There are few people in this world for whom we hold more contempt than European bureaucrats. They're the pencil-pushers that, if they had their way, would put an end to some of our favorite exotic sportscars and have us all driving Smart ForTwos. But every gray cloud has its silver lining, and in the case of Belgium's bureaucracy, is the sneak peak we get from time to time when a carmaker files its designs to register them as trademarks.
What we're looking at this time is the upcoming Mercedes-Benz E-Class cabrio. Although there were rumors that the model could be delayed, by and large we knew this was coming, and have even seen plenty spy shots of test mules preparing for their market launch.
Replacing the outgoing CLK convertible, this new model is based on the slick new E-Class coupe but, you know...with a convertible roof. It's a fabric job, unlike its rivals from BMW, Lexus, Infiniti and Volvo, which have all gone with folding hard-tops by now. The mechanicals are otherwise expected to carry over from its fixed-roof counterpart, although the jury's still out on whether an AMG version will be on offer as well. For now, we'll just have to peruse these grainy black-and-white images until the new drop-top Benz drops in the first half of next year.
Now that the new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan has been unveiled and the E-Class Coupe's debut is scheduled for the rapidly approaching Geneva Motor Show, news has arrived that the model range will be completed with wagon and convertible versions at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September. Shortly after the show, the wagon should go on sale, with the droptop expected to follow right in time for winter to hit in November. So far, there's no information on powertrain options, but we'd expect both the practical wagon and the cabriolet to share a similar range of engines as the rest of the lineup – including the frugal turbodiesel four cylinder wearing the CDI BlueEFFICIENCY badge and the big 388-horsepower V8 in the E500. Of course, as we know more, so will you.
In this latest round of spy shots, eagle-eyed snappers have captured a few new images of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet, which we've seen a few times before. In contrast to earlier images, though, it now appears as if MB is set to eschew the current trend towards retractable hard tops in favor of a more traditional ragtop. That's just fine as far as we're concerned, since the folding mechanisms almost always add an alarming amount of weight and complexity over their slightly less trendy and much less costly soft tops. Moving past the obvious, we can also see an interesting set of creases running along the flanks of the new two-door E-Class, including a line over the rear wheels that accentuates the wide rear quarter panels. It should be noted that the rear decklid is now lacking the spoiler extension from earlier spy shots. All in all, the E-Class Cabriolet is looking very close being production ready, and we expect MB to show the final version within the next few months.
