While my time with the aristocratic modern Mercedes did not elicit quite the same response on the street, the large white thoroughbred did have enough road presence to turn more than a few heads and, with a price tag of more than $300,000, that was all the white luxury saloon held for most envious onlookers.  

BODY STYLE

While the S 500 Long Wheelbase, at more than five metres end to end, could be a brick on wheels, the designers have imbued it with the sleek lines of a coupe. It may be limo-like but it is no powder puff, presenting a side-on aspect that is made all the more aggressive by 20in wheels shod with low-profile tyres filling out the expansive wheel arches.   LED daytime running lights up front put the S 500 LWB in the vanguard of automotive style and safety, while the rear is topped off with an automatic opening-and-shutting lid on the cavernous boot.  

 

POWERTRAIN

Relatively new to the Mercedes-Benz lexicon, BlueEFFICIENCY, roughly translated as power with underlying green credentials, has made its way into the top-of-the range luxury S-Class with two turbocharged engines – the V6 S 350 and V8 S 500. The latter, at the heart of the test vehicle, produces peak power of 320kW at 5250rpm and a prodigious 700Nm of torque between a low 1800 and 3500 revs.  Fuel consumption is rated at 10.5 litres per 100km on the combined highway/urban cycle, 3.7 per cent below that of its predecessor. At the same time carbon dioxide emissions are 244g per kilometre, down from 260g/km.

Engineers were able to achieve the combination of higher output and more torque primarily through the use of two turbochargers, one per cylinder bank. Forcing air into the eight combustion chambers at an overpressure of up to 0.9 bar, they are designed to provide high torque at low engine speeds. A 7GTronic Plus seven-speed automatic transmission and new BlueDIRECT technology package, the heart of which is the third-generation spray-guided direct petrol injection including multiple injection and multi-spark, also play their part in the ‘green’ equation.  And in the best steak-knife tradition, there’s more – high efficiency from an optimised water pump, an on-demand oil pump, a high-pressure fuel pump and intelligent alternator, plus braking energy recuperation.

SAFETY

Obviously, the S 500 LWB is kitted out with all the latest safety features but new to the range are Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist. Active Lane Keeping Assist comes into operation at more than 60km/h when the wheels pass over a broken lane marking. The system activates an electric motor  triggering vibrations through the steering wheel. When the car unintentionally crosses a continuous line to the right or left of the lane, the system also gently brakes the rear wheel on the opposite side of the vehicle to counteract the drift away from the lane.

Active Blind Spot Assist warns the driver by means of an illuminated red triangle in the glass of the exterior mirror when it detects that changing the lane may lead to an accident. Radar sensors scan the area alongside and behind the car. If the driver ignores the warnings and a vehicle in the next lane comes dangerously near corrective braking again comes into operation. This results in slight yawing of the car around its vertical axis as a result of the varying brake force distribution. Where an accident is unavoidable, braking intervention by Active Blind Spot Assist helps to reduce the severity of impact.

INTERIOR DESIGN

From high-gloss timber trim to hand-stitched leather upholstery, the passenger cabin is an unabashed centre of excellence. Standard features include keyless go, front seat entertainment package with Harman/Kardon surround sound system with six-disc DVD changer and Splitview screen. Passengers in the back can get in on the act with an optional entertainment pack consisting of  an 8in colour screens integrated into the rear of the front seat headrests connected to a remote control DVD player with Aux-in connections under the centre console cushion and two pairs of infra-red headphones.

An option is the new Bang & Olufsen BeoSound AMG sound system tailored to the luxury saloon's interior. Fifteen speakers and two amplifiers with a total output of 1200W deliver speed-sensitive, quality sound in a choice of high-end studio or surround sound with output focused on the driver, front-passenger, rear seats or the centre of the cabin. The S 500 LWB can take four adults in the lap of luxury. However, there is a lap-sash seatbelt over the centre console between the two rear seats big enough to suit a small child. The individual rear seats move independently, so making oneself comfy is as easy as pushing a series of logic switches on the door panel.

The S 500 LWB driving experience lived up to expectations, with smooth and almost silent running. The dial-up suspension set the mood for a super comfortable ride or sharper sporty handling.    With BlueEFFICIENCY in mind, the best fuel figure the test car came up with was 9.1 litres per 100km while cruising at motorway speeds and more than 19 litres per 100km in stop/start city driving. Parking should have been a problem for such a large lump of luxury but parking assist with rear-view camera plus audio alarms relieved any hint of stress, while the chance of leaving doors or boot lid ajar was removed by self latching mechanisms.   

White on the exterior and fit for a royal wedding, the rear of the passenger cabin held plenty of room for the most ostentatious (aka bulky) bridal gown and any long-limbed father of the bride. Such was the ambience of the S 500 LWB cabin, I swear I caught the whiff of a superb cigar in the air.

PRICING AND SPECIFICATIONS   

MERCEDES-BENZ  S 500  BlueEFFICIENCY V8 BITURBO ENGINE:

DIMENSIONS

PERFORMANCE AND FUEL CONSUMPTION

RUNNING GEAR