D
MATINEE IDOL
BM W s 750i and Mercedes' S550 Battle For Box Office Supremacy
2007 MERCEDES-
i ’
and
compare them in a back-to-
back test and what do you
come up with? If perception
is reality, when comparing
the 2006 BM W 750i with
the 2007 Mercedes-Benz
S550, perception is dictated
entirely by personal tastes.
The focal points of the
two vehicles arc very dif­
ferent indeed. The BMW
concentrates predominantly
on performance attributes,
with luxury thrown in for
gtxxf measure, while the
primary mission of the
Mercedes-Benz is to envel­
op txxupants in superlative
opulence while delivering
more than a fair amount of
performance as part of the
package.
BENZ S550
The completely redesigned
2(X)7 Mercedes-Benz S-
Class enters its ninth
generation with a bolder
and more athletic persona.
This latest iteration of the
S-Glass is wider, longer and
taller than its predecessor.
The German automaker’s
newest flagship model is a
technological showcase that
draws its power from a new
family of engines ranging
from V6s to a V I2 with
V8s in between.
The S-Class has been
around for more than five
decades - from 1955 to
the present, always repre­
senting a special quality,
worthy of flagship status.
New technologies that find
17 > JUNE/JULV
their way into the produc­
tion of the S-Class for the
first time, include: Brake
Assist PLU S; multi con­
tour seating with massage
function; night view assist;
an updated and simplified
COM AN D system; PRE-
SAFF. K occupant protection
and Active Body Control
suspension system. A one-
week drive test is hardly
enough time to master
operating all the technologi­
cal functions found in the
S550.
Insiders claim that this
latest iteration of the Si-
Class is the “most dynamic
vehicle we’ve ever built.“
'Fite new S-Class goes
where the S-Class has never
gone before in terms of its
hold new design execution,
displaying sinewy forms
Odi, WWW 0NWHiEtSIMC.COM
with expressive lines that
depict motion even when
standing still. The lines
themselves are pure and
simple, while evoking an
overall feeling of strength
and power. The S-Class
design director characterizes
the look as “having big eyes
and a smiling face“ with a
horizontal theme accenting
the car’s basic form. More
evolutionary than revolu­
tionary, the new S-Class
retains its family identity
while managing to deliver
an entirely new appeal.
'Hie car’s interior picks up
on the pleasant horizontal
theme with unique textures
and finishes that contribute
to its dazzling elegance
The S-Class we tested
was the Long Wlieelba.se
S550 V8, which couples to