For 2005, the sedans are trimmed with lower sills and more pronounced fender lips previously reserved for the sport sedans. The sport models, in turn, get still more aggressive lower cladding previously used only on the company's exotic AMG models and a sportier air dam. Sport sedans are further distinguished by a unique grille with three horizontal bars and darker, blue-tinted glass. All C-Class sedans get the traditional Mercedes three-pointed star as a standup hood ornament, a symbol that it's owner wants the best.
The sport coupes feature a bar-grille with the Mercedes badge embedded in the grille work rather than mounted above it. The coupes also have their own double-elliptical headlights, a swooping roofline and a shortened rear end with a functional spoiler that adds downforce on the rear tires. The coupe is seven inches shorter than the sedan, and all its body panels are different. These hatchback coupes are handsome and unique in the Mercedes line around the world. The rear has its critics, though the extra pane of glass underneath the spoiler enhances rearward vision. Their long doors make getting in and out of the coupes easy.
The C-Class sedan provides the foundation for an elegant wagon, and some consider the wagon the neatest of all C-Class models. Its roof sweeps teardrop style into the rear gate, creating a sleek profile that minimizes the stodginess inherent in a station wagon's utilitarian design. The look makes the wagon's practical benefits even easier to embrace.
The C55 AMG sedan is another beast altogether. Its body work from the windshield pillars forward was borrowed from Mercedes' larger CLK coupe in order to widen the front track and make room for a big V8 engine. The C55's rearview is dominated by a two pairs of chromed, oversize exhaust tips, and it's equipped with extra-wide 18-inch alloy wheels.
