Spyshots: Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet (A217) Spotted Cold Weather Testing

Without the Mercedes-Maybach variations, the sixth-gen S-Class is available as a four-door sedan (W222) and a two-door full-size luxury coupe (C127). Care to guess what’s missing? Sorry, but I won’t award any points if you said Mercedes S-Class Cabriolet (A217).

Only recently we reviewed the 2015 Mercedes S-Class Coupe in S500 4Matic format (S550 4Matic in the US) and, as expected, this is no AMG beast, but it may appeal to those buyers that want something different to the ever-popular but dated Bentley Continental GT.

The S-Class Cabriolet has what it takes to be more enticing than its Coupe kindred - that cloth roof

A convertible vehicle makes everything better, you see. Well, not you Mercedes-Benz. If you were aware of how fun convertibles are, you would’ve hacked the roof off the CL too. For what it’s worth, the three-pointed star was late with the BMW X6-rivaling GLE Coupe as well.

With the upcoming S-Class Cabriolet (A217) however, Merc deserves a round of slow claps for delivering a more stately alternative to the way too exuberant Bentley Continental GT. In this latest set of spy photos, it’s fairly easy to see that we’re dealing with a 4Matic all-wheel drive system after identifying planetary wheel ends with drive shafts equipping the front axle.

The four-seater convertible looks like it’s 90 percent ready for production, with minimal stylistic changes over the S-Class Coupe. In terms of powertrain options, don’t hold your breath for anything more than three motors: the 455 HP 4.7L twin-turbo V8 of the S500/S550 (rear-wheel or all-wheel drive), the 585 HP 5.5L twin-turbo V8 of the S63 AMG (RWD and AWD) and the 630 HP 6-liter twin-turbo V12 of the S65 AMG.

If it’s got usable rear seats, the S-Class Cabriolet will seriously threaten the Conti GT drop top...