Five months after we got glimpse of what the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe would look like via a concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the full details of the gorgeous production car has been released, ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The latest in a long line of extremely elegant flagship coupes from Stuttgart, it replaces the W216 CL-Class, whose nameplate is being retired after three generations.
Measuring 5,027 mm long, 1,899 mm wide and 1,411 mm tall, the new S-Class Coupe wears the new Mercedes-Benz design language very well, the mix of convex and concave surfaces draped elegantly over its confident haunches. At the front is a face similar to that of the new S-Class, but this time done in a more aggressive and assertive manner, while the SLS-style horizontal tail lights and the chrome strip connecting them serve to broaden the rear of the car visually.
The rear number plate has been moved to the bumper – an unusual move for Mercedes – simplifying the rear surface of the car. There are no B-pillars on this car, as is traditional on Mercedes coupes, leaving behind an uninterrupted glass area along the sides of the car and contributing to an airier interior ambience.
Optional exterior kit on the S-Class Coupe include an AMG Sports Package, featuring an A-Class-style dotted front grille. Full LED headlights are standard, but there are optional ones available that are studded with – get this – 47 individual Swarovski crystals.
Inside, it is pretty much standard S-Class fare, but done up even more luxuriously. There's a sportier three-spoke steering wheel (as opposed to the twin-spoke one in the regular sedan) and the hefty front seats can optionally be upholstered in diamond-stitched Nappa leather. The COMAND infotainment system with its large display and the touchpad between the front seats is shared with the sedan.
The S-Class Coupe can be specified with the all the same bells and whistles that can be found on the sedan, such as the Burmester High-End 3D surround sound system, a massage function on the front seats, a head-up display and the Magic Sky Control electrochromic panoramic roof. The full suite of safety features that made their debut in the sedan can also be found here. Among them is the Intelligent Drive package, including Pre-Safe autonomous braking with cross traffic and pedestrian detection and Distronic Plus adaptive cruise control
What is different is the Magic Body Control system, which now features a new curve tilting function. The Road Surface Scan stereo cameras used to scan the road ahead for surface imperfections now also scan the corner the car is about to turn into (up to 15 metres ahead) and shifts the base point of each individual suspension strut accordingly. This allows the car to lean into bends like a motorcycle rider, tilting by as much as 2.5 degrees depending on the road angle and vehicle speed.
The curve tilting function is not meant to improve the car's cornering performance; rather, it enhances the comfort of the passengers in corners by reducing the lateral acceleration acted upon them. The function can be selected as one of three drive modes and operates at speeds between 30 and 180 km/h.
At launch, the sole model in the S-Class Coupe range is the S 500, fitted with a 4.7 litre twin-turbo V8 producing 455 hp and 700 Nm. The exhaust features active flaps that give the car a fuller, deeper sound above a certain engine speed, which changes depending on the driving mode selected. Other engine variants – including the inevitable AMG models – should follow.
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