The Mercedes E-Class Coupe's Boring Looks Make Me Yearn For The Pretty Old CLK

When looking at the butch Mercedes CLK 63 Black Series earlier this week, it occurred to me just how pretty the old C209 CLK is, even without the AMG garb. Its soft, swooping lines create one of the best-looking Mercs of recent times, and it makes me sad to think that the car’s replacement - the E-Class Coupe - is nowhere near as good looking.

In fact, I really dislike the look of the two-door E. It’s much too angular, with nasty sharp lines slashed all over the car, and I hate the way earlier cars’ diamond-shaped headlines have been separated out into two segments each side. It looks strange, so it comes as no surprise that these were binned for single units in the E-Class range’s recent facelift.

Things aren’t great around the back, either. There are some random muscular haunches on the rear wheel arches, which just look bizarre given that the front arches aren’t flared at all. Oh, and the rear lights look far too big.

I drove the E-Class coupe earlier this year in E400 form, and in that brief encounter, it seemed like a good car. With 329bhp on tap from a twin-turbo V6, it’s quick in an effortless sort of way. It’s comfortable and has a lovely interior, too, but to justify the loss in practicality over the E-Class saloon, it has to really appeal on the looks front, and for me it just doesn’t.

It looks too much like the regular E-Class saloon, which I find uninspiring aesthetically. There’s not enough to set it apart and make it seem more special. It should look lower, wider, and more purposeful, much as the BMW 4-series does in comparison to the 3. As it is, the E-Class Coupe just looks too boring.

What do you think, am I on to something, or do you think it’s an improvement over the old CLK?