Now in Singapore: S-Class Coupe comes with a V8 biturbo engine, nine-speed automatic gearbox, and 47 pieces of Swarovski crystal

SINGAPORE – The concept for this car first stunned onlookers at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2013, two years later and the hot and sleek proportions first seen then have made their way onto the production version of the S-Class Coupe, which launched on October 30 in Singapore and is currently priced at $613,888 with COE.

The new Coupe features the same 4.7-litre V8 biturbo engine found in the S 500 sedan, all of the 455 horsepower and 700Nm of torque, but now encased in the form of a two-door, grand touring coupe. Like the CL-Class before it, the doors are frameless and lack a B-pillar which means occupants can enjoy nothing but fresh air when all the windows are down.

The svelte machine can go from 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds, has a top speed of 250km/h, a fuel efficiency of 8.5L/100km and emits 154g/km of CO2.

It also comes fitted with AMG bodystyling inserts, a diamond radiator grille with chrome pins, brake caliper with “Mercedes-Benz” lettering at the front and rear. And it doesn’t stop there. The coupe’s LED intelligent light system features headlamps made out of Swarovski crystals, 47 to be exact.

The new two-door’s prime competition here is Bentley Continental GT V8 and the numbers support this claim: The Bentley’s 500bhp trumps the S-Class in terms of power, though  the Mercedes has 40Nm more torque, while both cars can go from 0 to 100km in just under five seconds.

Optional extra drive modes include the ‘Magic Body Control’ suspension system with a curve tilting function that uses cameras to scan the road while the system adjusts itself to suit the surface conditions.  

“The world premiere of the active curve tilting function demonstrates the possibilities offered by Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive,” said Prof Dr Thomas Weber, member of the board of management of Daimler AG. “The vehicle leans into bends much like a motorcyclist, thereby reducing the lateral acceleration acting on the vehicle’s occupants,” he added. In plain English, the car keeps its body straight during cornering so you’re less likely to slide off your seat due to G-forces.

Like the S-Class saloon, the new Coupe will come with numerous optional new assistance systems like the ‘Collision Prevention Assist Plus’ which carries out autonomous braking at speeds of up to more than 100km/h.

As you drive the CPAP system uses a radar and compares your speed with vehicles and objects ahead, and can sense if a possible collision is likely. An alert will signal the driver to break, however should he or she fail to do so, the ‘Plus’ in the system kicks in and autonomously brakes the car for you. 

On the inside of the cabin, things are keep very quiet. According to Mercedes-Benz, the new S-Class Coupe is the world’s quietest series-production car in terms of wind noise. This is the result of a special bodyshell and door sealing concept.

The  S-Class coupe’s dashboard features a two-part wide-screen format TFT display in a ‘hovering’ position. The engineers made this configuration possible by repositioning the front airbags.

Under the display, the centre console extends to the vehicle’s rear exposing lush leather-wrapped lids and armrests. The use of fine materials also extends to the air vents, switches, belt extender rosette and trim elements.

Never straying from tradition, the new S-Class Coupe comes with a host of new onboard tech. Considering its performance figures don’t differ greatly from its main rival the Bentley Continental GT which costs around $800,000 with COE.

So, the question is would you rather pay slightly more to get your hands behind the wheel of a ultra-luxurious British Bentley or be tempted by the new German Coupe’s avant garde sexiness and slightly lower pricing position.