SPY PICS: E-Class pics hint at square-lens look?

It's now apparent from the latest round of spy pics that the next generation E-Class Mercedes will be distinctly different from the current W211 series of cars.

Our master spy photography mates at Carparazzi have been working overtime on the E-Class, which will be labeled W212 for this model, set to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show around this time next year.

We've lost count of the spy photos featuring the E-Class over the last 12 months and have now alerted Carparazzi's in-house psychotherapists that the staff photographers are getting a little fixated with the mid-range Merc. There was the E63 snapped back in May (more here), the 'E on the streets' report from March (more here), more of the same here in November last year, Nurburgring E here and E in the snow here.

Lets face it though, as they say in the night clubs, too much 'E' is never enough.

In the latest batch of images (showing both a wagon and a sedan), the inferences to be drawn are that the new E-Class will share some visual cues with the upcoming ConceptFASCINATION show car due to be unveiled in Paris next month (more here).

It's now apparent from the show car's official photos that the curved cut-out in the bonnet of the camouflaged pre-production cars will leave room for a swept-back main headlight cluster in a square bezel. We believe the show car's frontal styling is highly indicative of how the production car will look, right down to the clamshell bonnet, the wheel arches, CLK and C-Class rising swage line and the truncated rear.

Carparazzi sent these pics, including the dramatic wheel-lifting performance of the E-Class wagon at the Nurburgring, before the ConceptFASCINATION broke cover, but the neurotic spy photographers did pick the angular styling of the headlights and driving lights.

Carparazzi believes that with a year remaining before the W212 model makes its debut in Frankfurt, there's still time for MB to dispense with the 'Lexus' visual cues, but we think it's a bit late in the day for that and the car will come to market largely as it appears here -- without the disguise perhaps...

Among the features to be made available with the new E-Class, Mercedes-Benz is expected to offer wet-weather disc rotor wiping, wheel-selective cornering brake control, lane-departure alert system, eye-movement (fatigue) monitor, traffic sign identification, road condition sensors and a stability control system that compensates for tyre wear, crosswinds and road camber.

Ceramic-composite disc brake rotors are a possibility for the high-performance (AMG) models and may trickle down to lesser models over time.

And we swear on a stack of Bibles, after this, no more E-Class spy pics articles until W213!

-- with Carparazzi

To comment on this article click here