Before Mercedes-Benz got lost in its quest to fill ever more niches and ever higher sales—an expedition that’s taken the brand further downmarket than it’s ever been—the three-pointed star was unquestionably the benchmark for luxury, engineering, and style. And in those days gone by, the S-class coupe reigned supreme. It just may do so again with the introduction of the all-new S-class coupe.
The S-class coupe replaces the CL-class, and Benz is hopeful its new two-door S-class will reestablish the brand’s sex appeal among big-money buyers who increasingly have flocked to Bentley dealers. Its shape and styling was previewed by the the Concept S-class Coupé at last fall’s Frankfurt auto show, we suspect the production version will wow onlookers at the Geneva auto show next month. Long, low, wide, and possessed of stunning proportions, the S-class coupe could be chief designer Gorden Wagener’s masterpiece.
When it arrives on showroom floors this fall, the S-class coupe will be powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.7-liter V-8 that produces 449 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. Mercedes promises a sporty exhaust sound, in marked contrast to the almost-eerie silence that prevails in the four-door S-class.
One of the most fascinating aspects of the S-class coupe is its “curve tilting function,” which allows the car to lean into corners like a downhill skier or a motorcyclist at angles of up to 2.5 degrees. This technology isn’t new, however. In fact, it was tested on a Lotus Excel in the mid-’80s and was most recently shown on a prototype Audi A5 three years ago. But no one has put it into production yet, and Mercedes was able to refine it by using input from the road-scanning camera that is part of its Magic Body Control adaptive suspension. We’re very eager to try this function out for ourselves.
Further costly gadgetry available in the S-class coupe includes the Magic Sky Control roof, whose transparency can be reduced to almost zero at the touch of a button. Two separate Burmester audio systems are available—one of which providing three-dimensional sound—as are massaging seats that simulate a hot-stone rubdown. Of course, the usual accident-avoidance wizardry is available, including autonomous braking, adaptive cruise control, cross-traffic alert, lane-keeping assist, adaptive high beams, and night vision.
Mercedes offers the S-class coupe in standard guise and an AMG appearance package, which adds more aggressive front and rear bumper treatments and a more ostentatious version of the brand’s “diamond grille.” For the customer who might feel as though this car doesn’t grab enough eyeballs, the brand offers an enhanced version of full-LED headlights that are accentuated by 47 cut-glass elements supplied by the Austrian company Swarovski. The lighting units house 30 crystals that serve as turn indicators, while the other 17 combine to make up the daytime running lights.
Even without the Swarovski-infused lighting elements, the two-door S-class should attract sufficient attention on any street outside of Monaco. And with the addition of new tech and top-drawer comfort features, the new S-class coupe should pick up right where its predecessors left off.
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