Wednesday, July 15, 2009

2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabrio Spied Testing

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WITH THE 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show earlier this year, ‘three-pointed-star’ enthusiasts have since diverted their eager attention to news of the upcoming E-Class Cabriolet and Estate models.

It’s been a rollercoaster affair, with talk that the German luxury carmaker had delayed the convertible and wagon as a result of the global financial crisis, followed by a firm declaration from Mercedes-Benz Australia’s Peter Fadeyev that both models are well and truly on track.

Now, new spy photos of the cabriolet have landed in the TMR inbox - the one marked ‘Forget Everything Else’ - and they offer the world’s first look at the E-Class droptop, top up and top down.

About 100mm longer than the CLK Cabrio preceding it, the E-Class Cabrio also bears the same raked A pillar and steep belt-line of the ConceptFASCINATION study revealed back in September last year.

Power is expected to come from the same engine line-up as that featured in the E-Class Coupe, including four, six and eight-cylinder options and figures ranging from 150kW to 285kW for the range-topping E500/E550 model.

The ConceptFASCINATION’s connection to the E-Class is expected to stretch beyond the design similarities seen here. Mercedes-Benz is believed to be working on a ’shooting brake’ model, which would draw its style and shape from the popular concept.