Mercedes S-class coupe (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew

First Official Pictures

11 February 2014 10:00

Let’s concentrate on the bits of the new Mercedes S-class coupe which aren’t shared with its four-door saloon sister.

Naturally, the replacement for the CL uses the same engines as the saloon, and carries over the same stunning dashboard inside. Yet there are more differences than just the door count here…

Of most interest to keen drivers is the revised Magic Body Control suspension. Like the S-class saloon’s gadget, it’ll scan the road ahead for bumps and change the car’s ride stiffness accordingly, but the coupe has an extra trick up its sleeve: active curve tilting.

The S-class coupe will essentially lean into bends, counteracting natural body roll and allowing greater stability in fast sweepers and sharp direction changes. Everything from speedboats and superbikes to high-speed trains have been designed to lean into corners to increase apex speed, so why shouldn’t a car? Even if it is a two-tonne Merc land-yacht…

Having equipped the S-class coupe with advanced cruise control that can autonomously cruise motorways, and the world-first suspension-tilt technology, Mercedes was clearly struggling for new feature ideas. That’s why you can have headlights made of crystal on the new S-class coupe.

Pretty much. Ditch the standard LED headlights and there’s the option of the ‘Intelligent Light System’, which crams 47 Swarovski crystals into the lights: 17 for the daytime running lights, and 30 making the turn indicators. Not even a Bugatti Veyron offers that sort of opulence/vulgarity…

The styling of the S-class coupe isn’t a surprise – it’s barely changed from the Frankfurt motor show concept we saw in 2013. That means you still get a pert kicked up tail that bears unfortunate similarities to a Renault Laguna coupe, and swooping body sculpting lines along the cars flanks.

From some angles, these details jar with the domed glasshouse – this is going to be a very light-sensitive, colour-manipulated design. The grey car pictured here wears the AMG Sport bodykit, with boxy-section tailpipes, a miniature diffuser, and more aggressive front bumper treatment. It previews the look of the 577bhp S63 AMG, which CAR scooped on test in 2013.

At launch, the S-class coupe is only available is S500 spec. There’s not a diesel or downsized four-pot in sight: there’s a great-big petrol-fired V8 under that elegant nose. Displacing 4663cc, and boosted by two turbochargers, it develops 449bhp and 516lb ft from 1800-3500rpm. It should sound the part too, thanks to an active exhaust with pneumatically-controlled flaps to vary the roar of the engine at full chat.

Official S-class coupe performance figures are being kept quiet, but it’s expected the S500 will be marginally quicker off the mark than the S500 salon, which manages 0-62mph in 4.8sec before a limited top speed of 155mph.

The touchpad controller that made its debut on the C-class is fitted as standard to the S-class coupe, and all S-class saloons from February 2014 onward. Save for more outlandish trim combinations (red leather dash, anyone?), the cabin fascia is copy-pasted from the S-class saloon – though take a moment to note the ‘Super Sport’ steering wheel. Word has it this is the same steering wheel which Mercedes will use in its future performance flagship: the £85,000 GT AMG coupe.

No official word on prices just yet, but reckon on a £100,000 tag for the S500, and at least £120,000 for the S63 AMG when both models land in November 2014. Also in the pipeline are S600 and S65 AMG V12 models, which will push the price point north of £150,000.

By Ollie Kew