The Mercedes-Benz S-class was recently given a fairly substantial facelift, moving it even further away from its predecessors. We now see how differently things could have turned out if Mercedes-Benz had gone on a retro tour.
Although the freshly facelifted Mercedes-Benz S-class is a luxurious top sedan just like its predecessor W108/W109, there are few parallels left to discover. This is not surprising, as Mercedes-Benz is generally not a fan of overly strong retro nods in its designs, exceptions like the SLS notwithstanding. The now-departed chief designer Gorden Wagener nevertheless dreamed of a straightforward retro design based on the S-class. He is now showing that on his personal behalf.
On his Instagram account, Wagener shares images of a retro ‘Rote Sau’ (Red Pig), a reincarnation of the equally powerful 300 SEL with a 6.8-liter V8, which caused a stir in racing in the early 1970s. Although it is primarily a tribute to that already special branch of the S-class family tree, we also immediately see how Wagener would design a modern S-class if the design were heavily inspired by S-classes from the past. With its considerably rounded body, it might also not look out of place as an EQS alternative.
Incidentally, we do see some elements also on Mercedes-Benz models that you can buy new. For example, the grille somewhat resembles that of the all-electric GLC, and the stars in the headlights are now also familiar.