S-Class W223 [Spy Shots] Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W223) Spy Shots and Info

[sako97]

If I remember correctly Steve Mattin started sketching the W220 late 1992, which looked amazingly close the Vision CLS that came to fruition 11 years later. Weird how the CLS has it's roots directly from the W220.

So a timeline from observations:
Nov? 1992: W220 sketches from Mattin
Q4 1994: W220 1:1 scale finalized
July 1998: W220 Global Launch

Q1 2000: W221 design begins in Tokyo
Q1 2002: W221 Frozen
June 2005: W221 Global Launch


2006 W222: Sketches begin from different designers:
Later sketch, I know.

Q4 2009 W222 Frozen:

1:1 model

Early interior design model. Early 2009

From Cardesignnews regarding interior development. Very informative.

Vehicle type Production/4-door luxury sedan
Vice President, Design Gorden Wagener
Interior Design Manager Hans-Peter Wunderlich
Creative Director, Interior Peter Balko
Head of Interior Design Hartmut Sinkwitz
Colour & Trim Designers Martin Bremer, Verena Brausch
Graphics (HMI & displays) Olaf Göckeritz
Quality & Precision Georg Asal
Project started June 2008
Project completed October 2010
Launch Hamburg/May 2013

The earliest sketch of the new S-class – codename W222 – dates from autumn 2008. According to interior design chief, Hans-Peter Wunderlich, it “already contained all relevant new features like the large displays, the classic wood strip in a lower position – thus creating a second level of decorative trim – the ‘total’ wraparound architecture and four central vents.”

These photos from January 2009 show one of three fullscale clay proposals for the S-Class’s interior. “This one had less fluent shapes and a more angular centre stack,” says Wunderlich. “Also note the shorter downward swing in the doors and the twin air vents on the left, which were inspired by supersonic aircrafts like the Tupolev TU-114 and Concorde.”

In 2007/8, during the early stages of the project, the interior design was strongly influenced by the Mercedes Benz Advanced Design Studio in Como, Italy. Using what they call an ‘appreciation model’, the Como design team was able to give free rein to their imagination and look for ways of translating these ideals into series production features. One of those features is a wooden steering wheel with hand-stitched leather and a ‘galvano’ rim – a metal printed plate created by means of electrolysis – around the lower section, which is reminiscent of the chrome horn rings found on older S-Class models.

Link: Interior Motives - Autumn 2013 - Car Design News

May 2013: W222 Global Launch

My hypothesis is early W223 design started 2014, final design was frozen Q3 or Q4 last year, and we will see the W223 Spring/summer 2020.

 

[sako97]

As always, very detailed and useful findings, would you care to elaborate on the April 2009 tease of the W222? that's new to me..

I had the photo saved, but lost it. It's a photo of Wagener in the design studio with a color W222 model showing the rear half of the car. At the time we didn't know that it was indeed the W222.

There was also a clay leak prior to that showing the early stages. Very E60-ish. *Correction - W205 clay model.

 

[Sniper]

the first photo on the AB cover is dated feb-march 1996

This is summer

more spyshots MB S-class W220 old spy-photos
they tested w220 for a long time, surprisingly that w220 was so unreliable and poor quality

 

[sako97]

the first photo on the AB cover is dated feb-march 1996

This is summer

They cut way too many material corners & using early 90's technology to develop early 2000's automotive technology.

 

[Monster]

they tested w220 for a long time, surprisingly that w220 was so unreliable and poor quality

The W220 was the first generation of cars with a whole range of complex electronic comfort and safety features, it was far too complex at the time, and with the computing technologies available.

 

[Sniper]

"The earliest sketch of the new S-class – codename W222 – dates from autumn 2008"
but Robert Leshik came to the Mercedes in mid-2009

 

[Carmaker1]

The first spy shot of the W140 (September 1987):

W140 1988:

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W220 (February 1996):



W220 Rendering September 1996.



W221 Auto Bild Rendering December 2002

Clearly Auto Bild's publishing deadline had missed the Auto Spies leak in mid-December 2002, which had been dismissed incorrectly by several "experts" as "too soon" to be even accurate. Little did people know then (including Merc1), they had gotten the best teaser of their life in terms of earliness on a future, trend-setting model. Not even the G11 leak compares. Some comments claimed that the W221 design wasn't frozen as of that leak. I found these comments many years ago though.

 

[Carmaker1]

the first photo on the AB cover is dated feb-march 1996

This is summer

Oops, beat me to it.

 

[Carmaker1]

@Carmaker1 this is the render we were taling about:

Oh yes, this one? Dated from Auto Bild's November 18, 2010 issue. Just about a few weeks before it was spied, yet nothing on from them regarding the W223 at this point...

If I remember correctly Steve Mattin started sketching the W220 late 1992, which looked amazingly close the Vision CLS that came to fruition 11 years later. Weird how the CLS has it's roots directly from the W220.

So a timeline from observations:
Nov? 1992: W220 sketches from Mattin
Q4 1994: W220 1:1 scale finalized
July 1998: W220 Global Launch

Q1 2000: W221 design begins in Tokyo
Q1 2002: W221 Frozen
June 2005: W221 Global Launch


2006 W222: Sketches begin from different designers:
Later sketch, I know.

Q4 2009 W222 Frozen:

1:1 model

Early interior design model. Early 2009

From Cardesignnews regarding interior development. Very informative.


Link: Interior Motives - Autumn 2013 - Car Design News

May 2013: W222 Global Launch

My hypothesis is early W223 design started 2014, final design was frozen Q3 or Q4 last year, and we will see the W223 Spring/summer 2020.

Wow, never saw that article on the W220 interior. Thanks! The W220 has two lead times, which aren't 100% for me. It was reported in 1998, it took 38 months to develop. I presume they mean the time period preceding August 1998 Job 1? Equaling June 1995, styling approval. Another figure given was, 29 months to develop from design freeze.

Seems that the 9 month difference (38 vs 29), is the period where the car went from styling approval to design freeze and 29 months applied to start of pilot production Q4 1997 in that case maybe? March 1996 would've been 29 months prior to the first W220s units rolling out in Aug. 1998.

By 1994 when W140 was refreshed, they clearly had something defined with the W220 design. Being final with detailing, not quite there in 1994. This was the W220 in 1994.

The mid-1996 W140 update coincided with smoothing out the design, to closer align with the transition to the monochrome and svelte W220. BMW did similar with the E36 3er last update in 1996, by essentially giving it the E46 grille (signed off in Spring 1995).

The B&W photo you have above, is a photo of the 1:1 mockup from 1995 in the viewing room at Sindelfingen. A stolen photo back in the day, which would've angered Schrempp.

As for the W222, I have believed that car was somewhat delayed by some months, considering it was expected to enter production in Q4 of 2012, ending up becoming Q2 2013. These old photos are ironically dated October 19, 2010, so the interior timeline makes sense (colour & trim personnel at work).

The W223 is Q3 2020 SOP at earliest.

I had the photo saved, but lost it. It's a photo of Wagener in the design studio with a color W222 model showing the rear half of the car. At the time we didn't know that it was indeed the W222.

There was also a clay leak prior to that showing the early stages. Very E60-ish. *Correction - W205 clay model.

You mean this one? Shockingly MB was trying to showcase their new design chief at work for the new C207 E-Class Coupe (wasn't even design chief in 2006, Pfeiffer was), but for some reason included an entirely different model in which he was actually in charge of at the time, the next S-class (W222) from a roster of photos released April 22, 2009.

"The earliest sketch of the new S-class – codename W222 – dates from autumn 2008"
but Robert Leshik came to the Mercedes in mid-2009

I have said for nearly 5 years and have fought with a few non-GCF people on the idea, that Lesnik bares sole credit for the W222 exterior. He actually came in early 2009, but Il-hun Yoon was seen in MB videos and back in 2009, part of the process. He is mysteriously uncredited, when surely he was sketching this car in 2007 and doing his first clays in 2008.

As always, very detailed and useful findings, would you care to elaborate on the April 2009 tease of the W222? that's new to me..

Just posted it above right now.

Anyway, I apologize if these posts are off-topic, but they help map an idea of the timeline to expect with the W223.

 

[SKY]

Are you aware of any of the design cues for the new W223 @Carmaker1 ?

 

[Busty]

^What do you think about full-width tail lights?

 

[Carmaker1]

Are you aware of any of the design cues for the new W223 @Carmaker1 ?

Oh no, I can only wish I was that close to the programme. I am currently stateside at the moment, so I only know a limited amount for some limited select info I have complled and educated guesswork based on my own experience.

My biggest concern still is, where are the renderings at this point. Many of us were surprised how it took just September 2017 to early February 2018, to start seeinig this car.

^What do you think about full-width tail lights?

It is pleasing for them to do that again. I only wonder what is the application of them? Newly ultra-thin LED taillights with unheard of techologies built into it or like that of the other MB model range?

@Wolfgang had pointed out to me, circa 2016 in W222 Facelift discussion, that the lead time for the W223 might be targeted towards a rapid 30 months from freeze to SOP. I can already see the lead time for spotted mule to prototype drastically reduced compared to W222 (Feb 2010 to December 2010). I felt that 30 months was too ambitious, when you factor in the massive engineering effort behind this car. Seems like it's going to be 33-36 months

 

[Yaz]

That W140 mile has the larger side windows in the concept/sketches?

And why do designs get frozen?

 

[sako97]

Designs get frozen, as if it weren't the case members of the design team would keep tinkering with it when it's time to fully allocate time towards technical R&D. Even the most minute design adjustments means going back to the wind tunnel.

A bit like to a clay model in art class - I'm not artist, but that's my impression.

 

[SKY]

I would say the good thing about these spy pics is that they already let you see some of the details of the final car most likely. For example, I was expecting front lights to be much thinner, in line with the Maybach 6 concept. They do appear to be a tad slimmer than the LCI W222 frontlights, but nothing revolutionary.

On the same way, you can see the rearlights are going to be thing and horizontal, for the first time in a long time with an S-Class. And what it more interesring, I would say the side profile creases are more or less clear as well. A very high and subtle shoulder line, and probably a minimal crease on the lower part of the doors. This might be combined with some chrome on the upper line, like the Maybach 6 concept, and with some cool door handles.

But, IMO, and as far as these spy pics go, I would say the new A-Class is the best indication for the side profile lines of the W223 S-Class. At least for now.

 

[Deleted member 1071]

Elements of mystery remain, of course.

Will the thin, horizontal taillamps be connected via a full width reflector/LED strip ?

Will the rear window retain the "elipsoid" characteristics (rounded at the edges) as applied on the current C-through-S-Class sedans, or be sharply-edged and rectangular, similar to that of the C257 CLS (or the W221 for that matter) ?

 

[mercpassion]

It seems quite strange as to why MB are being so open with showing off so many details, perhaps a bit too generously?

 

[Betty Swollocks]

It seems quite strange as to why MB are being so open with showing off so many details, perhaps a bit too generously?

Because in this modern digital age, manufacturers have the belief that the benefits of getting many, and sustained "hits" on websites and "shares" on social media outweigh the negative aspects of revealing too much, too soon. Sure, the competition get to see more of what you're planning, and it dulls the impact of the final "big reveal", but does it really matter any more? Twenty years ago it was all about maximising the limited publicity you will get when unveiling your new car. Now it's about teasing the customer and the press for years before the car is launched.

This new S-Class is going to be discussed at length for the next three years in this thread. After it has been revealed, will it get three years of sustained discussion then? Not really.

 

[Wolfgang]

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[hannaz]

As per the motor1.com article below this new Factory 56 is also for the new S-Class, Hope this new factory will have a dedicated bespoke area for next Maybach.

Mercedes Breaks Ground On Cutting-Edge Factory For Next S-Class