Murtaza

Thats my concern as well.

Just can't wait to see what it'll finally look like.

JackStraw

Interestingly, the pre-R129s had only 1 bar in the grille and they still look pretty good to my eye.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...rticleId=94131

Also, the 107 changed from dual circular headlights to a single square one in the mid-'80s and still looked pretty good.

I think the changes to the R230 shaped by the pedestrian safety regulations are more than just a nip and tuck though. I just saw these renderings of the new CLK and they aren't very pretty either.

http://www.egmcartech.com/2007/09/05...d-convertible/

I think MB should start from a clean sheet of paper.

Television

I think that asking a dealer when a new model is coming is a waste of time as they do not know, I keep my dealer better informed with spy photos from Sweden

LovinMercedes

Dealers don't like to tell you because they feel it will affect the sales of the prior year models they have on their lot.

SL2003driver

LovinSL600 I see you have the NM M6. Just curious what was this like? "This machine is far too unique to be picked up at a Dealer. Instead, your ultimate experience includes two business class tickets on Lufthansa® from New York to Munich, where you’ll meet the BMW of your dreams. The rest of the exclusive European adventure includes gourmet meals and luxurious accommodations for four nights and behind the scenes access at BMW, including the opportunity to meet the engineers and designers who helped create the 2007 BMW Individual M6 Convertible. This once-in-a-lifetime trip is scheduled for April or May of 2007. "

allminesl550

No doubt about it people will buy cars, sometimes sight unseen, just because the look or the car is new. But Im thinking for example way back when Ford built the Edsel, I wasnt there but wasnt that car a poor seller or production stopped for some reason it was unpopular despite being a very new car with a new look? I can think of more modern examples of new ideas in cars that were hopeful but ultimately unpopular.
Maybe im missing part of your point.
By the way, who is/was Neiman Marcus, was he the cars designer?
tanx

allminesl550

I very much like the fact that MB has stayed rOund with SL hdlights while the trend is quite different. Though they may buckle-in and someday change them still the car may be a new kind of beautiful and i may appreciate it, nevertheless I prefer the traditional round look, remember this car has a heritage that goes back some 50 years. If they loose the round look I predict it will slow the depreciation of used sls eventually and Ill be happy for it. (Of course it will be impossible to confirm this prediction one way or the other! haha).
As far as passenger safety goes, boy that sucks **** doesnt it. Can you imagine a vette with a hood standing some 6 inches higher than present.
I wonder if some cars can earn an exclusion, some of these sports cars depend on a low front to make the car.
This is going to be interesting.

LovinMercedes

I love my M6. It truly is the best car I have ever owned and I have had some real nice ones including a Vanquish S.

I did not feel like taking the trip to Germany so I gave it to my kids. They went and had an absolute blast. The said BMW treated them incredibly well and they really enjoyed the trip.

In several months BMW is holding a 3 day racing class with professional race car drivers for the 50 people that got the NM M6. This should be really fun.

When I got my Vanquish S I had a class that was sponsored by Aston Martin and that was about the best and most knowledgeable time I ever had in a car.

The NM M6 has a special color, hood and interior. The only sold 50 of them.

CY

Wow the NM M6 is by far my favorite BMW!

Germancar1

Acutally they don't change the SL much at all. You just happened to buy one right before a facelift. The car was the same from 2003-2006, with the change for 2007 and then again for 2009. SL's have a long production run.

M

Guido1986

I never liked BMWs before but those mew M6s are really beautiful cars and LOVINSL600 has the best color combo or I like the white on red.

SL2003driver

With the 2007 change you have to really know what your looking for to tell any difference. If you had a 2003-2006 setting next to a 2007 and were told to determine what looked different it would not be easy for most people (tail light color and chrome around the front fog lights, 3 versu 4 bars in the front grill and I think the front spoiler maybe different??? but I still can't tell. Also it would be hard for someone after they picked out the differences to tell which was the new model . The proposed 2009 changes are a different story, that would change the balance of the design of the SL and not in a good way. JMHO

th550

I for one am not all that keen on the new headlamp trend that MB has adopted. I traded in a CLS550 on my SL and all the time I had that car, I thought the car would be so much prettier with the CLK or SL front end. At the time, I just couldn't resist the side and rear view of the CLS.

I agree with one of the other posters that the new headlamp style (CLS, S, CL and C Class) looks too ordinary. Like a Camry or Accord. But, everyone has different taste

Guido1986

The only new headlights I like is the new S class headlights. Im not a big fan of the CLs....they look too plain.

Germancar1

All of this is true, but lets just see what they come up with. I hardly see Mercedes messing up what is arguably their best all around car.

M

Germancar1

Some new shots of the facelift:





Fits right in with the spy shots doesn't it!

M

SL2003driver

If that is the front it will unbalance the look of the SL, make it more like a SLK style.

GOODENUF

Hope they are not trying the one style for the fleet look.