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Starting up top – literally – this big-boned beauty features a three-layer fabric roof to keep that old harpy mother nature at bay. It can be operated at speeds up to 37 miles an hour, taking just 20 seconds to fold away or redeploy. Putting the roof down reveals what the company describes as a “yacht-like atmosphere,” which makes sense because the S-Class sedan on which this cabriolet is based has arguably the nicest interior in its segment. Top-shelf materials abound, as does tasteful design and tons of technology. Keeping occupants comfy-cozy is a groundbreaking climate-control system. It’s fully computer networked and sports 12 sensors as well as 18 separate actuators. The car’s AIRCAP wind deflectors reduce turbulence and noise while the AIRSCARF system provides neck-level heating for maximum comfort. Beyond all of this, there are heated seats and optional heated armrests. Hell, you could probably drive one of these cars through a blizzard with the top down and still sweat your ass off. S550 Cabriolet models sport a 4.6-liter V8 engine that churns out 449 horsepower along with 516 lb-ft of torque. They’re matched to a nine-speed automatic transmission for maximum driving pleasure and fuel efficiency. Beyond this, the company will also offer a Mercedes-AMG version of this beast, the S63 4Matic Cabriolet. It features a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 with 577 horses and 664 lb-ft of torque. This variant can hit 60 miles an hour in just 3.9 seconds. Despite losing its roof, the S-Class cabriolet’s body is supposedly just as torsionally rigid as the Coupe model on which it’s based. Despite sharing numerous components, a few special parts help up the stiffness of the droptop version. As for all-important pricing and availability information, I can’t tell you when the new S-Class Cabriolet will go on sale nor what it will cost but later and A LOT are probably safe guesses. |
