SPIED! Mercedes-Benz 2014 W222 S-Class (Spy pics & info) - Part 3

i found another 1:12 model picture (the one we know was in ''beige'' and the pic was taken from another angle)

...the latest interior shots have an inclination of about 4-5 degrees, therefore the interior seems to be more bent forward than it actually is. Here is something closer to the real position:

Looks pretty dang close to perfect. The double-screen display is really classy. I'm worried about two things though:

1. The steering wheel looks too small. Could just be the angle of the camera or the fact that a guy's arm is blocking it, but this is an S-Class, which deserves a huge boat-like wheel.

2. The central console. First of all, the huge gaping whole in it, but I'm sure that this is bound to be fixed before the official reveal. However, with companies like Audi covering their whole central consoles in wood, a plain leather one seems like a question mark.

Your speaking of an era that is long gone. Large steering wheels are not needed on the new S-Class.

I believe one of the reasons why the W126 had a larger steering wheel was to accommodate the larger steering lock ratio.
The W140 had a shorter lock to lock ratio, therefore a smaller steering wheel. The W220 has an even smaller wheel and so forth. Get the picture?

That was never the case. The steering wheels were so large for safety reasons back in the day. What I always saw was that if the steering ever failed the wheel was sized large enough to give the driver leverage to still operate the car. Honest. LOL.


M

The S-Class will be an extraordinary car for sure.

The technology is alien. The interior is superb, very english (the Bentley air vents are a bit too english though. Seems very very upscale, very impressive.

The exterior is worrying though, but it could be the fact it is a plastic model. The proportions seem spot-on, so there is hope.

BTW, the super-large steering wheel of ancient Mercs was so big for two reasons:

-it allows a clearer view (through it) to the big speedo,
-it will act as a kind of pre-airbag of sorts, as it is meant to absorb the energy of the head and chest of the driver by deforming itself, preventing the driver from hitting the (harder) dashboard.

The cars needed big steering wheels when they had no power-steering, as it diminishes the heavyness of the direction (bigger = more leverage), which is still why busses and trucks still have very large steering wheels.

I thought you left. glad to read you.

+1

Well I'm not really back, I still can't post regularly. I can only log in around twice a week!!!

I merely follow from time to time, 'cause my job is consuming all my time and more...

But I see that you guys are doing great without me!

Cool. The vid shows that large padded steering wheel.



Safety steering system

In the W 111 series, Barényi also introduced his new safety steering wheel for the first time. On early vehicles with a rigid steering column, injuries often occurred when the steering wheel was pushed toward the driver during a frontal impact, potentially impaling the driver. The risk of the steering wheel being pushed backward in this way was particularly high on vehicles with a steering gear located far in front of the front axle. An initial measure to reduce this particular danger was taken with the introduction of a yielding, deformable impact absorber on the steering wheel in 1947. After this first safety steering wheel, Barényi developed the concept of a steering wheel with a generously sized padded boss and a deformable linkage between impact absorber and the end of the steering column which had been relocated toward the front. A patent for this design was awarded in 1954.

The first production car in which this steering system with much improved safety characteristics was incorporated was the 1959 Mercedes-Benz “fintail”, as the W 111 series was widely known. Mercedes-Benz took the next step in 1965 by introducing a patented safety steering system with telescopic steering column to the W 108 series. Despite this, Barényi demanded an even safer steering system. The reason was that the telescopic column could lose its flexibility when subjected to lateral pressure in an accident. In 1963, Barényi patented the "Safety steering shaft for motor vehicles", which was based on a steering column in the form of a corrugated tube. This allowed the steering to give way in several directions in an accident. This complete package was first installed in the 123 series which made its debut in 1976.

http://media.daimler.com/dcmedia/1-921-657486-1-862061-1-0-0-0-0-0-11702-614318-0-1-0-0-0-0-0.html


Steering wheel was also used on the range topping 600 -- W100, built from 1964 to 1981.

I agree with your other points but this one is in the way. The W126 S-Class didn`t needs that extra leverage.
It featured power steering and was quit easy to turn. It felt 3-times larger than it was. I owned one and actually got my drivers license in it. The steering wheel was too large for me. I often asked if I could replace it with a W140 S-Class wheel
because it was uncomfortable. As I bought up in my other post, I believe the large wheel was for the long lock ratio the W126 possessed. It had very heavy understeer. You really had to turn that wheel to get that car to turn because of it`s long lock.

As pictured in my avatar, I own a 63 220s. It has the huge steering wheel and it has power steering. I think back then huge steering wheels were the norm.

Is new S class will be all Aluminum as new SL?

I think the new S Class will have an advanced hybrid structure with even more aluminum and composites. But most of the monocoque will be made of steel.

This S will have the largest grill, more so than any other S-Class before it.
Its already looking like it will take up about 70% of the front end!

Headlights will also be quit large and will look good with the eye brows.

The car above must be a hybrid. There is no way the engine could running with all the air intakes blocked by the plastic shroud.

That plastic shroud definitely lets air pass through. You wouldn't be able to see underneath otherwise.