Mercedes celebrates 140 years of history in Rome with the new S-Class
It was in 1886 that Carl Benz filed the patent for the Benz Patent-Motorwagen
Mercedes has chosen Rome and the new S-Class to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the world’s first car. It was in 1886, in fact, that Carl Benz filed the patent for the Benz Patent-Motorwagen; a three-wheeled vehicle with an internal combustion engine capable of ushering in a new era of mobility. Why Rome? Because for over fifty years, the capital has been home to the headquarters of Mercedes’ Italian subsidiary, and there is no better place than the Eternal City to celebrate not just a simple invention, but something that has forever changed transport and, above all, the concept of freedom of movement.
New Mercedes S-Class
Displayed alongside a faithful replica of the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the new Mercedes S-Class perfectly embodies the concept of innovation and tradition. For whilst it remains the flagship par excellence, it also reaffirms the role of innovator that has set it apart ever since it introduced ABS in 1978. The latest evolution of the S-Class offers its most extensive update within a single generation. With over 50 per cent – around 2,700 components – newly developed or redesigned, it goes beyond the concept of a facelift. Featuring the new Digital Light twin-star headlamp design and, for the first time, the illuminated Star, the car is equipped with the Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS), which comes with a new service-oriented electrical and electronic architecture and forms the basis for MB.Drive, linked to driver assistance systems, and MBUX for in-car infotainment. Powered by MB.OS, the fourth generation of MBUX incorporates artificial intelligence from ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing, as well as Google Gemini, combining multiple AI agents into a single system. With this, the new MBUX Virtual Assistant ‘Hey Mercedes’ transforms the relationship between the vehicle and passengers in every seat. All of this is also managed via the MBUX Superscreen, which combines the 14.4-inch central display and the 12.3-inch passenger display beneath a single, continuous glass surface. There is a wide range of engines on offer, ranging from 8- and 6-cylinder petrol units to 6-cylinder diesel engines, right through to the plug-in hybrid version. At the top of the range is the new eight-cylinder engine (M 177 Evo) in the S-Class 580 4Matic long-wheelbase saloon, delivering 537 cavalli and 750 Nm of torque. A far cry from the 0.8 cavalli of the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen.
