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AUTO REVIEW

2018 Mecerdes S560

Convertible

By Steve Schutz, MD

The Mercedes S560 convertible is one of the most impressive ve- previously, all of those styling elements are must-haves for the Chi-
hicles I’ve ever driven. It does everything well, and I respect it nese market, and as long as our friends across the Pacific like these
tremendously. It’s not much fun though, which may or may not mat- kinds of designs, that's what we are going to see because that market
ter to you. But if it does, maybe buy a Porsche 911 turbo S instead. and not the U.S. dictates what luxury cars look like.
There's a lot to say about this car, but it seems appropriate to start Interestingly, the S560 convertible comes with a cloth top. Ten
with the one word that kept coming to mind as I drove it: heft. The years ago I would have predicted that by now all luxury brand con-
S560 is a large car that looks imposing, and the interior leathers and vertibles would have folding steel roofs that stow in the trunk, but
metals look like they came from a Hermes boutique. The doors close in fact cloth tops seem to have taken over. While saving weight ex-
with a reassuring thunk, and you just know that this car will look plains some of the move back to fabric tops, most of the reason for
and feel almost as solid in 20 years as it does now. going back is styling and the fact that engineers have been able to
The exterior design is modern Mercedes Benz, which is to say manufacture cloth tops with enough sound deadening that steel tops
sleek with noticeably rounded edges. The head- and taillights are all are no longer quieter.
LED with jeweled detailing, chrome accents abound, and large Mer- Naturally, as Mercedes’ flagship the S560 is loaded with technol-
cedes emblems adorn the front grille and trunk lid. As I've noted ogy. Yes there's lane departure warning, blind spot protection, and

44 San Antonio Medicine • March 2018