Why aren't coupes done in "hardtop" style?

PTinVT · 03-05-2009, 04:25 AM

I'm guessing the bottom line is cost, but given their engineering prowess, I don't see why they couldn't have offered 3-series coupes as "hardtops" with no B-pillar and rear windows that roll down.

I would love to see what an E46 or E92 coupe would look like with no B-pillar and roll-downable rear windows.

The E93 rear windows look as big if not bigger than the E92s, but they manage to retract completely into the fender.

E46 verts have the front seat belts built into the seat, not the frame/B-pillar... if that's safe enough for vert owners, then why not for coupe owners? If the belt was built into the seat, that would eliminate the need for the E92 "handing you the seat belt" valet arm, which is cute but appears to me to be just one more electronic/mechanical nightmare to repair out of warranty.

methodtim · 03-05-2009, 04:27 AM

Two words: structural integrity.

Two more: torsional stiffness.

SiKkBaSs · 03-05-2009, 04:35 AM

/ Thread

holson · 03-05-2009, 07:57 AM

the CLK coupe's & new E-Class coupe's party piece.. i love it..

i also wish the 3 had those, such a nice look in summer with the windows down

allan · 03-05-2009, 10:27 AM

higher cost and demand

MisterSkiMask · 03-05-2009, 10:31 AM

I also think the rear seats are narrower in the vert. making room for the windows to roll down, and folding top parts etc

Hoothout · 03-05-2009, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by methodtim

Two words: structural integrity.

Two more: torsional stiffness.

PTinVT · 05-05-2009, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PTinVT

E46 verts have the front seat belts built into the seat, not the frame/B-pillar... if that's safe enough for vert owners, then why not for coupe owners? If the belt was built into the seat, that would eliminate the need for the E92 "handing you the seat belt" valet arm, which is cute but appears to me to be just one more electronic/mechanical nightmare to repair out of warranty.

Ironically enough, I've had the car just over 3 months (CPO), put barely 1000 miles on it, and just had my first thing go wrong: I discovered my passenger side "handing you the seat belt arm" doesn't fully retract any more. It still works, but looks funny hanging out partway all the time. Not sure how long it's been like that. Not worth a trip to the dealer, but the start of my fix-it list...

Now that warm weather is here, I'm reminded of the joys of driving a coupe with the windows open on the highway and getting beaten up by the seatbelt, which is exposed and flapping about from the seat to the b-pillar (and I'm a short guy). Doesn't happen in my E46 vert!

Excelsior · 05-05-2009, 06:17 PM

The convertible has a lot of heavy reinforcement to make up for the loss of frame rigidity by not having a B-pillar

xtac · 05-05-2009, 06:18 PM

post an example i have no idea what the op is talking about

GregL · 05-05-2009, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xtac

post an example i have no idea what the op is talking about

He's talking about the B-pillar; starting from the front of the car, the first set with the windshield sandwiched inbetween are the a-pillars, the b-pillars are the ones on either side of the driver's head.

Quote:

Originally Posted by holson

the CLK coupe's & new E-Class coupe's party piece.. i love it..

i also wish the 3 had those, such a nice look in summer with the windows down

+1 Same with the CL. I understand it cost Mercedes quite a bit of R&D money to achieve though, plus the extra cost in building each car.

jumpingjz · 05-05-2009, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PTinVT

Ironically enough, I've had the car just over 3 months (CPO), put barely 1000 miles on it, and just had my first thing go wrong: I discovered my passenger side "handing you the seat belt arm" doesn't fully retract any more. It still works, but looks funny hanging out partway all the time. Not sure how long it's been like that. Not worth a trip to the dealer, but the start of my fix-it list...

Now that warm weather is here, I'm reminded of the joys of driving a coupe with the windows open on the highway and getting beaten up by the seatbelt, which is exposed and flapping about from the seat to the b-pillar (and I'm a short guy). Doesn't happen in my E46 vert!

next time the "arm" is extended, before it retracts, push it back until you hear a click, i had the same issue and it was later on corrected by dealership

JZ

PTinVT · 05-05-2009, 06:34 PM

Something like this - granted this is my convertible with the removable hardtop on, but remember when 2-door cars used to look like this? You could open all 4 windows and there wasn't a pillar between the front and back windows. I'm trying to think of modern 2-door hardtops built like this but none come to mind... but if they can reinforce a vert to have no roof at all, I imagine they could figure out a way to reinforce a coupe WITH a roof to not need a b-pillar. I know I'm dreaming, never gonna come back.

(I fixed my seat-belt hander by playing around with it and sheer luck - then I broke it again - then fixed it again. It is a delicate mechanism)

GregL · 05-05-2009, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PTinVT

Something like this - granted this is my convertible with the removable hardtop on, but remember when 2-door cars used to look like this? You could open all 4 windows and there wasn't a pillar between the front and back windows. I'm trying to think of modern 2-door hardtops built like this but none come to mind... but if they can reinforce a vert to have no roof at all, I imagine they could figure out a way to reinforce a coupe WITH a roof to not need a b-pillar. I know I'm dreaming, never gonna come back.

(I fixed my seat-belt hander by playing around with it and sheer luck - then I broke it again - then fixed it again. It is a delicate mechanism)

As previously stated, CLK, CL, and the upcoming E Coupe which replaces the CLK.

Here's a pic of a W216 CL:

E90330iS · 05-05-2009, 06:40 PM

new E class coupe looks great..

grubster · 05-05-2009, 11:14 PM

Don't forget the bmw 8 series, 840ci 850ci and the ultimate 850csi!

03-05-2009, 04:25 AM	#1
PTinVT armchair enthusiast 221 Rep 1,019 Posts Drives: 18 340xi, 02 325Cic, 93 850Ci Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Burlington, VT iTrader: (3)	Why aren't coupes done in "hardtop" style? I'm guessing the bottom line is cost, but given their engineering prowess, I don't see why they couldn't have offered 3-series coupes as "hardtops" with no B-pillar and rear windows that roll down. I would love to see what an E46 or E92 coupe would look like with no B-pillar and roll-downable rear windows. The E93 rear windows look as big if not bigger than the E92s, but they manage to retract completely into the fender. E46 verts have the front seat belts built into the seat, not the frame/B-pillar... if that's safe enough for vert owners, then why not for coupe owners? If the belt was built into the seat, that would eliminate the need for the E92 "handing you the seat belt" valet arm, which is cute but appears to me to be just one more electronic/mechanical nightmare to repair out of warranty. __________________ '18 340i xDrive EB/Dakota, 6-speed manual, M-sport '02 325Cic vert AW/Montana leather, 5-speed manual, premium/removable hardtop '93 850Ci Oxford Green/Parchment, auto '71 Buick Riviera, 455 V8 land yacht
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03-05-2009, 04:27 AM	#2
methodtim Brigadier General 374 Rep 3,883 Posts Drives: Audi RS Q8 Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Darkness there, and nothing more iTrader: (0) Garage List 2021 Audi RS Q8 [0.00] 2021 BMW X3 M40i [0.00] 2017 Toyota Tacoma [0.00]	Two words: structural integrity. Two more: torsional stiffness. __________________
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03-05-2009, 04:35 AM	#3
SiKkBaSs GTR'in it 169 Rep 4,434 Posts Drives: Nissan GTR Black Edition Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Kensington, London iTrader: (2) Garage List 2006 325i [0.00]	/ Thread
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03-05-2009, 07:57 AM	#4
holson First Lieutenant 10 Rep 348 Posts Drives: Enterprise Rent-A-Car Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Watertown, MA iTrader: (0)	the CLK coupe's & new E-Class coupe's party piece.. i love it.. i also wish the 3 had those, such a nice look in summer with the windows down
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03-05-2009, 10:27 AM	#5
allan Private First Class 8 Rep 133 Posts Drives: E93, barbera/cream Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: FRG iTrader: (0)	higher cost and demand
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03-05-2009, 10:31 AM	#6
MisterSkiMask Banned 147 Rep 2,014 Posts Drives: I Can not say Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: you must not know iTrader: (0)	I also think the rear seats are narrower in the vert. making room for the windows to roll down, and folding top parts etc
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05-05-2009, 06:17 PM	#9
Excelsior New Member 1 Rep 19 Posts Drives: 2009 335i Alpine White Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: STL iTrader: (0)	The convertible has a lot of heavy reinforcement to make up for the loss of frame rigidity by not having a B-pillar
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05-05-2009, 06:18 PM	#10
xtac Captain 155 Rep 780 Posts Drives: 17 F80 Comp Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Long Island iTrader: (2)	post an example i have no idea what the op is talking about
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05-05-2009, 06:34 PM	#13
PTinVT armchair enthusiast 221 Rep 1,019 Posts Drives: 18 340xi, 02 325Cic, 93 850Ci Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Burlington, VT iTrader: (3)	Something like this - granted this is my convertible with the removable hardtop on, but remember when 2-door cars used to look like this? You could open all 4 windows and there wasn't a pillar between the front and back windows. I'm trying to think of modern 2-door hardtops built like this but none come to mind... but if they can reinforce a vert to have no roof at all, I imagine they could figure out a way to reinforce a coupe WITH a roof to not need a b-pillar. I know I'm dreaming, never gonna come back. (I fixed my seat-belt hander by playing around with it and sheer luck - then I broke it again - then fixed it again. It is a delicate mechanism) Attached Images __________________ '18 340i xDrive EB/Dakota, 6-speed manual, M-sport '02 325Cic vert AW/Montana leather, 5-speed manual, premium/removable hardtop '93 850Ci Oxford Green/Parchment, auto '71 Buick Riviera, 455 V8 land yacht
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05-05-2009, 06:40 PM	#15
E90330iS Major General 143 Rep 6,333 Posts Drives: BMW M4 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Arcadia, California iTrader: (56) Garage List 2006 330i [0.00]	new E class coupe looks great.. __________________ 2017 BMW M4 DCT Lease Transfer: https://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...8#post23736398
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05-05-2009, 11:14 PM	#16
grubster Private First Class 3 Rep 110 Posts Drives: 08 535i Sport, 09 GL550 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chicago iTrader: (0)	Don't forget the bmw 8 series, 840ci 850ci and the ultimate 850csi! __________________ '07 335i Coupe 6MT
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