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I read the same, and if true will be a huge disappointment for me. Whether it's called SEC, CL or S class coupe not having one is a shame. My E class coupe is wonderful, pillar-less like the S coupe which was my potential next step. The SLK/SLC is getting the axe, as such my wife is looking to Porsche. Niche they may be these coupes, but I get constant compliments as Personal Luxury Coupes seem to be dying.
Originally Posted by jschade
I noted with interest in this article that MB will be dropping the S coupe and cabriolet from the S Class lineup.
+1. very disappointing as i - as well - was going to move on from the s sedan to the s coupe the next chassis year as i won’t need the room of the s sedan any longer. :/
Very much so yes. The future for Mercedes Coupes and Cabriolets is not bright at all.
The change in leadership changes a lot of model decisions over the next 5-10 years as the new CEO will likely ax low selling models quickly. The number one focus for MB is electro-mobility moving forward for a number of reasons that are not relevant to the US.
First, there are numerous German cities that start to restrict the entry of "dirty" cars into the cities. If one drives an older Diesel, they may find themselves unable to drive where they want. And that is today, not years from now.
China's requirements for EV creates a significant opportunity and threat for German car makers. They have to move faster than the European/US market requires in terms of demand/sales.
MB and other German car makers have to figure out what to do with their employees and vendor infrastructure. EV's are exceedingly easier to manufacture and will only require approx. 50% of the people currently employed. These are high $ labor jobs and the automotive sector is one of the largest employers in the country. This will be the biggest internal challenge.
Either way, whatever was one the development roadmap has/is being changed...
2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon
I have not cared for the S Coupe or the Cabriolet, as I feel they are too compromised to carry the S Class moniker. The rear seating areas are too cramped for much of anyone but kids. The cars don’t ride as nicely as the sedans and by offering the same, old, terribly boring colors on the 2-door models, it almost feels like theses cars were an afterthought. Lastly, with no little star resting on TOP of the hood, they just don’t seem like S Class material to me. When it comes to top down luxury motoring, I still feel they missed the boat by not building the 4-door Ocean Drive, but I won’t bore you with my thoughts on that again. Here’s a photo. I couldn’t resist.
I am hoping that with no S Coupe or Cab, that M.B. will really pull out all the stops and make the new SL reasonably more grand and luxurious than the current model. With the introduction of the AMG GT models, MB has their high performance sports cars. So, it makes perfect sense to move the SL upmarket and to make it something that the less-than-serious Porsche 911, Ferrari Portofino & even Aston-Martin buyers might opt for. Most S Class owners who want a 2-door car, should LOVE the SL, top up or down. The current SL is a very nice car, but it really could use a big shot of GREATNESS! Hope that happens with the new car. If it does, few will mourn the loss of the S Coupe or Cab, in my humble opinion.
Damn, that was a gorgeous car!
Last edited by Streamliner; 10-25-2018 at 12:26 AM.
I have not cared for the S Coupe or the Cabriolet, as I feel they are too compromised to carry the S Class moniker. The rear seating areas are too cramped for much of anyone but kids. The cars don’t ride as nicely as the sedans and by offering the same, old, terribly boring colors on the 2-door models, it almost feels like theses cars were an afterthought. Lastly, with no little star resting on TOP of the hood, they just don’t seem like S Class material to me. When it comes to top down luxury motoring, I still feel they missed the boat by not building the 4-door Ocean Drive, but I won’t bore you with my thoughts on that again. Here’s a photo. I couldn’t resist.
I am hoping that with no S Coupe or Cab, that M.B. will really pull out all the stops and make the new SL reasonably more grand and luxurious than the current model. With the introduction of the AMG GT models, MB has their high performance sports cars. So, it makes perfect sense to move the SL upmarket and to make it something that the less-than-serious Porsche 911, Ferrari Portofino & even Aston-Martin buyers might opt for. Most S Class owners who want a 2-door car, should LOVE the SL, top up or down. The current SL is a very nice car, but it really could use a big shot of GREATNESS! Hope that happens with the new car. If it does, few will mourn the loss of the S Coupe or Cab, in my humble opinion.
I know the Ocean Drive is a perfect fit for you but as a production car would never see light of day. 4 door cabs never pass the concept stage any more.
I still can't understand your reasoning against the coupe though. Nobody buys a coupe for the rear seats and the S-Class coupe is one in a long line of S-Class coupes (the old R107 SLC's, the W140 Coupe and other CL's). Always low-volume specialty cars, they perfectly fit the S-Class moniker. You have to go back to the early seventies to find a raised MB star and more rear space with 2 doors.
2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon
Originally Posted by Wolfman
I know the Ocean Drive is a perfect fit for you but as a production car would never see light of day. 4 door cabs never pass the concept stage any more.
I still can't understand your reasoning against the coupe though. Nobody buys a coupe for the rear seats and the S-Class coupe is one in a long line of S-Class coupes (the old R107 SLC's, the W140 Coupe and other CL's). Always low-volume specialty cars, they perfectly fit the S-Class moniker. You have to go back to the early seventies to find a raised MB star and more rear space with 2 doors.
I certainly respect your opinion, Wolf, but we just disagree. You like the current S Coupe & Cab, but I don’t. It would appear, from reports of their cancellation—or perhaps better described as their non-renewal—that more customers seem to feel the way I do about them, leading the folks at MB to not care for them enough either. The cars must not be popular enough to justify their existence.
On the subject of the Ocean Drive, I believe production of that car—even though most likely not a profit maker from actual sales—would have been an overall huge positive for the company. The car would have been one of those legendary cars that so many, well heeled and celebrity types would have flocked to. It would be a car to “be seen” in, unlike the current S Cab, which I believe most non-enthusiasts almost never differentiate from a C Cab. The current S Cab, as nice as it may be, just blends in and gets lost in the homogeneous look of the current line. The fact that MB has chosen to use the same, tired, worn color pallet across the entire non AMG line, only further relegates the S Cab into consumer obliviousness. To the uneducated and, to a certain degree, even to the highly educated M.B. enthusiasts, it would appear to me and obviously to MB corporate that the car is just not interesting or enticing enough to enough folks.
The Ocean Drive would have been a car that anyone who loves cars—and even many who don’t—would aspire to own. Seeing one on the road would be an event. Sure the car would have been a very difficult engineering and production task, but THAT’S PRECISELY WHY MB should have done it, because virtually no other company can. The Ocean Drive would have put an even brighter halo around the 3-Pointed Star, greatly reinforcing the cachet of the brand while simultaneously raising a very well manicured middle finger to the other car makers of the world.
Last edited by Streamliner; 10-28-2018 at 06:08 PM.
I totally agree with Streamliner, it is a gorgeous vehicle, and in my opinion much better than the current S-Cab. But Wolfman is also right from the business sense, that, this would have ended up where BMW Z8 ended up for BMW.
I understand not liking the S Coupe and Cabrio, but there is nothing about their engineering that is subpar or not up to snuff. They most likely won't be renewed because they don't sell in China, which is doing the driving for a lot of the future product development at MB, BMW and Audi. Cabriolets are not popular there for obvious air quality reasons, but the S Coupe and Cabrio are around they were never to be sold in big numbers, everyone should know that. The next SL will likely replace both of them which makes sense. No need for both. You could very easily make the case for dropping the SL also. It has sold terribly since it's 2013 redesign and it's outdated and not even remotely as pretty as the previous 2003-2012 model was but it has heritage (like the S Coupe/Cabrio) so it will be redesigned.
That Ocean Drive concept looked good for about 5 mins. It's a tacky, Chinese knock off looking design at this point. The obvious reason it didn't go into production is because getting a 4-door convertible to pass safety regulations would have been an enormous undertaking in time and money. Maybe as a Maybach it could possibly be done in the future.
10-21-2018, 08:12 AM
