The federally mandated US impact bumpers are widely disliked likened to cattle catchers or diving platforms and swapping to slimmer Euro (or early '73) bumpers is the single most recommended appearance upgrade. A minority defend the US units as genuinely protective, and note the fully rubber-clad US 6.9 bumper was one of the few external tells of that model.
US 'diving-board' bumpers versus Euro bumpers
Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W116) · cosmetic