With the arrival of the S-Class coupe last year, it was only a matter of time before Mercedes-Benz chopped off the roof and gave us the first S-Class convertible since 1971.
Set to appear at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month, the S-Class convertible is virtually identical to the S-Class coupe under the hood. It’s powered by the same 455-horsepower V8 as the S500, while the S63 convertible turns up the heat to 585 horsepower and 664 lb.-ft. of torque. There’s no word yet on an S65 version, powered by Mercedes’ 621-horsepower V12.
The S-Class convertible sees a number of chassis enhancements to improve rigidity and keep weight down, such as a luggage compartment bulkhead made out of an aluminum-and-magnesium blend, as well as an aluminum rear floor. These improvements help keep weight close to the S-Class coupe; Mercedes hasn’t dished an exact figure for the S500 cabriolet, but the S63 tips the scales at 2,110 kilograms.
Lowering and raising the roof takes just about 20 seconds and it can be done driving as fast as 60 km/h. The roof does impact trunk space when it’s lowered, but an electronically-operated cover encloses it in order to minimize the risk of being damaged by anything in the trunk.
We’ll bring you more on the Mercedes S-Class convertible when the Frankfurt Motor Show kicks off on September 15.
