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.

2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS Sports Sedan Spied Inside and Out: 20 High Res Photos

These are the best photos yet of Mercedes-Benz's second-generation CLS four-door coupe that will most likely make its world debut at next year's Paris Auto Show with the first examples expected to hit showrooms by early 2011. Our spy photographers managed to come up close to a prototype model in Germany scooping the very first pictures of the 2011 CLS' dashboard that uses much of the styling cues established by the new C and E-Class models becoming more angular with sharper creases.

In fact, the upper part of the center console looks like it came straight from Merc's executive saloon featuring the same exact rectangular hood for its central display.

Of course that comes to no surprise as the new CLS is closely related to the latest iteration of the E-Class sharing the same platform and mechanical hardware, which means a similar line-up of direct injection petrol and turbo diesel engines hooked up to Mercedes' seven-speed automatic transmissions.

Initially, the new CLS will be available with three petrol and one diesel engine. These include a 3.5-liter V6 with 292HP, a 5.5-liter V8 with 388HP and a 525HP 6.2-liter V8 for the range-topping AMG model, and the latest version of Merc's 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel producing 231HP.

Furthermore, according to Carscoop sources, a hybrid version of the new CLS will definitely be in the mix. It will be equipped with the same drivetrain as the recently revealed S400 Hybrid that combines a 3.5-liter V6 petrol engine developing 279HP with a 20HP electric motor that's installed in the torque converter housing between the engine and the 7-speed automatic transmission. This particular hybrid system generates a total output of 299HP and a combined peak torque figure of 385 Nm or 283-lbs/ft.

As far as the exterior design is concerned, even though Mercedes has covered the prototype's sides and ends with more plastic cladding than a bondage club, it is evident that the overall shape of the sports saloon won't stray too far away from the current model, retaining the same characteristic low-roofed four-door profile of today's CLS.

However, expect to see some of the new E-Class' edgy design treats pass into the design of the front and rear ends and quite possibly, the shape of the rear wheel arch and the crease below the window line.

2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible Spied Virtually Undisguised

So, is this the new Mercedes-Benz CLK Cabriolet? Well, yes and no. Yes because it will replace the drop-top CLK in Merc's lineup and no because, like its recently revealed coupe sibling, it will get the E-Class designation. Scooped here with minimum camouflage, the all-new E-Class Convertible follows in the footsteps of the Audi A5 Cabriolet retaining its predecessor's conventional canvas rooftop.

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