Mercedes took the wraps off of its next-generation flagship S-Class, too the oohs and ahs of those who hadn't yet seen the copious amounts of spy photos circulating for the past few months. Still, the S, larger than its predecessor, is more attractive without the leather cladding, with sharper lines and a more sloping rear section that shares a few curves with the CLS. The new S has more pampering gizmos than an ocean liner, including massage seats, radar-based driver-assist functions, an updated multifunction control system with color display (and a port for PCMCIA cards). A new, 388hp V8 will be available, as well as a more powerful, 517hp V12, with Mercedes' new Direct Select controller for the standard 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission, controlled by a console-mounted lever. Click through for more pics.

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Spy Photos: Mercedes S-Class [internal]