2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet: Driven.

2011 Mercedes-Benz E550 Cabriolet. The E550 Cabriolet looks the part of luxury convertible cruiser in every way. It's not the sort of luxury convertible that you'd take the family to the Whippi-Dip; rather the one you'd use to take the friends out to gelato on a hot summer night.
From pretty much every angle, whether you're following the chiseled, pointed front end, bold mesh-backed grille, and uninhibited three-pointed star in front; or the graceful fender crease in back, which rolls through with complexity to the rear lights; it's a beauty.
There's certainly that, but there's more. As I found when I had the chance to drive the
E-Class Cabriolet a couple of times over the past several months, the E550 has a lot more attitude—and quickness—than you might think.
More attitude, and it's seriously quick.
First off, the E550 doesn't have the strong-yet-demure, turbine-like character that's accompanied pretty much every other non-AMG Mercedes-Benz V-8 in recent history. This current one—making 382 horsepower from 5.5 liters—is a little more extroverted than we've come to expect, especially here in the Cabriolet. Just off its slightly lumpy idle, there's a deep, resonant bark, and rev toward the top and the V-8 sings out with a growl and a surprising bite, impressing as more than a little AMG-like.
It's fast. The E550 Cabriolet can get to 60 mph in the low-five-second range, according to track testing from several sources.
A seven-speed automatic transmission comes hooked up to the V-8 and seemed to adapt quickly to different driving styles—not at all wasting revs when we were just plodding along with traffic but holding gears a bit longer when we'd just been tromping it in the curves. Dial up Sport mode—which commands stiffer damper settings—and the transmission earns a little more eagerness. Paddle-shifters are there, but I only felt compelled to use them a couple of times.
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