Nevada’s Operation Buster, the series of bomb tests in the desert that unleashed the building blocks of the postwar United States nuclear weapons program, makes a weird and eerie backdrop for the unveiling of Mercedes-Benz’s all-new E-Class coupe. Though it replaces the C-Class-based CLK, the 2010 E coupe is really a return to “executive class” coupes for the German automaker.

Our drive took us through the Nevada Test Site, and although we can’t vouch for the nuclear protection the E550 coupe provides, we can say that it is a vast improvement over its predecessor and, in many ways, is a return to the over-engineered bahn-storming two-doors Mercedes built for decades.

The E-Class coupe helps to flesh out the E-family that will soon include a station wagon and high-performance, AMG-engineered models in addition to the E-Class sedan we experienced earlier. The all-new coupe is available in a 3.5-liter V6 version (E350) with 268 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque, and a 5.5-liter version (E550) with 382 ponies and 391 lb-ft. of torque – the same powertrains you’ll find in the sedan. Given our limited opportunity, we chose only to sample the E550.

Talk about a comeback special
Cruising past a street north of the strip, we had all the proof we needed that the King still lives. Elvis Alive Drive, our checkpoint and obvious photo shoot location, served as our gateway to the mountains. Thirty minutes later, we climbed to nearly 4,000 feet north of the city, twisting our way up the roads to check the handling of the new E550 coupe.

The new coupe is distinctive in that it closely holds the familial resemblance to the rest of the line while pushing the envelope in contemporary design. With no b-pillars to contend with, and a swoopy fastback look, is style borrows cues from the Ponton coupes of the 1950s, while still looking forward. Speaking Mercedes’ new sport design language, the look is capped off with the inclusion of a three-pointed star within the grille, rather than hovering above the hood as you’ll find in luxury-oriented Mercedes cars.

The exterior is sharply creased to make the look even more contemporary than the already over –the-top CLS body. The wide stance that begins out front with the four individual headlight surrounds and carries rearward plays an active role in the cars aerodynamics, as does the extended under-bumper rear diffuser. At the front corners, you’ll find four porthole-style foglamps, with optional LED units available if the feeling grabs you.

It’s what’s underneath that counts
What’s underneath includes the five-and-a-half liter V8 engine mated to the seven-speed Driver Adaptive Automatic tranny with touchshift and paddle shifters. Regardless, it was a blast to paddle upstream through the mountains surrounding Las Vegas. After a while it became second nature to anticipate when the next shift would occur so as to time the shift by wire system to its next logical cog.

The suspension consists of a four-wheel independent set up with struts and two-piece control arms, antidive geometry, coils over gas shocks and a stabilizer bar, while at the rear a five-arm multilink with coil springs, gas shocks and stabilizers keep things on the straight and narrow. Basically, it’s all the hardware to keep the ride firm but not bone-jarring. The Dynamic Handling suspension includes electronically adjustable shocks, which switch from comfort to sport mode at the press of a button, and the ability to remap the throttle response. Order this option grouping, and you’ll get 18-inch alloys as part of the deal.

Speed sensitive power-assisted rack and pinion steering pointed us forward but offered great feel, a massive improvement over the CLK, while going through the switchbacks on Deer Creek Highway leading to Lee Canyon Road. Long and straight for miles, we had a chance to peg the loud pedal at the top speed of 130 mph, and at the same time check the grab of the 13.5-inch front and 11.8-inch disks at all four corners. Take it from us: They work. In case you are doing the math, the 3,814 pound E550 Coupe slots in with mileage ratings of 16 city and 23 highway – a gas-guzzler charge will apply.

The new E coupe has many of the safety features found on its bigger four-door brother, the E550 sedan. The most novel of the many is the Attention Assist, which monitors driver input to track whether or not the driver is getting droopy-eyed after long stints behind the wheel. PRE SAFE is here, as well as Adaptive High Beam assist. If you need a lesson on Mercedes’ ever-growing list of acronyms, check out our sedan review.

Inside, nicely bolstered seats with single-needle stitching gives accent to the large expanses of leather seen throughout. There were Neck-Pro Active Head Restraints, but short of playing crash-test dummy, we never really knew they were there. We did like the added support of the four-way-lumbar bladder that helped keep the spine comfortable while cruising for extended periods. Although we weren’t experiencing the typical Nevada desert temperatures that could have been there, we were totally stoked to find the cool seat option was available on the front seats. The slugs in the back seat will just have to sweat. Space back there isn’t too bad, but we doubt that’s a major issue for most well-heeled E550 coupe buyers who likely have something more practical in the garage, too.

The gear shift selector is in the traditional position on the center console, unlike the steering column-mounted lever found in the E-Class sedan. Under the driver’s binnacle is a field of five gauges ranging from tachometer, speedometer, water temperature, clock and fuel level. The central speedometer has an LCD panel that displays audio info, directions, maintenance issues and so on. Multitasking as we tend to do, it was nice to be able to feel our way around the cockpit, and better yet, finding or locating everything where we would logically expect it to be.

Leftlane’s bottom line
Our brief time in the new E-Class coupe showed us a new contender for a slot just above the Audi A5 and Infiniti G37. Refined in typical Mercedes-Benz style with great design, power and interior, it’s a worthy successor for the CLK.

2010 Mercedes-Benz E350 Coupe base price, $48,925.
2010 Mercedes-Benz E550 Coupe base price, $57,175.

Words and photos by Mark Elias.

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