Hot! Pics of the next generation S-class

I think some BMW people from a BMW board came in strides the other week and not all of them have washed off yet. These people haven’t even seen the real deal yet and already they’re saying it’s the worst car on the planet. How opened minded they all are. And as to the collect-ability.. yeah, the Mercedes will age gracefully. The Pacer was a car with design directions towards the future… and look where it got itself. The M1’s, 507’s.. yeah.. collectors but, I can name way more collector Mercedes than BMW’s. Even ones that are still in their 20’s including the SEL 6.9’s. And the SLR IS a collectors car. 001 wasn’t referring to the current SLR but it’s predecessor.

“I for one (and most of my generation) think that the current S class is an uninspiring grandfather ride only selling due to its name and only popular with the senior citizen crowd, the last S looked much more expensive, much more presence, but maybe that's just me” -Dan

That’s a Bushism if I’ve ever heard one. Of course the old S class looks more expensive. In a word (or a few) it’s because they were more expensive. The W140 SEL with 600 engine and trim was priced about the same as the current S600 is now.. and that was back in 92! And, if I’m not mistaken, most people who car afford a car like that are older people.. Last time I saw a 30 year old in a Mercedes S class was never.. But I suppose the same can be said about a 7 series. Most people who can afford them are those that are older and have worked hard to be where they are. The S class design isn’t suppose to be attractive to young people who can only criticize. They’re suppose to look attractive to the people who can actually afford them.

If people are going to voice their opinions, at least lets hear some constructive arguments. Something that makes sense rather than something that’s authoritative. I mean give me a break.. Talk about someone who’s “expressing their biased opinion more than facts” Let’s be gentleman here.. “hypocrites do not become us”

The AutoSpies love fest with all things M-B continues in this article.

Agent 001 - I hope you do get the first new LWB S-class when it comes out, so you can report on the reliability issues first hand.

Meanwhile live up to your "no spin" claim please.

I have seen the S-Class at a syling clinic in Santa Monica with a mate who consults for MD a while ago and its an imposing car but certainly not a pretty one. In Europe we have a car called a Mondeo which seems to have the same angular panels, lights shape and wheel arches as the new MB - not a classy beastie at all.

Try the new Jaguar XJ range if you want to see lots of great electronic features without needless buttons, joysticks and paddle's. They do not do technology for technologies sake, yet Jags are up there with the best of them.

Michael, you might be a young guy in an S class, but I've never seen one before. That's how rare it is. It's not that they dont exist.. It's just that there arent many. Not enough to make them a target market.

I like this vehicle particularly the big message board built into the trunk lid.

Maybe inside there will be a touch scene on which you can enter messages for the vehicles behind. Imagine the fun you could have sending messages like
"you wish you were driving this car?"
"hey cutie, want to get a drink?"
"please call a tow truck - the electronics have failed and the phone's not working"
"back-off buddy, this State allows concealed weapons"

etc. etc.

This is a spy shot. Save your wild opinions about how bad it looks until the end. If I was Mercedes-Benz, I would be worried if people loved the look of the platic cladding and tape adorning a prototype. That boot-lid could have been raised just for the prototypes, to take people off their guard.

I think the new S will look great, And god knows how Americans manage to drive round in cars from their own soil if they don't like the look of anything that isn't a Lexus!

If this is Mercedes' finest hour, the new S must have had years of development work and fine tuning. the design of this new S could have been signed off and frozen before the BMW 7 was revealed to the world. And notice the handy 2007 launch date for the new LS. Ample time to take apart the new S and rebuild it as a Lexus. Thats what they did in 1989, so why not now?

I think it is great how all these car company's are going after BMW. Who would have thought this would happen after all the controversy of BMW's designs and I-Drive? Instead of creating their own new way of designing cars, they go after BMW. I think BMW wanted this to happen. They have started a new generation of controversial cars, and now with everyone taking BMW's ideas I believe BMWs will be the most succesful.

No it doesn't, it looks like a Mercedes for the 21-Century. Shame!