: The coupe variant of the new Mercedes-Benz S-class. It will replace the CL-class, and while it remains close to the outgoing model's position at the top of the brand's lineup, it’s now designed to be a stunner—as we saw at this year’s Frankfurt auto show when Mercedes previewed this car with the Concept S-class Coupé. The S-class coupe will be lowered by a full inch and a half from the sedan’s ride height, and exhibit several aggressive and unusual styling elements: a wide and protruding grille, horizontally stretched taillights, and side mirrors perched on the shoulder line rather than the front quarter window—the latter an element we’ll see more of from Benz’s sportier offerings.
The interior of the new S-class coupe will retain key elements of the S-class sedan, such as the dual TFT displays and the column-mounted gear selector. Considering it will be lowered by a considerable margin, rear-passenger space will be somewhat tighter than in the CL, but it should remain comfortable enough for grown-ups. The CL’s frameless and pillarless windows will remain a trademark of the two-door S-class.
Why It Matters: The S-class coupe will underscore the bold market positioning of the S-class. Daimler hopes that after killing off its Maybach über-luxury brand, the S-class will be considered the best car in the world. Therefore, the coupe must venture deep into Bentley Continental GT territory, and offer a level of luxury and performance on par with the handbuilt vehicles that roll out of Crewe. With no comparable offerings from Audi or BMW, the S-class coupe aims to help prove that Mercedes is the quintessential luxury brand.
What's more, the S-class coupe is intended to quell criticism of the polarizing Chinese-market-driven styling language launched by chief designer Gorden Wagener.
Platform: The underpinnings of the Mercedes-Benz S-class coupe are shared with the car’s four-door counterpart, and the bones will serve as the foundation for an upcoming fabric-top convertible, too. Mercedes aims to drop considerable weight from the outgoing CL through the use of high-strength steel and aluminum.
Powertrains: The S-class coupe will share its powertrain options with the sedan. There will be two twin-turbocharged V-8 models: The S550 will displace 4.7 liters and pack 455 horsepower, and the S63 AMG will have a 577-hp, 5.5-liter. Of course, 12 cylinders will be on the menu, too, in the form of the S600 and the S65 AMG. The S600 will use a twin-turbo 6.0-liter V-12 making a fair amount more than 500 horsepower, and the S65 using the same layout to achieve 621 horses. All-wheel drive is likely to be standard on the S63 and available on the S550, but Mercedes has hinted that it would like to keep its 12-cylinder models exclusively rear-wheel drive. A seven-speed automatic should be the only transmission available at launch, but it’s possible the brand’s upcoming nine-speed could be ready in time to supplant the less-endowed gearbox.
Competition: Bentley Continental GT, Rolls-Royce Wraith.
Estimated Arrival and Price: Mercedes-Benz will launch the S-class coupe in late 2014 as a 2015 model. Prices will begin near $120,000 for a base S550 and approach $250,000 for a well-optioned S65
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