting to put "brand new car with no miles" back into the equation. Not that I was starving for a factory fresh car again, but it's nice to have, and is certainly worth something.

Unfortunately, the center console and passenger door panel are being ripped out tomorrow to get a new window regulator put in and a rubber piece that was missing in the console, causing it to line up improperly and wiggle a bit. Grrrrr. Fortunately, the new taillight was put on and is perfect. I'm not concerned though. I think with my last car, some of my ****/worrisome/OCD'ness went with it (hopefully).... Good riddance.

SolidGranite

Have you considered painting your sunroof white to match the rest of the car? I have always thought that look on a 911 for instance was classy and made sense. Also, if you're not happy with the new look it would be pretty easy to go back to unpainted.

K-A

Only problem with that is that I would lose the moonroof aspect (in the functionality sense), which I do like. but I do prefer an all white roof to that ugly moonroof just cut out in middle there. I used to love the moonroof look, however, I guess Pano just spoiled me and my tastes acquired to it, which now has me seeing the sunroof/moonroof differently.

RJC

Get all these little bugs tended to, get some clear markers etc and enjoy your new car

OceanView

Congrats on the new car K-A.

I hope to see the progression that I am sure you will document here.
I enjoy your posts as they are insightful. Keep it up

K-A

Thank you very much OceanView I'll post pics on Thursday of the initial stuff. I'm hoping the taillights don't look "off", but I'm willing to take a chance. Maybe with the tinting stuff here and there I'll not crave or want the black roof look so much.

Thanks again!