I went with the original 2nd gear start. I asked many Mercedes service consultants about the 1st gear start and every one of them suggested I don't do it. I lost confidence.
The only updates were to the internal parts. Some parts improved over the years and so those were the updates.
The best thing I could have done was convert to a manual, but I share my car so that was out of the question. Otherwise, that would have been my only option.

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1989 300CE Astralsilber/Schwarz
1992 300CE Schwarz/Schwarz