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John Mahoney26 Aug 2015
NEWS

Mercedes-Benz releases first pic of 2016 S-Class Cabriolet

Luxury Bentley Continental GT Convertible rival to get huge fabric folding roof to go with intimidating price tag

Mercedes-Benz has released the first picture of its luxurious S-Class Cabriolet ahead of its official unveil at the Frankfurt motor show next month.

Pictured with its great grandfather, the S-Class droptop that was sold between 1961 and 1971, the new Cabriolet is set to go on sale in early 2016.

Rumoured to have the largest ever folding fabric roof fitted to any production car, the Cabriolet is said to mimic the Coupe’s rakish profile with its roof in place. The soft-top will incorporate a large glass rear window.

Initially, under the bonnet just two petrol engines are expected to be offered -- a 335kW/700Nm 4.7-litre twin-turbo V8 that powers the S 500 and an even more powerful 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 with 430kW/900Nm that will power the sportier S 63 AMG.

Later on the flagship S 65 AMG will arrive with an incredible 463kW/1000Nm generated from its mighty 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12.

As well as the big V12, Mercedes is also primed to offer all-wheel drive as an option on the S 500 for some markets.

Like the Coupe, the Cabriolet will also come with an advanced suspension that tilts the big S-Class into a bend like a motorcycle. The state-of-the-art air suspension also uses cameras to scan the road ahead to alter the hydraulic dampers for the most comfortable ride possible.

Safety too has been a priority for the new convertible. As well as what’s thought to be a pair of pyrotechnic roll hoops that pop up in the event of a rollover, the big Mercedes will come with autonomous braking plus semi-autonomous cruise control that can operate the steering and juggle the brakes and throttle up to 200km/h.

It’s not known how Mercedes Australia will price the big convertible when it goes on sale early next year but considering the S-Class Coupe starts from $319,000 for the S 500 and the range-topping V12-engined S 65 AMG gives little change from $500,000, the Cabriolet could claim a premium of as much as $30,000 over the Coupe.

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