Right Up Front

Make no mistake, this is a formidable automobile, Moby Dick mass notwithstanding. Check the motivational specs: 493 horsepower at 6100 rpm, 516 pound-feet of torque manifesting itself along a wonderfully flat curve from 2650 to 4500 rpm. It’s the most potent Benz ever offered in North America, according to the manufacturer, and also the quickest factory Benz we’ve ever tested: 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds, 0 to 100 in 10.9, the quarter-mile in 13 seconds flat at 110 mph.

In contrast, the SL500 tested in our April issue hit 60 mph in 5.8 seconds, 100 in 14.5, and covered the quarter in 14.3 seconds at 99 mph. The disparities seem minor on paper, but the real-world distinctions are dramatic. Crack the throttle, and this posh heavyweight lunges forward like a shark that’s been invited to nibble a chunk of Britney Spears. It dissects traffic like a superbike and exudes a sense of mechanical resentment when a soulless microchip arrests the rush at 156 mph.

The new hybrid model combines a low fuel consumption and a high level of environmental compatibility with superior performance: the internal combustion engine and the hybrid module develop a combined output of 295 hp, and a combined maximum torque of 284 lb-ft. (The electric motor contributes 20 hp and 118 lb-ft to the powertrain).

With 270,000 units sold world-wide since its launch, the W 221-series S-Class is the world’s most successful luxury sedan, and seamlessly continues the success story of the flagship model in the Mercedes-Benz lineup. Since 1951, when the model 220 began the direct lineage of the S-Class, Mercedes-Benz has delivered around 3.3 million passenger cars from this model series to customers.

The U.S. line-up includes the S400 HYBRID, the 382-hp V8-powered S550 and all-wheel-drive S550 4MATIC as well as the high-performance 518-hp S63 AMG. V12 offerings include the 510-hp S600 and the top-of-the-line 604-hp S65 AMG. The 2010 S-Class will be in U.S. showrooms beginning in August.