S-Class (W222/C217/A217) [Spyshots] Mercedes-Benz 2014 W222 S-Class (Spy pics & info)

[Mr. Mercedes]

I've just been looking at the pictures in this thread again. And WOW. A car hasn't made my heart giddy like this S-class is doing in a long long time. It's utterly sublime.

The only thing that really saddens me about it is just how out of touch and out of step it makes the E-class feel, particularly our pre FL W212. In retrospect one thinks why the hell was the E so linear, boxy and jarring when a far more fluid design language was literally a breath away, as heralded by the CLS and now climaxing in the S. The FL goes to great lengths to bring the E's exterior into line, but there is no betraying the interior is from a completely different design idiom.

It's like when MB designs and engineers the S they really do it from another level, and the E is always the poorer little sister who hasn't inherited the same genes. At least BMW and Audi have gone to great lengths to make the 5 and A6 legitimate brethren for the 7 and A8. While the E is clearly not in step with the S.

 

[Gianclaudio]

LOL! Seriously though, this bothers me tremendously. I don't want my posts altered for no good reason.
And like a expected, no answer yet from anyone.

To be honest Klier, when I first readed your original post, it sounded quite troll-ish, so I guess it was edited to avoid off topic discussion. But I understand your point about having to be notified for that.

 

[Huckfeldt]

I've just been looking at the pictures in this thread again. And WOW. A car hasn't made my heart giddy like this S-class is doing in a long long time. It's utterly sublime.

The only thing that really saddens me about it is just how out of touch and out of step it makes the E-class feel, particularly our pre FL W212. In retrospect one thinks why the hell was the E so linear, boxy and jarring when a far more fluid design language was literally a breath away, as heralded by the CLS and now climaxing in the S. The FL goes to great lengths to bring the E's exterior into line, but there is no betraying the interior is from a completely different design idiom.

It's like when MB designs and engineers the S they really do it from another level, and the E is always the poorer little sister who hasn't inherited the same genes. At least BMW and Audi have gone to great lengths to make the 5 and A6 legitimate brethren for the 7 and A8. While the E is clearly not in step with the S.

I do not think that was the case at all.

Merc was trying to bring back the angular, boxy designs of the golden era of w126 and w140 unto the modern world, post rounded designs era of w211 and tons of peanut headlight variants of C, E, and S.

The E was the first to embrace this new design, but Mercs approach clash with efforts from BMW and Audi which embraced organic lines.

Turns out, more people prefer organic designs so Merc made a total design direction correction.

But IF that boxy design was more popular than competition, we would now be seeing a very angular, boxy, vault like interior of the new S. An ultra modern W126 interior, if you would.

My point is, it was not intentional.

 

[martinbo]

To be honest Klier, when I first readed your original post, it sounded quite troll-ish, so I guess it was edited to avoid off topic discussion. But I understand your point about having to be notified for that.

Then us mods should rather remove the post altogether or report it. We only edit posts to blank out profanity and swearing or to fix formatting, quotes etc. and not to put words in the mouth of the poster. We're dealing with the issue.

Please, no more comments on this matter in this thread - back on topic to W222.

 

[Wolfgang]

Repost from December 2010.


New design

Mercedes apparently wants to say goodbye to their typical design. A different design language is to talk in new models: In the future the cars stand out by their long hoods, short rear overhangs and flush mounted wheels.

"We want to be sporty via the proportions, surfaces and lines, and not brutal, but stylish, like the CLS," Advanced Design Chief Steffen Koehl told Auto Motor und Sport. In the current issue he describes the new design language together with Head of Design Gorden Wagener. The first representative will be the new C-Class coupe to premiere in 2014, followed by the new E-Class a year or two thereafter.

"Brute is out"

And the new design language applies to the C-Class as well as to the E- and S-Class. In addition to the long bonnet and a flowing silhouette future cars with the star will feature short front overhangs with pronounced arrow-shape and large flush mounted wheels. The Stuttgarters want to leave protruding wheel arches behind, and the shoulder line of the car is to rise appreciably on the rear end. Mercedes-Benz models become more style conscious. Brutal forms, the designers say, are out.

 

[Merc1]

Same here, Silkeye. I want it, I'll buy it. But......how much more will it cost compared to W221? Will it be a moderate 5% or 10%-15%? In the early nineties W140 was about 20% more expensive as W126 (in germany).

Ahhh that happened in the U.S. also. The outgoing 560SEL was like 75K and the incoming W140 300SE was like 77K if i remember right. The true 560SEL replacement, the W140 500SEL was like 90K. It was a huge shock, but at the time the W140 was larger than life.

M

 

[MAJESTIC]

I've just been looking at the pictures in this thread again. And WOW. A car hasn't made my heart giddy like this S-class is doing in a long long time. It's utterly sublime.

The only thing that really saddens me about it is just how out of touch and out of step it makes the E-class feel, particularly our pre FL W212. In retrospect one thinks why the hell was the E so linear, boxy and jarring when a far more fluid design language was literally a breath away, as heralded by the CLS and now climaxing in the S. The FL goes to great lengths to bring the E's exterior into line, but there is no betraying the interior is from a completely different design idiom.

It's like when MB designs and engineers the S they really do it from another level, and the E is always the poorer little sister who hasn't inherited the same genes. At least BMW and Audi have gone to great lengths to make the 5 and A6 legitimate brethren for the 7 and A8. While the E is clearly not in step with the S.

Haha, the E-Class is the red headed step child.

 

[master66]

 

[Executivesedan]

It looks surprised or shocked compared to the W221. W221 looks meaner and angry.
I don't like the hood shut line nor headlight shape of the W222. Much better on the W221.

The front, I feel, could be better resolved. I like the size, shape and presence of the grille, but I think the headlights could be better integrated.

+1 this right here.

 

[GBOY]

GBOY, Are you thinking about upgrading your W221 for the W222?

Not at the moment, it still looks pretty fresh and has less than 30k miles. W223 may em but then again that's what I said before the w221 came out.

 

[HighestOfHigh]

Not at the moment, it still looks pretty fresh and has less than 30k miles. W223 may em but then again that's what I said before the w221 came out.

I can understand that. The W221 is still a work are art IMO.

 

[LaArtist]

 

[HUTSUTAo]

xlwb

 

[Sovereign]

I agree. One of the problems here is the cut-line above the eye brow. It is not resolved well and distracts from the eye brow
shape. Another element is the headlights shape (or cut) thats contoured around the grill which again, takes away from the eye brows. These elements give the new S a rather angry look, Like it`s trying to focus on a sharp target.

Compare these elements to the face/lifted W221 S-Class... which looks a little more relaxed and majestic.

The front of the W222 look aggressive and bold but imo the problem is the extensive use of plastic that "look" plastic up front. The W222 photo here from the front is uncomforting knowing that this car wants to compete with RR Ghost and Bentley. Bentley Flying Spur also has the same problem imo. Too much plastic that is easily identifiable in the front area. Bentley Mulsanne is another story. After visiting another thread that compared RR and Bentley models with the new Merc and looking at the pictures a number of time, I am now leaning towards Bentley Mulsanne for having the best front design of all cars compared. Only the smaller lights look a bit awkward. RR Ghost some how with its more creative approach does not have the same problem. Plastic maybe a necessity for pedistrian safety but Merc plastic look plastic and a whole lot of it.

But this opinion is formed only from the photograph. Unless I dont see the W222 in real life, I cannot say how it would really look.

 

[Human]

The front of the W222 look aggressive and bold but imo the problem is the extensive use of plastic that "look" plastic up front. The W222 photo here from the front is uncomforting knowing that this car wants to compete with RR Ghost and Bentley. Bentley Flying Spur also has the same problem imo. Too much plastic that is easily identifiable in the front area. Bentley Mulsanne is another story. After visiting another thread that compared RR and Bentley models with the new Merc and looking at the pictures a number of time, I am now leaning towards Bentley Mulsanne for having the best front design of all cars compared. Only the smaller lights look a bit awkward. RR Ghost some how with its more creative approach does not have the same problem. Plastic maybe a necessity for pedistrian safety but Merc plastic look plastic and a whole lot of it.

But this opinion is formed only from the photograph. Unless I dont see the W222 in real life, I cannot say how it would really look.

Great write-up and balanced opinion there also new food for thought Sovereign.

Bentley Flying: As elegenat it certainly is and as beautiful as the GT is, both retain that VAG plastic front end, it's the "cheap" Bentley.

RR Ghost my choice if I had the money to part with, just becuase it's a Rolls-Royce, enough said.

Mulsanne, most certainly the best looking and most elegant design of the cars mentioned and I can't put enough emphasis on that.

W222 S-class, I did not read nor looked that deep into the new face.
Until now and with the comparo photo's, also the shutline (that was as i explained to klier, DEFINITELY dictated by Pedestrian Safety laws (we debated this back when the BMW F01 & F10 was launched)
Apart from that and looking very good and agressive also love the beautiful front grill, the plastic is more evident as with the Bentley A & GT.

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

I'd love to know what they're saying in those videos.

 

[Wolfgang]

Mercedes invited journalists to Sindelfingen to explain some features of their new S-Class. The first video shows noise vibration and harshness digital simulations with vibrations magnified by a factor of a thousand or so, and how the installed struts in the engine bay can reduce mechanical vibrations and associated noise transmitted into the interior.

The second video digitally simulates air streaming along the underside of an S250 BlueTEC W222 S-Class. As it flows pretty smoothly the developers hinted the new S-Class may achieve an even lower coefficient of aerodynamic drag than its already efficient predecessor, the W221. But, the standard CLA will still be lower they said. We can thus speculate the 222 might sport a value of 0.25 or maybe even 0.24.

Mercedes-Benz S-Class Aerodynamics
W116 0.41
W126 0.36
W140 0.30
W220 0.27
W221 0.26
W212 0.25
W222 0.24 (speculation)
Model S 0.24 (Tesla)
CLA 0.23
CLA 0.22 (BlueEFFICIENCY Edition)

 

[Ham8]

What does the video shows where the whole body is visible??

 

[Wolfgang]

As I understand it it's a digital simulation of how acoustic noise caused by mechanical vibrations propagates into the chassis, and was used during development to minimise the interior noise for each different seating position.


The new S-Class W222 Series has optimized noise and vibration comfort by fine-tuning in the body area. The following video, which we were able to record spontaneously attempts to clarify this.

As the top model in the Mercedes-Benz passenger car range, the S-Class has the highest acoustic and vibration comfort - the technical basis for relaxed travel and work in the car and therefore the basis for performance-enhancing comfort. The new S-Class is a result of numerous measures with the lowest noise and vibration level in the luxury segment. The results include significantly reduced wind noise by optimized outside mirrors and windows, and quieter road noise and further improved body acoustic sound from the chassis and bodyshell.

On first contact with the new S-Class in Sindelfingen - last Thursday - we were impressed with the optimized noise and vibration comfort of the S-Class by fine tuning in the body area. Of course, that's only one of many measures for more comfort and tranquility for the occupants. The above video shows the action with an example, which we were able to spontaneously shoot at the presentation - the lower shows the flow behavior on the underbody of the new S-Class with the different pressure ratios of the wind. We apologize for the poor video quality.

Incidentally, the drag coefficient of the new S-Class, it was said yesterday, is below the current S-Class (W221) - and above the standard CLAs - thus at 0.24.

Translated from MB Passion

 

[Pagani]

Repost from December 2010.


New design

Mercedes apparently wants to say goodbye to their typical design. A different design language is to talk in new models: In the future the cars stand out by their long hoods, short rear overhangs and flush mounted wheels.

"We want to be sporty via the proportions, surfaces and lines, and not brutal, but stylish, like the CLS," Advanced Design Chief Steffen Koehl told Auto Motor und Sport. In the current issue he describes the new design language together with Head of Design Gorden Wagener. The first representative will be the new C-Class coupe to premiere in 2014, followed by the new E-Class a year or two thereafter.

"Brute is out"

And the new design language applies to the C-Class as well as to the E- and S-Class. In addition to the long bonnet and a flowing silhouette future cars with the star will feature short front overhangs with pronounced arrow-shape and large flush mounted wheels. The Stuttgarters want to leave protruding wheel arches behind, and the shoulder line of the car is to rise appreciably on the rear end. Mercedes-Benz models become more style conscious. Brutal forms, the designers say, are out.

I like what I read here!