Spy Shots: 2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class spotted
 

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/spyphotos/" rel="tag">Spy Photos</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sedans/" rel="tag">Sedan</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/euro/" rel="tag">Europe</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/mercedes-benz/" rel="tag">Mercedes-Benz</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/luxury/" rel="tag">Luxury</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/spy-shots-2012-mercedes-benz-s-class/#2"><img vspace="4" hspace="0" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/2012sclass630.jpg" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><sma ll>2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class mule - click above for high-res image gallery</small></em></strong></div>
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We find it hard to believe that the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/sclass">W221 S-Class</a> has been with us for five years already. Introduced to the world in the fall of 2005 at the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/geneva-motor-show/">Geneva Motor Show</a>, the tenth generation S-Class is the biggest, fastest and heaviest of them all - at least in S65 twin-turbo V12 trim. However, like all good things, the W221 must come to an end to make way for the 11th generation S-Class. As <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/mercedes-benz/">Mercedes-Benz</a> seems to be intent on keeping the S-Class on a six-year production cycle, it comes as no big surprise that some spy photographer friends of ours just captured the 2012 S-Class in the heavily camo'd flesh.<br />
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What exactly are we looking at? It's really tough to say, as this particular mule is draped in a hot mess of panels, shrouds and rubber bunting. The side sills are even missing. That said, we got a taste of what a new S-Class <em>might</em> look like when Mercedes-Benz showed the world its eco-friendly <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2007/09/11/frankfurt-2007-mercedes-benz-f700/">F700 concept</a> back at the 2007 Geneva show. Rumors persist that the future range topping MB will indeed come with shrunken headlights and a more upright grille, but not quite as extreme as on the F700.<br />
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Obviously, the protruding tail lights seen here on the mule are pure fiction, and will miserably fail European pedestrian safety standards. You can also see that the door cuts on the car above are different than the current S-Class, though they are disguised to the point of not really being able to tell. Especially as these are far from the final, production body panels. <br />
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Weight probably won't fall very much thanks to Mercedes' mission of always swaddling the S-Class with as much new technology and safety equipment as possible. However, a <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/04/report-next-gen-mercedes-benz-s-class-to-launch-with-plug-in-hy/">plug-in hybrid S-Class</a> is on the way, along with a full hybrid, a mild hybrid and all those big bad V8s and V12s we love so much. Expect the new S-Class to appear in 2011 as a 2012 model. <br />
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<div class="postgallery"><p><s trong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/spy-shots-2012-mercedes-benz-s-class/low/">Spy Shots: 2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/spy-shots-2012-mercedes-benz-s-class/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/01-s-class-spy-feb-ten_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/spy-shots-2012-mercedes-benz-s-class/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/02-s-class-spy-feb-ten_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/spy-shots-2012-mercedes-benz-s-class/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/03-s-class-spy-feb-ten_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/spy-shots-2012-mercedes-benz-s-class/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/04-s-class-spy-feb-ten_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/spy-shots-2012-mercedes-benz-s-class/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/05-s-class-spy-feb-ten_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p style="padding:5px;backgr ound:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/09/spy-shots-2012-mercedes-benz-s-class-spotted/">Spy Shots: 2012 Mercedes-Benz S-Class spotted</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblo g</a> on Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/09/spy-shots-2012-mercedes-benz-s-class-spotted/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19350701/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/09/spy-shots-2012-mercedes-benz-s-class-spotted/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>

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