Mercedes Benz Plans A Busy Year for 2008

Nice.

BMW & Audi are not standing still either. Their 2008 plans:

Audi: A3 cabrio, A3 facelift, TT S, new A4 Avant, Q5, A6 facelift, RS6 Avant

BMW: 1er cabrio, 1er coupe (already available in Europe), 3er facelift, new M3 sedan & cabrio & coupe (already available in Europe), X6, new 7er (F01)


Great year coming for German car fans.

Nice but not soon enough for me. I might consider the C with the supercharged little 4-banger or, better still, the GLK, if either of these vehicles can be be bought in North America before my A6 lease expires in May.

New high output 3.5L V-6 developing 315hp with 9% less fuel consumption? That engine in the new C-Class will give the 335 a run for iy's money.

maybe, but if the 3.7L 330hp V6 in the G37 can't I doubt this one will either. The 335i power figures are very conservative. At least this will give MB something competitive, since the C350 really isn't right now.

When is the facelifted S-class due out - should be any time now since the new body came out in 06, right?

Anybody know if MB is making any major changes or just some new taillights, etc.?

No.

It came out as a 2007 model. It's barely a full model year old!

It will be two years (at least) before the first major facelift for the W221.

fastone, that's good to hear seeing as how MB basically lifted the interior out of a 7-Series and grafted into the S, right down to the front mounted drawers (only they're plastic instead of wood), center armrest, iDrive/COMMAND knob, and the shifter lever.

JRobUSC, don't hate, just because the S-Class kills the 7 Series in every respect...

(-;

The S interior is simply magnificent. After test driving it twice, I have to say it's a car that really makes you feel special. Everything is of the highest quality. It reminds me of being inside a Four Seasons hotel... where the A8 is more Peninsula and the LS is the Ritz-Carlton.

Oh, sorry, the 7 Series is the Hyatt.

I love BMWs, but the 7 Series just doesn't impress me at all.

S4, I'm not hating. Quite the contrary actually. I happen to think the S-class is a very nice car, inside and out, I just also think if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then BMW should be very flattered. Sit in a 2005 S-class (shifter on the center console, no COMAND knob, no drawers in the center stack, no dashboard hump for the nav screen, etc.), then sit in a new one (little shifter toggle on the steering column, COMAND knob, drawers in the center, nav hump on the dash), and then sit in a 2002+ 7-series (also has all those things). The S is nicer, I'm not arguing that. It came out four years later, it should be nicer and fresher (though I don't like the plastic drawer fronts, at least the 7 uses wood). I'm focusing strictly on the layout, and it's undeniable where MB got their inspiration from there. I'm curious to see what BMW does with the interior of the new 7.

fastone, there's no attack. My point was people are very quick to praise the interior of the S and dismiss the interior of the 7, despite the fact that MB obviously used the 7 as the template for the S interior. The S interior is newer and nicer, no question. But it's a newer and nicer implementation of the design themes of the 7-series interior. I'd just like to see some credit given where credit is due.

keep it up benz... soon with the help of your loyal owners, will crush the competition... :)