Spy Shots: �06 Benz S-Class
Will a 600-hp AMG version do? We thought so.


Here are latest photos of various Mercedes S-Class prototypes - one of them caught almost undisguised, another one returning from an apparently heavy duty test in the mud plus a very first shot of the undisguised new dashboard.


The current Mercedes S-Class has been on the market for some time, and with new rivals like the Audi A8, BMW 7-Series, Jaguar XJ, VW Phaeton and Lexus LS 430 improving the class standard, DaimlerChrysler is straining to put all these competitors back in their place with the upcoming S.

Code named W 221, the newcomer will be sportier though again bigger. As can be seen on the prototype shots, the car is indeed considerably longer than the current S-Class -nearly as large as the king-sized S-Class built between 1991 and 1998. Styling is sleek, with the trunk lid and rear end appearing somewhat like that on the Maybach.

As could be seen as a concept at the last Frankfurt Motor Show, DaimlerChrysler is developing a hybrid system that could appear on the next S-Class. But at launch, traditional engines will be available in a range from a 3.5-liter V-6 to a 4.0-liter V-12. Two diesels will be offered: a 3.2-liter V-6 and a 4.0-liter V-8. The 4Matic all-wheel-drive system will return, as will an AMG version with a 6.3-liter V-8 and a promised 600-hp power peak.

The next generation S-Class is scheduled for launch in autumn 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.


They seemed to have forgotten the pic of the undisguised dash. Here's the link, which includes full-size pics that may be updated to include the dash.
http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=7868

-- Edited by ifcar at 20:14, 2005-01-02

-- Edited by ifcar at 20:15, 2005-01-02