Mercedes C-Class Coupe Spyshots-02

A BMW 4 Series was parked below our office the other day, and we couldn't help but look, admiring it from nose to tail and the graceful lines in between. The dark blue 428i Sport looked super sleek with a low roofline, wide body and what this pundit considers the perfect coupe proportions. No longer just a 3 Series sedan with two doors taken out; perhaps the new series number is justified after all.

To match the 4, arch-rival Mercedes-Benz will have to come up with a fetching C-Class Coupe, and from what we can see so far, the beauty contest is on. It's a very good set of spyshots, and while this test mule's vital rear section is still taped up, we now get a good look at the coupe's silhouette, roofline and behind.

Mercedes C-Class Coupe Spyshots-08

The coupe's windows are noticeably slimmer than the sedan's, and the main crease that starts from the headlamps is now a straight one, spearing through the door handles and reaching the tail lamps. On the sedan, it's a diving line that undercuts the door handles. Here, the wing mirrors are mounted on the doors, not the A-pillars. Also visible are broad shoulders as the cabin shrinks in.

We're expecting the rear design to look like the S-Class Coupe's. Just like how the W205 C-Class sedan is a scaled down W222 S-Class, this coupe resembles its big sibling too. Not a bad thing, really.

Mercedes C-Class Coupe Spyshots-10

With big brakes and quad exhausts, this test mule is likely to be a C 450 AMG Sport. The sedan (and wagon) C 450 AMG 4Matic made its debut at this year's Detroit show with a 3.0 litre twin-turbo V6 that does 362 hp at 5,500 rpm and 518 Nm of torque from 2,000 to 4,200 rpm. 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds.

The C 450 AMG 4Matic may not boast a big power advantage over the C 400 (362 vs 333 hp), but the AWD-only car gets chassis upgrades that include updated front pull rods, three-stage adjustable dampers, tweaked steering knuckles, higher negative camber, firmer springs and new load bearing joints. The 7G-Tronic auto gearbox also has a bespoke shift mapping.

The C-Class Coupe should surface later this year and hit the market as a 2016 model. Like what you see?

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe