Last month, Mercedes-Benz unveiled a new E-Class that signaled a clear -- if somewhat reserved -- departure from past styling. Now, after months of rumors and spy pictures, the crew at Mercedes has dropped another E-Bomb on us: the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe.
Rather than starting with a concept, Mercedes is blasting straight into the market with the production E-Class coupe which is set make its debut alongside the redesigned E-Class sedan at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show next month. After its North American debut at the New York auto show in April, it will go on sale in the U.S. in June of this year.
Not a great deal of technical information on the new E-Class coupe or sedan has been made public yet, but one number Benz is making a big deal of when it comes to the coupe is 0.24, its coefficient of drag number that Stuttgart says makes it the most aerodynamically efficient series production vehicle in the world. There are significant styling differences inside and out between the two cars. This is most likely due to the fact that the coupe is not only a variation on the E-Class, but a replacement for the CLK-Class, which is being discontinued.
Starting in the front, the E-Class coupe will stand out with its own grille, featuring fewer, beefier horizontal bars. Gone is the tri-star Mercedes-Benz hood ornament, replaced with a massive tri-star logo in the center of the grille. Down below, the radiator opening in the lower fascia has been slightly revised and is narrower and helps the front end look a bit more aggressive.
Not a great deal of technical information on the new E-Class coupe or sedan has been made public yet, but one number Benz is making a big deal of when it comes to the coupe is 0.24, its coefficient of drag number that Stuttgart says makes it the most aerodynamically efficient series production vehicle in the world. There are significant styling differences inside and out between the two cars. This is most likely due to the fact that the coupe is not only a variation on the E-Class, but a replacement for the CLK-Class, which is being discontinued.
Starting in the front, the E-Class coupe will stand out with its own grille, featuring fewer, beefier horizontal bars. Gone is the tri-star Mercedes-Benz hood ornament, replaced with a massive tri-star logo in the center of the grille. Down below, the radiator opening in the lower fascia has been slightly revised and is narrower and helps the front end look a bit more aggressive.
Around the sides, two new sets of wheels are shown, including a five-spoke and a split six-spoke design. The most noticeable difference on the side, though, is the massive flanks. With the rear doors gone, Mercedes decided to beef up the rear quarters with big, thick wheel arches and a line that flows into the tips of the taillights - a nod to the automaker's legendary "Ponton" Coupe S 220 of 1955.
Out back, those taillights have been stretched and squished, wrapping further around the sides of the car for a sleeker look. A third brake light now resides in the top lip of the trunk, and the lower rear fascia has been slightly revised. The roofline has also smoothed out and now arches more gracefully with a gentler slope and rounder C-pillar.
Out back, those taillights have been stretched and squished, wrapping further around the sides of the car for a sleeker look. A third brake light now resides in the top lip of the trunk, and the lower rear fascia has been slightly revised. The roofline has also smoothed out and now arches more gracefully with a gentler slope and rounder C-pillar.