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Mercedes shows off more of the S-Class Cabriolet

Mercedes has been very much into teasing lately, providing various kinds of peeks at the recently revealed Mercedes-AMG C63, the coming 2017 E-Class sedan, and the S-Class Cabriolet. We've seen the least of that latter car but it could be the one we know the most about. The sixth member of the S-Class family after the standard sedan, the long-wheelbase sedan, the Maybach models, the Pullman, and the coupes, this one puts a fabric top on that two-door model and then lets owners take it off. After the sketched rendering from two weeks ago, this latest photo from Mercedes shows us pretty much what we're going to get, and since we're huge fans of the coupe it looks like we'll be huge fans of this, too. It will certainly come heaped with techno gizmos like heated armrests, and a set of Burmester speakers in the tonneau cover. In case you're wondering, those screen-looking things behind the front seat headrests are fans for the Airscarf neck warming system. The press release below has a bit on the history and demise of four-seater Mercedes droptops, which helps remind us why we should care about the trim being resurrected 45 years later. Related Video: The new S-Class Cabriolet: A star returns Stuttgart, Aug 25, 2015 - Coveted dream car of the 1960s meets star of the 2015 International Motor Show in Frankfurt: the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet is following in the tradition of the open-top S-Class (model series 111 and 112) from the period 1961 to 1971. Unmistakeable, exclusive design, fine materials with maximum high-class appeal in the interior and state-of-the-art technology in the S-Class characterise the concept behind both cabriolets. "After 44 years we can again offer friends of our company an open variant of the S-Class. The new S-Class Cabriolet symbolises our passion for individual and timelessly exclusive mobility, which we share with our customers", remarks Ola Kallenius, Board Member of Daimler AG, Mercedes-Benz Cars Sales. With the new S-Class Cabriolet Mercedes-Benz is setting itself the standard of building the most comfortable cabriolet in the world. When it comes to climate comfort the enhanced automatic wind protection system AIRCAP, the AIRSCARF neck-level heating system, the heated armrests, the seat heating also in the rear plus the intelligent fully automatic climate control ensure that this is indeed the case.

Bosch builds an infotainment system that just might not suck

As far as we've come with in-car infotainment and interfaces over the past decade or so, we still have a long way to go — as most current systems show. Whether it's high-end brands like Mercedes-Benz with its kludgy COMAND system, which we hope will be replaced with the MBUX platform revealed at CES, or more mainstream vehicles like Hondas (with their frustrating, knobless Display Audio interface), getting the kind of content and ease of use in the car that we're used to having on other connected devices is far too complex and sometimes costly. While Apple and Google have tried to ride to the rescue with CarPlay and Android Auto, respectively, they're limited solutions. No automaker or tech supplier has been able to deliver an easy, economical, flexible and non-distracting infotainment solution. But Bosch could be closing in on this elusive goal, given the digital cockpit concept demo I recently received at CES. Displayed in a Cadillac Escalade, the concept featured five interconnected color screens: one in the instrument cluster, two in the center console, and two more in the front-seat headrest for second-row passengers. The digital cockpit concept demo had cool features such as haptic-feedback touch-screen controls that created an edge-like feeling similar to a physical button, facial recognition to confirm driver credentials, and the intelligence to know the location of a phone in the car to lock it out to keep the driver from texting. The most significant aspect of the Bosch digital cockpit concept wasn't visible — but shows the company's vision for a future of seamless, convenient, cost-effective and safe in-car infotainment. It's powered by a single electronic control unit (ECU) that can simultaneously run multiple operating systems and also separates vehicle and infotainment controls for critical safety and cybersecurity reasons. Most modern cars can have as many as 100 separate ECUs, Philip Ventimiglia, product manager for Bosch Car Multimedia North America, explained at CES, and several just for infotainment functions. "The goal is to reduce that to about 10 so that we can save cost throughout the vehicle and enable new technologies," he added. "OEMs want to put more technology into cars, but it costs money," Ventimiglia said.

Next Mercedes-AMG E63 to produce around 600 hp

"Sources" have told Autocar that the coming Mercedes-AMG E63 will get "something in the range of" 600 horsepower from a "next step" development of the 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 currently in the C63 sedan. Since the standard E-Class isn't due for introduction until the 2016 Detroit Motor show, we're probably a year away from finding out if "something in the range of" actually means a square 600 hp when the car the AMG E63 is revealed. Right now the E63 S is powered by a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 it shares that engine with the CLS63, S63, SL63, and G63, and all but the G63 get 577 hp from that engine. The 4.0-liter V8 in the C63 S is rated at 503 hp in the S model, the same as the dry-sump version of that engine that gets 503 hp in the AMG GT. Point being the jump to 600 hp isn't outrageous, and would keep up with the numbers rumored for the next BMW M5. New turbos will likely be responsible for much of that power, with AMG's powertrain chief having told Road & Track that the present turbos are doing all the work they were designed for. Depending on where the much lighter AMG GT3 road car comes in, the next AMG E63 should be the most powerful V8 model in the range. There'll be plenty of other doodads besides, like a new nine-speed automatic, 84-LED adaptive headlights, remote controlled parking, smartphone-activated NFC-based unlock and vehicle start, Vehicle-to-X communication, adaptive cruise control that recognizes speed limit signs, and a massive advance in the suite of Mercedes Intelligent Driving features. Related Video: News Source: Autocar Mercedes-Benz Luxury Performance Sedan mercedes-amg e63