It has been rumored for quite a while now and Mercedes has decided to officially confirm the existence of the E-Class Coupe, ahead of its unveiling at the Geneva Auto Show in March.
With a stunning new design based on the all-new 2010 E-Class, the Coupe does away with the B-pillar and features frameless windows. Incredibly, this new design is the most aerodynamic shape of any production vehicle with a coefficient of drag of just 0.24. (This ought to bruise some egos over at Toyota, after the not-yet-released 2010 Prius was recently announced to have the most aerodynamically efficient shape at just .025 cd.)
Mercedes intends to make the E-Class Coupe efficient in many other ways with steering and fuel pumps that only operate when necessary and an alternator that varies depending upon the driving situation and the on-board voltage. Mercedes has also equipped the E-Class Coupe with low rolling resistance tires.
Offered in The U.S. in June, the vehicle will be available as both an E350 and E550. The E350 will make use of Mercedes’ V6 engine with 268hp and 258 ft-lbs of torque and the E550 will use the V8 engine which boasts 382hp and 391 ft-lbs of torque. Two four-cylinder engines will also be available in Europe.
Much like its sedan counterpart the E-Class Coupe will feature plenty of state-of-the-art performance and safety equipment, including Agility Control adaptive shock absorbers and Attention Assist drowsiness detection. High beam assist, which adjusts the vehicle’s headlights based on the distance to a vehicle ahead or one in the oncoming lane, is also standard.
In Europe the E-Class Coupe will also come equipped with an Active Hood that will raise two two inches during an impact to reduce injury to a pedestrian.
Standard equipment includes a leather interior with sport seats, a Panorama Sunroof, Mercedes’s Command System and automatic dual-zone climate control.
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe:
Official release after the jump:
![Meredes CLS Shooting Brake: Lookin’ Fine in Winter Time [Spy Photos]](http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/wp-content/uploads//2012/02/Mercedes-CLS-Shooting-Brake-thumb.jpg "Meredes CLS Shooting Brake: Lookin’ Fine in Winter Time [Spy Photos]")
