SPIED: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible with Odd Orange-Silver Paint Job

We've shown you plenty of spy and even official design photos of the upcoming 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible the past few months, but these particular examples of the soft-top variant captured our attention due to their unusual two-tone paintjob.

Scooped by our man with the long lens as they were being transferred on a hauler, the two virtually undisguised E-Class Convertibles combine a flat orange finish for the body with a metallic silver paint for the front and rear bumpers, side skirts and exterior mirrors.

However, we're not sure if the body of the E-Class drop-top models has been painted or simply wrapped in a vinyl film.

Whatever the case, it won't be long before Mercedes-Benz takes the wraps off its new four-seater convertible model which is based on the E-Class Coupe sharing the same engine line up.

New Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible Scooped in Underground Parking

You never know when you're going to stumble upon a prototype model these days, but thanks to modern day cell phones with integrated cameras, if you're alert like julino billym reader 'JMG', you can scoop it in a jiff. Despite the fact that he was running late for a rendezvous, 'JMG' managed to bag this set of photos of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible in an underground parking lot in Bremen, Germany, with his iPhone.

The CLK Convertible's replacement is based on the new E-Class Coupe and, just like the Audi A5 Cabrio, it too features a fabric top. The four-seater model will get the same range of four, six and eight-cylinder engines as the latest sedan, estate and coupe versions of the E-Class, including an uber-efficient four-pot diesel and a range-topping 5.0-liter V8.

The new E-Class Convertible is scheduled to go on sale in the first half of 2010

Many thanks to JMG for the pictures!

2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible Revealed in Official Design Pictures

Not that the styling of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Convertible hasn't been previewed in the virtually undisguised prototypes that have been caught by numerous spy photographers testing in and around the Nurburgring as well as other locations in Europe, but these grainy black and white pictures that were filed with the EU trademark office are the official deal.

Set to arrive in Mercedes-Benz showrooms sometime during the first half of 2010, the topless version of the new E-Class Coupe keeps the four-seat layout of its tintop twin and like the Audi A5 Cabrio, it doesn't use a retractable metal roof opting instead for a lighter and more compact-sized canvas top.

Don't expect to see any surprises under the hood as the 2010 E-Class Convertible will be offered with the same four-, six- and eight-cylinder engine options (depending on the market) as the latest coupe model including a 204HP 2.2-liter diesel and a 5.5-liter V8 petrol with 388HP.

2011 Mercedes-Benz SLK : Speculative Renderings of a Mini SLS AMG Roadster

Most automakers use specific styling cues to make their vehicles look and feel like they are a part of an extended family - even when they belong to different segments. That's even more true in the case of premium carmakers like Mercedes. And while it's too early to make any final assumptions regarding the appearance of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLK, speculating that the styling of the next-generation compact hardtop-roadster will be heavily inspired from the new SLS AMG Gullwing may not be far from reality.

With this in mind, photoshop expert Theophilus Chin created what is best described as a "mini SLS AMG Roadster" proposal. Click on the photos below to check them out in high-res quality and tell us what you think.

Photos: Thelophilus Chin , Via: Autoblog.nl

SCOOP: 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML-Class Snagged in Germany

Two heavily camouflaged prototypes of the next generation Mercedes-Benz ML-Class (or M-Class, if you prefer) were caught testing in Germany by our man with the long lens. These spy pictures suggest that Merc's BMW X5 and Audi Q7 rival in the luxury SUV segment may be slightly smaller with shorter front and rear overhangs than the current model, though it appears that the wheelbase remains the same.

As is common with early prototype models, both MLs were sheltered in cladding but it is safe to assume that Mercedes' designers will infuse the new SUV with the brand's latest styling cues as seen on vehicles such as the E-Class and the GLK. That means a "boxier" shape with a sculptured front fascia, an equally chiseled profile and more pronounced fenders.

Underneath, the 2012 ML-Class shares its platform with the next generation Jeep Grand Cherokee.

There's not much information going on about the engine line-up but we gather that ML will be offered with a similar range of V6 petrol and diesels along with a V8 petrol and a range-topping 6.3-liter V8 for the sporty AMG model, all of which should be tweaked to deliver more power and at the same time, higher fuel efficiency and reduced emissions.

There's also talk about a next-generation hybrid powertrain with plug-in capability. Just this past April, Mercedes launched the ML450 HYBIRD at the New York Auto Show.

This particular model features a hybrid drivetrain that combines a 3.5-liter V6 Atkinson cycle engine with two electric motors for a total output of 335HP with an EPA-estimated combined fuel economy rating of 22mpg (10.7lt/100km).

We'll see the new ML-Class for the first time in late 2011, most likely at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

VIDEO: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadsters Spied During Testing in the USA

With the recent introduction of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Stuttgart's focus is now on the roadster version that's due in late 2011. Filmed here by the spies at Auto Motor und Sport during hot-weather testing in Death Valley, California, the SLS AMG Roadster appears to be fitted with a traditional canvas top. Also, the fixed handles on the doors suggest that the trademark gullwing doors of the coupe have been replaced by either regular or scissor-type doors like the ones featured on the topless McLaren SLR.

Don't expect to see any changes under the elongated bonnet that measures an astonishing 2 meters or 78-inches in length, with the Roadster model keeping the same AMG 6.3-liter V8 found in the coupe that delivers 571 HP at 6,800 rpm and a peak torque of 650Nm (479 lb-ft) at 4,750 rpm.

Power will be sent to the rear axle through a dual-clutch seven-speed sports transmission.

Mercedes-Benz says that the gullwing-door coupe reaches 62mph (100km/h) from standstill in 3.8 seconds and continues to accelerate up to an electronically limited top speed of 317km/h or 197 mph. We suspect that due to the added weight of the structural reinforcements and the roof mechanism, the convertible may be slightly slower than the coupe model.

Via: AMS

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster Spied with Less Camouflage

While we've yet to see the all-new SLS AMG Gullwing that is scheduled to make its world debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz has already begun working on a topless version of the SLR McLaren's replacement that was scooped here by our photographers during testing. The convertible model, which will feature an electric folding canvas top, is expected to go on sale almost two years later than the coupe, in late 2011.

If you pay close attention to the photos, you can see that the SLS AMG roadster features normal door handles, meaning that Mercedes has most likely ditched the coupe model's "gullwing" doors in favor of conventional openings. However, there is a possibility that Merc may use scissor-type doors like the those found on the outgoing McLaren SLR roadster.

Sans the rooftop and the rear deck, the roadster model's styling appears to be identical to that of the coupe.

Don't expect to see any changes under the hood either, with the roadster using the same front-mounted 6.3-litre V8 engine as the Gullwing. It produces an output of 571HP and 650Nm (479 lb-ft) of torque with power being delivered to the rear wheels through a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

According to the German automaker's preliminary figures, the SLS AMG Gullwing takes 3.8 seconds to reach 100 km/h or 62mph and achieves a top speed of 315 km/h or 196 mph. Because of the increased weight due to the necessary structural reinforcements, the roadster should be a tad bit slower in acceleration than the fixed-roof SLS AMG.

It remains to be seen if Mercedes will also offer a roadster version of the recently confirmed, all-electric SLS "Gullwing" eDrive that will be powered by four electric motors positioned near the wheels producing a combined output of 526HP and a peak torque of 880Nm (649 lb-ft).