By Mark Elias
Friday, May 7th, 2010 @ 12:00 pm

Mercedes-Benz has quite a tradition of cabriolets – a heritage of open-top vehicles that, you very well could say, dates back to the original Benz Patent Motorwagen. With the ninth version of the company’s bread-and-butter E-Class sedan and coupe already on the market, it was only a matter of time before the line went topless. The result is the 2011 E-Class Cabriolet.
It’s not unlike a Barbie doll. Eventually its top ends up coming off.

We ventured to Eastern Tennessee to try the Cab on the spectacular roads through the Smoky Mountains leading to Asheville, North Carolina. With Blackberry Farms outside of Knoxville serving as home base, we ventured on a day trip that was basically cold and wet – hardly droptop weather.

But no matter. This E-Cab was able to cope with whatever old Ma’ Nature threw at us.

Four seasons, four seats
This two-door, four seat E-Class Cabriolet features a mixture of classic features that buck the latest trends toward folding convertible hardtops, that while good, tend to carve up most of the usable storage space in the trunk when the roof is down. Keeping with tradition, this three layer, nearly inch-thick canvas ragtop manages to keep the elements—and an additional four decibels of road noise over previous Cabriolets – out of the cabin. A fairly impressive feat, all things considered.

Add to that the ability to deploy in 20-seconds at speeds up to 25 mph, and you won’t be talking hay or chicken feed or any of the other things at Blackberry Farms.

But wait, there’s more.

Mercedes-Benz ’s innovative – and standard – AirCap automatic wind deflector rises from its perch atop the windshield’s trailing edge, and when in operating mode looks like the top wing on the Red Baron’s Fokker Dr-1 Triplane. Aesthetically it might not be for everyone, but it works as claimed by the Daimler engineers who say the mesh screen that is a part of the system, creates a high-pressure warm or cold air bubble when combined with the separate AirScarf heater system that blows warm air on the necks of the front seat occupants. As an added bonus, heated and ventilated seats round out the equation for the “four seasons, four seats” concept of the Cabriolet.

Somehow, we bet most owners who live outside of the sunbelt have an extra car for the winter…

The interior features a two-binnacle dashboard, which combines the typical dash gauges as well as a seven-inch COMAND screen for navigation and audio inputs. From the center of the speedo sits a tiny little coffee cup. Part of M-B’s Attention Assist system, it monitors head movements to determine if the driver is exhibiting signs of drowsiness and kindly suggests a rest break. Fearing the wrath of Gottlieb Daimler or Karl Benz, we didn’t test it.

The driver-centric cabin features a pair of excellent driver and passenger front seats. Equipped with enough bolstering and surface area to ensure driver and passengers arrive refreshed without signs of fatigue. We loved the additional ability to extend the thigh support when needed.

The rest of the centerstack is almost identical to that found in the E-Class coupe. With the exception that the AirScarf is now adjustable for drivers of differing height, and the mouse-pad like hand rest just behind the vehicle’s command dial has gone from housing the telephone keypad to now hiding the controls for the convertible top and AirCap.

Finally, from a safety standpoint, the E-Cab shines. When the roof is down, rollover protection bars – roll bars to you and me — deploy in 3/10ths of a second. Nine airbags are included in addition to the PreSafe positioning system that places occupants in an optimal position to survive a shunt. The usual array of alphabets including ESP, BAS, EBD with brake priming and drying are also on the scene. Add to these the HeadBags, which sound more sinister than they actually are, that are located in the door panels for head protection in case of accident. Typically, convertibles don’t offer much in the way of head protection in the event of a side collision. Not so the E-Class cabriolet.

A collector’s item
To Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts, the W124-series E-Class Cabriolet of the early 1990s is considered very desirable. With the right combination of engine, features, and style, it has everything a collector could want in a modern cabriolet – and it offers the hefty resale values to prove it.

Mercedes-Benz is hoping they have another classic on their hands with the new E-Class cabriolet. With a choice of a 3.5-liter 268 horsepower V6 with 258 lb-ft. of torque (E350), or a 5.5-liter 382 horsepower, 392 lb-ft. V8 (E550), it’s entirely possible. Two of Mercedes’ tried and proven engines find their way into the engine bay of the E-Class Cabriolet and the result, like that in the coupe, is pure magic.

The engine transmits its torque via the seven-speed automatic with Touchshift manual control. We’ve used it before and like it just as much now as we have previously. Really stand on the loud pedal and the two-stage resonance intake manifold allows the V6 and V8 engines to pass a roar into the cabin that is almost as sweet as the Harman/Kardon audio system. On the other hand, the tranny is of the smart er-than-human variety, knowing when to skip a gear or two on a downshift. We found it did manage to prevent us from doing something stupid like shift it into too low a gear.

Got it in hand
The handling the E-Cab displayed while winding through Great Smoky Mountains National Park is familiar and reassuring. The power assist rack and pinion system provided great road feel and on-center tracking that gave us the confidence to push forward, even in the wet weather we experienced along our routes. The suspension, which has been revised for use in the cabriolet, utilizes a front strut and coilover arrangement. Coupled with the multilink /coilover rear setup it offers great handling and just the right amount of understeer to handle the switchbacks and sweepers we found on our way between ‘villes from Knoxville to Asheville.

Other attention to detail includes a beefier front brake set for the E550. It has four-piston calipers and drilled rotors to minimize brake fade, while the E350 model features a floating caliper setup with a single piston. Both are equipped with a tandem vacuum brake booster. To add to the mix, the optional Distronic can be had that applies brakes when approaching slowing vehicles, and if a shunt is inevitable, applies the PRESAFE function that helps occupants prepare for a crash.

Behind the wheel
The new E-Cab convertibles provided us with a well-fitted cockpit, that featured great ergonomics that kept us engaged during our drives through the Great Smoky Mountains. Why Smoky, you ask? When speeding around the bend with sun shining on the first day of our venture into Knoxville, it was all sun and warmth. But beyond the next bend was a totally new microclimate with cool, overcast weather complete with dense fog. Regardless, the E-Cab was able to cope. Too cold? Fire up the seat warmers and AirScarf. Sun beating on your head? Put up the roof in 25 seconds time. Four seasons within miles of one another.

The sport seats as found in the E-Class Cabriolet were extremely comfortable and managed to hold us firmly in place. Paddle shifts allow us to work our way up and down the gearbox without removing our hands from the wheel while stainless accelerator and brake pedals with rubber dots allow for sure-footed heel and toeing.

Overall, Mercedes-Benz has finally made a true driver’s car. With a removable lid.

Why you would buy it:
Ragtops need a ragtop – and besides, you’re all about traditional cool with a little tech.

Why you wouldn’t:
You’re afraid of the sun.

Leftlane’s bottom line
Mercedes-Benz has massaged its already-impressive E-Class coupe into a perfect all-season cabriolet by ripping the roof off the sucka. Not quite as dynamically satisfying as a BMW 335i despite its stout handling and excellent road manners, the E-Class nonetheless offers a more premium overall experience.

But with innovations like the AirScarf and AirCap (what’s next, an AirParka?), the E-Class Cabriolet isn’t just for sunbelters any longer.

2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 Cabriolet base price, $56,850.
2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet base price, $64,800.

Words and photos by Mark Elias.

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