Mercedes-Benz E350 2010 News

Since cars all deliver on the same basic promise of personal mobility, and many vehicles do it with incredible value and panache, good design can often make the difference between buying and losing.Ian Callum knows it and, after more than four decades of top-class design work on everything from HSV Holdens to Volvos, Aston Martins and now Jaguars, he is the right man to be talking. "This is a time of car design. It's not just styling any more. You really have to understand design, and the elements that make up a good design," Callum says. "We're also seeing a lot of change in the automotive world. The make-up of cars is changing. Designers are going to have an incredible influence."Callum has revolutionised Jaguar design over the past 10 years and just visited Australia to showcase his all-new XJ flagship, which steps right away from anything which has previously worn the brand's leaper mascot. "I didn't want to be a slave to heritage," he says simply.Callum believes good design is simple but incredibly difficult, elegant and timeless, but also challenging and filled with tiny little details. He is rare among designers because he backs his promises with commitment and talent, and is also happy to give an opinion.So, then, how does he judge the work from some of his rivals? Surprisingly, Callum is happy to go on the record with a simple tick-or-cross verdict on the latest designs in showrooms.Here are his ratings: Aston Martin Rapide - tickAudi A5 - tickBMW GT - two crossesBMW X6 - crossFerrari F458 Italia - tickHSV EII Commodore - tickLexus LFA - tickMercedes E-Class - crossMercedes SLS Gullwing - crossNissan GT-R - crossPorsche Panamera - crossRolls-Royce Ghost - tickToyota Prius - tickVolkswagen Golf - tick 

The four-door E-Class is already out and about, even as the hammer- time E63 AMG, and so too is the station wagon.  Now we have proof on the direction for the upcoming E-Class cabrio.The droptop, like the coupe, takes on a much bigger role in the new generation following Mercedes-Benz's decision to axe the CLK from its lineup. The CL is gone too, although there will still be an S-Class coupe.The upcoming droptop was caught by Carparazzi in Europe and the pictures point to a softtop folding roof, not a hard clamshell, that retracts completely into the tail.The new car should be roomier than the model it replaces, if only because the CLK was built from the basics of the smaller C-Class. It is also expected to be much more refined. The Cabrio should be in showrooms early in 2010, which means Australian deliveries from the middle of next year.