The Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe concept was first unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show in September – but since then pre-production examples have been spied all over Europe.
The picture above is of a camouflaged, high-performance AMG version, taken only a few days ago in Spain. Note the design of air intakes up front.
The remaining four pictures are of the standard S-Class Coupe, again taken only days ago.
The car (269) testing in the snow of Lapland was one of many Mercedes-Benz models in the freezing conditions, where there is only three hours of twilight each day and temperatures plummet to minus-20C.
The silver-taped vehicle (467) is heading for winding mountain roads in Spain in a much milder 15C. It is also doing high-speed runs on a track inside a secure test facility, accompanied by S-Class sedans and the facelifted CLS.
Some 1000km further north and just outside the entrance to the Mercedes-Benz research and development centre in Stuttgart is the black coupe heading for a nearby autobahn.
Finally, the coupe with the familiar swirl camouflage (101) is pictured on the Nurburgring circuit. Its front end is different to that of the AMG coupe.
Carmakers say the twisting, undulating Nurburgring surface is an ideal test for chassis development and electronic assistance systems.
One model in Lapland was the new C-Class wagon. It will be unveiled at next month’s Detroit motor show with a range of petrol and diesel engines, including one built by Nissan.
The C-Class sits on a new modular platform that offers improved packaging, a lower kerb weight and better dynamics, as well as the option of the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system on right-hand drive models.
That’s a first that allows C-Class wagon to go head-to-head with rivals like the Audi A4 Avant quattro and BMW 3-Series Touring xDrive.