Mercedes-Benz brings back the two-door S-Class (pictures)

At the 2014 Geneva auto show, Mercedes-Benz showed off its all new S-Class Coupe, the two-door version of its flagship S-Class model.

Wayne Cunningham

Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.

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Wayne Cunningham

March 5, 2014 6:03 a.m. PT

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GENEVA -- Mercedes-Benz released a major update to its S-Class sedan last year, a high-tech car with a powerful engine and excellent creature comforts. At the 2014 Geneva auto show, Mercedes-Benz unveiled a coupe version.

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The S550 Coupe, the model that will be sold in the US, is shorter in wheelbase and overall length than the sedan model. It replaces the CL-Class in the current line-up.

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Along with all-wheel drive, the S550 Coupe gets a unique technology that pushes the side of the car in the outside of a turn up, so that passengers are not pushed to the sides of their seats by inertial forces.

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Reflecting Mercedes-Benz coupe design elements, the S550 Coupe gets a single-louver grille with a pincushion design.

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As with the sedan, the S550 Coupe uses LED lights all around, even for headlights. A special edition will also get Swarovski crystals as lenses for its running lights.

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The taillights curve around from fender to trunk lid.

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The S550 Coupe will get the same engine as the sedan, a 4.7-liter V-8 with direct injection and twin turbochargers.

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Rather than a console-mounted shifter, as in some sport-oriented Mercedes-Benz models, the S550 Coupe uses a stalk to select drive modes. Paddles can manually shift its automatic transmission.