German Car Zone

I just returned from Stuttgart where I paid a small visit to the Mercedes-Benz Museum and the new Porsche Museum. I'm very tired and exhausted from the long drive so I will post the Porsche pictures tomorrow. But before I go to sleep you guys have to see this! Inside the museum was the new Mercedes E-Class. It looks pretty good up close, is spacious inside (the interior feels really nice, like an S-Class) and just feels right. I was a bit mad that they had to use a cheaper Classic trim level as a show car though. I mean what the hell? You want to make a good first impression so display an Elegance or Avantgarde model, not the taxi trim Classic! Jesus H. Christ!

After the MB and Porsche Museum and after dropping of my American friends at the train station, I saw another W212 E-Class, but this time on the road across from me. I was driving pretty fluidly and there was no way I could photograph it since my camera was my backpack next to me. This W212 was either an Elegance or Avantgarde model since it had exterior chrome applications. I didn't catch a solid glimpse at it so I am not sure which of them it was, but it was definitely not a Classic trim model.

Oh, and on the way home, an hour out of Stuttgart, around 18:00, I had to refuel so I pulled over unto the slow lane when the next gas station came into view. All of a sudden there was "some kind or new Porsche" behind me in my rear view mirror with what appeared to be "LED" headlights. I've never seen them before and since it was pretty dark already, I couldn't really identify the car. Then it occurred to me: Could this be the new Panamera!? It was! As I pulled into the gas station to gas up, I saw it zip past me to a nearby parking lot. I guess the driver had to go take a leak or something. Since I was critically low on fuel I filled up the 118i first, paid quickly and then sped over to the parking lot in the hopes of finding the Panamera. It was long gone, but at least I had seen it and at least I was right about my initial hunch! It was a black Panamera too! Looks hot.

What an awesome day. Porsche Museum pictures coming up late tomorrow. I am dead tired right now and need to crash...


























The E-Class Evolution


























If you want to shut up the Lexus fanboys, read this.

That looks amazingly good for standard trim

I'll take a W124 and a W211 please, jury still out on the W212 for me until I see it.

Great pics as always though.

M

Awesome pictures Wimmer!

I love the new W212, especially the front end.

I'd love to get my hands on either the W115, or W123, both just fabulously designed, straight forward, solid designs.

Nice pics,thanks for posting them!!! I am liking the W212 better, but it is not exciting enough for me to want to buy one....I still like my W211 better at this point. The W212 was supposed to WOW me and be so very exciting and fresh that I could not resist trading in mine. I am a slightly dissapointed...but...hey, maybe in person I will still be WOWED and besides the new Coupe is looking very promising.

Beautiful photography mate! You should've taken more detailed pics of those classics! The new E-Class looks good in your shots!

So, which trim or model in the new E-Class are getting led in fog lights? Those dual fog lights looks a bit out-dated to me!

Thanks Wimmer for the pics Pitty you couldn't photograph the Panamera.


Does anyone have pictures of the original Mercedes four eye face ?
If I remember correctly it was a coupe
I remember having a picture of it somewhere. I'll search.

Same here!!! I have to wait until march to say, if I'm going to like it or not!

Thanks.

I wanted to take more detailed photos of those classics but I had to pick up my friends from the train station. I was supposed to arrive in Stuttgart and pick them up first thing but they missed their train in France so I had about 3 hours of time to kill. I headed over to MB and only spent about an hour in the museum itself. When I discovered this E-Class section (which is new and probably only temporary), I was about 30 minutes away from having to make it to the train station by car. Add to that Stuttgart midday traffic and I really had to rush out of there!

But I assure you the W212 looks quite pleasing up close. Classic trim is well, the cheap trim, but in Elegance/Avantgarde it should be a totaly stunner.

Fantastic pics Christian. The best IRL pics i've seen so far, actually!

BTW, even in classic, it looks fantastic!