Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible: New Spy Shots Leave Little to the Imagination

Hot on the heels of the new 2010 Mercedes E-Class Coupe comes its convertible brethren that was spied by our scoopsters in Germany essentially undisguised as the only parts of the car that remain undercover are the badges and the lights. Even though many of its rivals including the BMW 3-Series Cabriolet and the Lexus IS C offer folding metal hard tops, the topless E-Class sticks with the traditional canvas roof top which has its advantages in terms of weight- and cost-savings.

Our latest scoop photos reveal that with the exception of some necessary styling changes at rear to accommodate the soft top, the Convertible is identical to its coupe counterpart.

While our man with the long-lens didn't manage to get close enough to the prototype to snap a picture or two of the interior, don't bank on seeing anything different than the Coupe's cabin and dashboard layout.

As is the case with the E-Class Sedan and Coupe, the CLK Convertible's replacement will come in several performance flavors. Customers will most likely have the same five engine choices as in the E-Class Coupe that include two diesels, a 204HP 2.2-liter four-pot and a 231HP 3.0-liter V6, and three petrol units, a 204HP 1.8-liter turbocharged-four, a 292HP 3.5-liter V6 and a range-topping 5.5-liter V8 churning out 388HP.

The four-seater E-Class Convertible will make its debut either at the 2009 Frankfurt Show or at a major international auto show early next year with the first examples of the car planned to arrive at Mercedes showrooms sometime during the first half of 2010.

Vath Tunes Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Estate to 580HP

When the standard Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Estate (that's the W211) ain't doing it the trick for you, that's where tuning companies like Vath step in. The German firm has unveiled a new tuning package for the uber-sports wagon that increases power and gives the soon-to-be replaced E63 AMG Estate a more aggressive look.

Engine tweaks under the hood pump the 6.3-liter V8's output from 514 horsepower and 630Nm to 580 horsepower and 770Nm or 568 lb-ft while the removal of the electronic speed limiter allows the sporty Estate to hover over 300km/h or 187mph.

A high-performance brake system with 6-piston calipers, lowered air suspension by 35mm and new 20-inch alloy wheels shod in 245 rubber in the front and 285 at the back complete the list of mechanical mods.

Vath also developed a new carbon fiber front lip spoiler that promises to add about 9kg or 20 pounds of pressure on the front axle along with a specific rear diffuser at the back.

For the E63 AMG Estate's interior, the German tuning specialist offers a variety of carbon fiber accessories and Alcantara trim for the roof.

First Look at Wald's 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Black Bison Sports Package

No sooner than Wald International showed off the finished Toyota Land Cruiser Black Bison Edition, the crew over at Japan's 'house of styling' revealed their latest Black Bison project in the form of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan (codenamed W212). We've only got a teaser photo to go by for now as the tuning company did not release any information whatsoever. However, expect the Black Bison Edition Sports Line package to include a full body kit, new alloy wheel designs and more likely than not, suspension and brake upgrades as well as interior enhancements.

VIDEO: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan and Coupe Commercials go Live

Heralding the U.S. market launch of the all-new 2010 E-Class, Mercedes is rolling out what it calls its biggest marketing campaign in recent years. Oriented around the theme "Everything We Know, Everything We Are: This is Mercedes-Benz", the new marketing campaign comprises of both broadcast and print adverts. The first wave launches today with a six-week television flight while a second phase will start in September and run through October on primetime premieres and the NFL and college football seasons.

Aside from the 30 second plus TV adverts for both the 2010 E-Class Sedan and Coupe models that you can watch below, Mercedes-Benz has also readied three 15 second spots which focus on the car's safety technologies like Attention Assist, Lane-Keeping Assist and Distronic Plus.

2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate Previewed Through Scale Model?

While Mercedes-Benz is trying to keep the prototype models of the next generation E-Class Estate hidden under heavy camouflage, a series of photos depicting a 1:43 die cast model of the car have made their way into various forums on the net. There's no mention of the name of the company that makes the scale model, but the build quality looks pretty high.

And even though there's no way of being 100 percent sure about the accuracy of the design, judging by the numerous spy shots we've seen so far (click here to check out the scoop pics), we'd say that the die-cast model's styling is very darn close to the real-life E-Class Estate that is due to be unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show in September.

Source: Germancarzone , Via: WFC

BRABUS Treats the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe - Top Version gets 462HP

Having already launched a comprehensive package for the E-Class sedan, renowned Mercedes-Benz specialist Brabus has now turned its focus on the new E-Class Coupe. The tuning programme for the German coupe includes both mechanical and styling updates with the most powerful version based on the E500 (E550 for the U.S.). The tuning firm's engineers have increased the V8's displacement from 5.5- to 6.1-liters raising output to 462HP and 615Nm or 453 lb-ft of torque. The result is a 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 315 km/h or 196 mph.

The cost of the V8 conversion is pretty high though as Brabus charges a whopping €29,000 or with the current exchange rates, US$39,900.

Besides the E500/E550 Coupe, Brabus also offers tuning kits for the E 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY diesel that lifts output from 204HP to 232HP and the for the E 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY which boosts output to 272HP and 590Nm or 435 lb-ft of torque.

A variety of suspension options are available, from a standard lowering kit to a complete height-adjustable coil-over sport suspension. Brabus also offers a high-performance brake system for the new Mercedes coupe that features six-piston aluminum fixed calipers and 360mm (14.2 inches) vented and cross-drilled discs on the front axle. The rear axle stops with four-piston aluminum fixed calipers.

Tweaking the E-Class Coupe's exterior is a rather subtle -for Brabus' standards- bodykit that consists of modified bumpers and side skirts. The coupe's look is rounded off by a new series of lightweight alloy wheels available in several designs and sizes ranging from 17– to 20-inches.

The list of interior options includes stainless-steel scuff plated with illuminated BRABUS logo, an ergonomically shaped BRABUS sport steering wheel and an entirely new interior crafted from Mastik leather and Alcantara.

Via: Worldcarfans