I agree actually. As cool, and good for the S's image that it is to have one almost 400 HP motor being at the lowest scale (let's face it, if you eliminate mass-market type lower end engines from the lineup, you're making a statement that this car STARTS at a high range, i.e it's a through and through Premium Car), it will benefit greatly on the market with lower HP engines. M-B buyers, and event the S-Class buyers, don't care about HP so much, and the previous S430's, S320's, 420 SEL's, etc. are all testaments to that (volume leaders).

 

The 2012 S gets the new V8 - 429hp/516 torque. That's the entry level car (that any significant part of the buyers will actually purchase, the hybrid and the diesel will make up a tiny percentage of total S sales). What part of the S buyers are complaining that the current 382 hp car is underpowered? Very few, and those that do can get the AMG cars. Now the entry level buyer has to take 47 more HP. The S is losing sales on price, it needs a lower cost engine that makes sufficient power to compete with the 740 and the Panamera.

 

Hope they offer designo paint/interior combos in the Bluetec. A Mauritius Blue "Bluetec" would be pretty sweet...

 

Ay caramba, that is outstanding.