2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe: As Pretty as a Starlet
The CL Coupe is making way for the new S-Class Coupe after a very long – perhaps even too long – career. With groundbreaking technology, the S-Class Coupe’s performance surpasses that of its sedan rivals. Combine this with its classic appearance and Hollywood-style good looks, and the S-Class Coupe becomes Mercedes-Benz’s most technically advanced car and new standard-bearer.
The immediately striking S-Class Coupe features a more dynamic style. It boasts a long hood, carved sides, and shorter overhangs. Its wheelbase is 22 centimetres shorter than the North American version of the S-Class sedan, which helps improve agility. The less inhibited style is also present in the new headlights with factory-standard LED lamps. You can even opt to have 30 Swarovski crystals added to the headlamps to underscore the turn signals and another 17 crystals to underscore the daytime running lights and increase the coupe's bling factor.
Luxury and comfort on the menu
There's a definite family resemblance in the passenger compartment. The sedan and coupe share the same dashboard dominated by two twelve-inch high resolution screens, the first replacing the usual instruments and the second serving as an interface for the telematic system. Other similar aspects include the round vents for the automatic heating/air conditioning system. But the coupe sets itself apart with its flat-bottomed sport steering wheel, which replaces the sedan’s more traditional two-spoke wheel. Moreover, the COMAND telematic system integrates a new touch pad, which debuted on the recent C-Class and works a lot like an iPad or iPhone. With the touch of a finger, you can scroll through the menus or trace letters or numbers to write an address. Simply “pinch” the pad with two fingers to zoom in or out. The S-Class Coupe comes factory standard with a heads up display that projects essential information directly into the driver’s field of vision, on the windshield, reducing the risk of distraction. The system indicates speed, speed limits, navigation information and warning messages from the driving aid systems.
Although the S-Class Coupe is a four-seater, note that claustrophobic passengers should refrain from sitting in the back because of the higher beltline and smaller windows. Also, legroom is so seriously limited that most adults will feel cramped.
Abundant equipment
Like the sedan, the S-Class Coupe has no less than fourteen advanced safety systems. It can also drive itself semi-autonomously thanks to the Distronic Plus system that helps it stay centred in its lane, keep a safe distance from the preceding vehicle and even order an emergency stop when needed.
To emphasize the model’s sportier nature, the coupe’s exhaust system includes a muffler with two pneumatically-controlled valves that open and close according to engine speed to help the twin-turbo V8 express itself to the fullest. With 449 horsepower, the S500 4Matic Coupe’s engine powers this 2,090-kilo car to 100 kilometres/hour in 4.6 seconds. The coupe’s shorter wheelbase plays a significant role in the improved performance compared to the S-Class sedan since the coupe takes on turn after turn with remarkable poise considering its weight. When you drive the S500 Coupe, the quietness of the ride is impressive. In fact, wind and operating noise are nearly imperceptible and only the sound of the engine filters into the passenger compartment.
Missing two innovations
The S-Class sedan launched the Magic Body Control suspension that uses a stereo camera located behind the windshield to sweep a zone of up to 15 metres in front of the car. This device gives an accurate image of the road surface and continually evaluates the best strategy to adopt to erase the road’s irregularities. Unfortunately for us, this suspension is incompatible with 4Matic all-wheel drive, so it isn’t offered in Canada on either the sedan or the coupe.
The second innovation that isn’t available to us is the Curve Tilting System that is paired with the Magic Body Control suspension and represents a first for a production vehicle. This tilting function helps the car tilt up to 2.7 degrees in curves, thus reducing the lateral acceleration exerted on the occupants. I was able to test out this new system and I must say that it improves comfort but not performance. In other words, it doesn’t help you take on turns faster, but it does diminish the lateral force that you feel when turning, thus making the car more comfortable. What’s more, although a 2.7-degree incline seems minimal, it’s quite noticeable, especially going into turns, and its effect forces you to slightly adjust the turning angle of the steering wheel, at least for the first few turns before your brain makes the necessary adjustments for the turns to come.
The S63 AMG Coupe
With its 577-horsepower twin-turbo V8, 4Matic all-wheel drive that distributes 33% of the engine torque to the front axle and 67% to the rear axle, and firmer suspension calibration, the S63 AMG turns the fun up several notches compared to the S550 Coupe.
In a few words, the S63 AMG Coupe’s ride is both more direct and more precise, and the braking is more dynamic - especially when it’s equipped with carbon fibre brakes, offered as an option for the first time on an S-Class car. The body movements are still well controlled and the S63 AMG Coupe remains very stable during transitions from one turn to another. Despite its more incisive performance, don’t confuse the S63 AMG Coupe with an authentic sports car – its weight (2,070 kilos) represents the main factor that limits its performance in turns.
In the crystal ball
The coupes equipped with the twin-turbo V8s will soon be followed by new versions powered by V12 engines. The S600 and S65 AMG Coupes will be launched to meet the expectations of a part of the clientele who want to be seen at the wheel of the brand’s most exclusive and dynamic versions.
With its much more devastating style and inspired performance, the new S-Class Coupe won’t have any trouble making people forget all about the defunct CL Coupe and will help Mercedes-Benz get back in touch with a part of the ultra-rich clientele that had abandoned the brand to flirt with luxury coupes sold by such rivals as Aston Martin, Bentley and others.