A mysterious new Mercedes-Benz concept could mark the start of a new design era, blending nostalgia with futuristic flair
Mercedes is nearly ready to unveil a new concept car that could resurrect the spirit of the long-departed S-Class Coupe and Cabriolet. The unnamed model has already appeared in official teasers, flaunting a massive light-up grille and a classic two-door coupe shape that feels like Benz trying to remind everyone it still knows how to do glamour.
The brand’s design chief, Gorden Wagener, dropped a few hints about the upcoming debut on Instagram. He called the mystery model “the shape of things to come” and said the new grille first shown in Munich was “the spark for a creative impulse”
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One of the teaser shots captures the car’s front three-quarter angle, mostly shrouded in darkness. Even so, the details are telling: slim headlights with star-shaped LED graphics, a deep front splitter, and large, black-finished alloy wheels.
The grille, fully illuminated and completely enclosed, points strongly toward an electric powertrain under the sculpted bonnet.
Another teaser zooms in on the car’s swollen rear arches, confirming its two-door coupe layout. The door handles sit unusually close to the side gills, hinting at rear-hinged doors and frameless windows.
Art Deco Interior
The company has offered a fleeting look at the cabin, bathed in blue light and lined with materials that seem plucked from a bespoke atelier. The styling nods to the Art Deco era, pairing intricate details with a modern layout.
Based on Wagener’s recent remarks about the Audi Concept C, the dashboard will likely feature expansive digital screens that blend into the interior architecture.
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Earlier Instagram posts by Wagener cited the Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 Coupé and Cabriolet concepts as sources of inspiration for the upcoming model. Those show cars, unveiled at Pebble Beach in 2016 and 2017, remain some of the brand’s most memorable recent design statements, even if they never reached production.
Rumors about the return of a flagship coupe in the Mercedes lineup first sparked earlier this year when the company trademarked a pair of two-door S-Class models in Maybach and AMG forms.
However, these were based on the current generation of the S-Class sedan, which is expected to undergo a facelift next year. The next generation model, expected closer to the decade’s end, should offer both internal-combustion and battery-electric powertrains.
Whether this new concept is merely a design study or a genuine preview of what’s to come remains uncertain. But if the teasers are any indication, Mercedes isn’t done exploring the art of the grand coupe just yet.
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Thanos Pappas, a product design engineer by trade, has been wading through automotive journalism for… Read full bio
