2010 Mercedes E-Class Coupe by Brabus

Brabus is noted for its sleek, stylish and almost stealthy modifications of Mercedes Benz vehicles, which occupies a special place in the German tuner scene. After the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan, Brabus revealed its new customization kit for the 2010 E-Class Coupe.

The primary upgrade to the standard E550 Coupe is the addition of a 6.1L V8 engine rated at 456hp (340kW) and 453lb-ft (615Nm) of torque, which comes on at just 3,100rpm. That's good for a 4.7-second 0-62mph (100km/h) run and a top speed of 196mph (315km/h).

Getting that big-bore V8 into the little Coupe will cost you though - €29,000 or about $39,701. That's fully 70% of the base E550 Coupe's retail price, but speed is frequently measured in cubic dollars. And with custom-machined heads, custom camshafts and a billet crankshaft, it's hard to argue you're not getting your money's worth.

Those with a taste for more sedate performance, an eye for efficiency and a home in Europe might prefer a four-pot diesel model based on the E250 CDI. Brabus tunes that little oil burner up from 201hp (150kW) to 232hp (173kW) with 413lb-ft (560Nm) of torque. A V6 E350 CDI kit adds some more bang to the diesel-drive offerings, with an upgrade kit pushing power to 268hp (200kW) and torque to 435lb-ft (590Nm).

Any of the E Coupes can be fitted with a Brabus body kit that includes new aluminum front quarter panels with clear-coated carbon fiber inserts. New rocker panels house LED entrance lights, while the rear apron features a custom layout with cutouts for the quad-pipe Brabus custom exhaust.

At each corner is a Brabus Monoblock alloy wheel, available in single-piece or multi-piece and in a range of sizes from 17in to 20in. Brabus also offers a new high-performance brake system which uses six-piston aluminum fixed calipers and 360-mm (14.2 inches) vented and cross-drilled discs on the front axle while the rear axle stops with four-piston aluminum fixed calipers. .

Inside, the car gets a fully custom treatment, with the customer free to spec it out as they please. Some of the options include: stainless-steel scuff plated with illuminated BRABUS logo, a BRABUS sport steering wheel and an entirely new interior crafted from especially soft yet durable BRABUS Mastik leather and Alcantara..

2010 Mercedes Benz E-Class Coupe sits on older, cheaper C-Class platform

2010 Mercedes Benz E-Class Coupe, the svelte two-door is the hotly anticipated replacement for the aging CLK Coupe, which has been falling behind against newer competition such as the Audi A5 and E92 BMW 3-series Coupe.

Surprisingly, Mercedes Benz priced its new 2010 E-Class Coupe for less money than the E-Class Sedan, with which it shares its styling, interior and positioning. After all, which carmaker makes a more exclusive coupe model and then sells it for less money than the sedan variant?

The E-Class Sedan starts at $49,475 for the base E350, while the similar E350 Coupe is slightly cheaper at $48,925.

It appears that Mercedes had some method to its pricing madness, however, and not purely because it wanted to hit its rivals by undercutting them in price. It turns out that while the new E-Class Coupe borrows its svelte styling from the E-Class Sedan, underneath the handsome exterior sits the smaller and cheaper C-Class platform.

This certainly explains why Mercedes can charge less for their E-Class Coupe than the Sedan, but pricing wasn't the only factor behind the decision to use the C-Class platform. Speaking with Automotive News, Mercedes U.S. chief Ernst Lieb explained that the older C-Class platform results in "a stiffer car with a bit more performance".

The news also follows earlier missives from Mercedes about the reason for dropping the previous CLK class of vehicles, which like the new E-Class Coupe were also based on the less expensive C-Class platform. The axing of the CLK was thought to be a sign that Mercedes would be using the E-Class Sedan's platform but instead the use of the C-Class platform harks back to how the company created its original CLK range of cars - essentially, the whole change was just an exercise in nameplate swapping.
The new E-Class Coupe will first hit European showrooms this May and should be on sale in the U.S. by the third-quarter of the year.

Mercedes Benz targets 0.20Cd drag coefficient in next five years

Sometimes, making cars more efficient is best done through the application of more fundamental principles such as improved aerodynamics, rather than complex and expensive powertrain upgrades. With pressure to build greener cars, manufacturers are again focusing on aerodynamics to save fuel and Mercedes believes there is still a lot more to learn.

Mercedes Benz is embracing that philosophy, with a plan to bring the respective drag coefficients of its cars below 0.20Cd within the next five years.

The carmaker claims it already produces the world's most aerodynamic production car - the new 2010 E-Class Coupe, which scores a drag coefficient figure of 0.24Cd. The new coupe even manages to out-slip the new 2010 Toyota Prius, which for a short time in January could claim it was the world's most aerodynamic production car along with the Honda Insight at 0.25Cd.

However, despite the E-Class Coupe already posting impressive aerodynamic credentials, Mercedes is keen to improve in this area. Speaking with Autocar, E-Class Coupe project manager Rainer Tiefenbacher revealed that there was “still plenty more to come” in terms of improving fuel efficiency.

“There are big steps to be made, especially around and under the engine hood. Twenty years ago we celebrated a 0.30Cd, in five years we will reach the next big step,” Tiefenbacher explained.

Mercedes is correct in that area - the current shape of most cars and trucks make them relatively poor aerodynamic performers. But while carmakers continue to extract as much efficiency out of their cars, we hope aesthetics don't get laid completely by the wayside.

Mercedes Benz announces pricing for 2010 E-Class Coupe and Sedan

Mercedes-Benz used to be able to charge whatever it wanted for its luxury cars because, well, it could. But times have clearly changed, with formidable competition coming not just from BMW, Audi, and Cadillac, but also from Lexus, Infiniti, and even Hyundai’s compelling Genesis.

In what may prove to be a major blow for the BMW 3-Series Coupe and Audi A5, the upcoming Mercedes Benz E-Class Coupe will actually cost less than the E-Class Sedan on which it is based. Despite the new Coupe’s predecessor - the CLK - costing thousands of dollars more than the E-Class Sedan in most markets - the U.S. being a notable exception - this differential will no longer exist for the latest breed of E-Class variants.

The sedan itself is competitively priced as well, starting at $4,600 below the previous model's base price. The entry model, the 2010 E350, will start at $49,475, while at the other end of the spectrum, the V8-powered E550 will start at $57,175. The Coupe starts at a mere $48,925 for the E350 model, while the E550 kicks off at $55,525.

Earlier reports had hinted that the prices would be the same, or similar, because the E-Class Coupe shares most of its equipment and powertrain packages with the Sedan. While coupe and convertible models traditionally attract a price premium over sedan siblings, Mercedes appears to be attempting a new, aggressive pricing strategy to really hit its competition hard.

The CLK was always positioned slightly above the BMW 3-Series Coupe and Audi A5 and the new E-Class Coupe is no different. It won’t help that the new Mercedes two-door is not only cheaper, but also one of the best luxury coupes we’ve seen in a while, and is easily the pick of the bunch next to its rivals.

Sales of the new E-Class Sedan and Coupe will start in June, but that’s not the end of the story. At September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, Mercedes will unveil the new E-Class Cabrio as well as the E-Class Estate wagon, but both of these models will almost certainly attract a price premium over the Sedan.

Pricing for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and E350 BlueTec diesel models will not be announced until a later date.