SLS-AMG GT3

A GT3-spec racing version of the SLS AMG was unveiled at the 2010 New York Auto Show. It is set to compete in national GT3 championships before being allowed race in the FIA GT3 Championship in 2011. At VLN Nürburgring, the SLS AMG GT3 was admitted into the SP9 class with "Balance of Performance" set to 1350 kg and 556 PS, and won its first race in October. The car also won the 2012 24 Hours of Dubai under Black Falcon Racing.

25 SLS AMG GT3's were built for competition with only one not racing in Europe. Erebus Racing who race in the Australian GT Championship run the car which is driven by Peter Hackett who is also the Chief Instructor at the Australian Mercedes Benz Driving Academy.

S-W221

The all-new W221 was introduced in the autumn of 2005 at the Frankfurt International Motor Show, with export to other markets beginning in 2006. The W221 S-Class made its North American premiere at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January. The latest S-Class is slightly larger in all dimensions than its predecessor, and it features three newly developed engines with up to 26% power increase. The interior is completely new, all materials have been upgraded and make for a more luxurious ride, and the center console transmission gear lever has been replaced with a column-mounted shifter. New technological features on the W221 include an infrared Night View Assist feature and the latest Mercedes-Benz pre-collision system. The W221 features sharper exterior styling (most notably wide fender arcs) and technological improvements. The W221 is the second consecutive generation of the S-Class to be solely produced in a sedan body style.

S-W220

The all-new W221 was introduced in the autumn of 2005 at the Frankfurt International Motor Show, with export to other markets beginning in 2006. The W221 S-Class made its North American premiere at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January. The latest S-Class is slightly larger in all dimensions than its predecessor, and it features three newly developed engines with up to 26% power increase. The interior is completely new, all materials have been upgraded and make for a more luxurious ride, and the center console transmission gear lever has been replaced with a column-mounted shifter. New technological features on the W221 include an infrared Night View Assist feature and the latest Mercedes-Benz pre-collision system. The W221 features sharper exterior styling (most notably wide fender arcs) and technological improvements. The W221 is the second consecutive generation of the S-Class to be solely produced in a sedan body style.

S-W220

In late 1999, the W220 was introduced. The W220 S-Class was completely restyled, with a body that was slightly smaller and lighter than its predecessor. Unlike its predecessor, the W220 was not the first model to feature the company's new design theme for the next generation of Mercedes-Benz. This honor was given to the A-Class when it launched in 1997. The new S-Class incorporated the new styling cues first introduced on the Mk I A-Class the year before (for example, the dashboard carried over the new styling details first seen in the A-Class), with a renewed focus on elegance and style in a more rounded shape compared to the preceding W140. Despite being smaller, the W220 S-Class offered more interior space than the W140. Production of the W220 S-Class totaled 485,000 units, slightly more than the production totals from the W140. The W220 was produced in a sedan version only.

S-W140

In 1991, the W140 series replaced the W126 line in the Mercedes-Benz line-up, the first production model rolling off the assembly line on August 6 of that year. As with its predecessor, the W140 launched the "next generation" of Mercedes-Benz design language. The W140 saw the S-Class grow in its proportions; more technology and features were added due to product evolution and through competition. The car was available in two wheelbase lengths and a shorter-wheelbase W140 coupé. Production totalled 432,732 units; down on volumes for the W126 reflecting its shorter production period, competitive pressure (especially Lexus in the US) and higher market positioning.

A W140 S-class was the car in which Princess Diana died when her chauffeur (the only survivor of the four occupants was her security guard, who was located in the front passenger seat) crashed into a Parisian concrete pillar in August 1997.

S-W126

The W126 series premiered in late 1979 as an 1980 model, and as an 1981 model in the USA and Australia replacing the W116 line. The W126 line introduced a host of new safety features with the next phase of Mercedes-Benz styling. The W126 brought much-improved aerodynamics, and enlarged aluminum engine blocks. The W126 S-Class was also the first luxury car to win the prestigious Car of the Year award from Australia's Wheels magazine, in 1981. The W126 line lasted from 1979 through 1991, a production run of over twelve years, its model cycle extended by the first-ever S-Class mid-cycle update. Coupé models based on the S-Class were reintroduced with the W126 (380/500 SEC). Total sales of the W126 S-Class sedans reached 818,036 units, with an additional 74,060 coupes sold. These sales figures make the W126 the most successful S-Class line in Mercedes-Benz history.

S-W116

In 1973, Mercedes-Benz introduced the W116 line, the first to be officially called the S-Class. Produced from 1972 through 1979, the W116 series featured a four-wheel independent suspension and disc brakes. The 280, 350, and 450 (4.5L version) models featured SE and SEL versions. Production of the W116 totaled 473,035 units. This was a groundbreaking sedan for Mercedes-Benz, and for the first time in the company history, the car had an obvious, blatant and outward emphasis on safety placed above a pure styling viewpoint. The overall design incorporated numerous safety features developed from the "safety research vehicles" in the mid-to-late 1960s to the very early 1970s.