17 Jun 08
Mercedes is planning to include this 1.8-litre engine in the next-generation S-Class, though officials are unable to say when it will be ready for production. And there's another problem: though the marriage of power and fuel economy might look attractive to Joe Bloggs, an S-Class buyer used to the status of a V8 (and accustomed to horrendous fuel bills) may well find a 1.8 far too proletarian. Especially if there's an 'S180' badge on the tail end in place of an 'S500'...
In a bid to wean S-Class buyers off their obsession with V8s slowly, Mercedes has produced a 3.5 V6 with some of the F700's technology. This engine, to be available in October 2009, will have the stop/start function and regenerative braking - and it'll deliver 35mpg to go with its 258lb-ft of torque.
Yet in the F700, the 1.8 offers more than enough grunt. The car may be more than five metres in length, but its performance is the same as that of the current S-Class's 3.5-litre naturally-aspirated V6 petrol engine, or the 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel.
So, the F700 really is a dream come true. On track, this concept almost felt like a production-ready car when cornering or charging up the main straight. It's a car with sportscar-like handling, a luxury car ride, economy-car consumption and emissions... oh, and drop-dead gorgeous looks. Shame it'll be nothing more than a party piece.
Never mind, eh?
Video: Mercedes-Benz F700
