What followed the E-class coupe?

[nickmann]

You know those utterly lovely coupes (E320 especially) soft-top or tin-tops?

They finished in about 1996 or so didn't they?

What replaced them?

 

[Sp!ke]

The CLK.

 

[nickmann]

That's what I thought. It has the E-class front-end styling, but a "C" designation. Any idea why?

 

[del320]

Nothing
Nominally the CLK (C208) - not pillarless - based on C-class
Now the present C209 makes amends.
The CLS (C219) is described as a 4-door coupe - and it's essentially a rebodied E-Class

 

[imadoofus]

I'll tell you what should have replaced it. This is one of the loveliest things I have seen in a long while:

The more you look, the more you go :bannana:

 

[PJH]

That's what I thought. It has the E-class front-end styling, but a "C" designation. Any idea why?

Due to the problems with stability on the first A Class, MB dare not bring out an ELK model.
So it's a CLK.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

That's what I thought. It has the E-class front-end styling, but a "C" designation. Any idea why?

Maybe for alignment to BMW? Basing it on the E-platform would probably have meant the MB-coupe would be more considerabley more expensive than a BMW-coupe - effectively a class up. By making it on the C-platform it could compare more closely on cost.

It's only very recently that BMW has re-entered the large coupe market with the 6-series, at broadly the same time as MB introduced the CLS (so called 4-door coupe - drool).

Some great cars and engines coming out of this competitiveness between the German marques. Audi are now very much a player and Porsche are trying to muscle in on pretty much the same territory too - already have the Cayenne, and large coupe/saloon and 928-style coupe are planned/rumoured in motoring press.

 

[nickmann]

Due to the problems with stability on the first A Class, MB dare not bring out an ELK model.
So it's a CLK.

pure genius

 

[guydewdney]

those pics - 124 coupe with 129 front end, and custom bumpers (which look a bit 'fat' (not phat.. )to me...)

 

[Sp!ke]

those pics - 124 coupe with 129 front end, and custom bumpers (which look a bit 'fat' (not phat.. )to me...)

Agree... the lines are all wrong - dont like it at all. It looks axactly like it is " A Bitsa"

The panel fit also leaves a lot to be desired.

 

[janner]

Does it have 8228 BHP?

 

[imadoofus]

Well I like it!

It's like a sort of SL-coupe thing.

What I can't work out is why they went to the effort of shortening it.

Like it or not, there's a lot of work gone into it....

PJ

 

[wallingd]

Yes it's an 'SLK'...