The current Mercedes-Benz S-Class has grown a bit long-in-the-tooth, but a new model is expected to change that shortly. Slated to arrive for 2013, the next S-Class will return to the fray with some very powerful competition to measure itself against; namely the recently re-engineered Audi A8 and the always potent BMW 7-Series.

So how will Daimler intend to one-up its German brethren? A report by egmCarTech claims that one way to trump Audi and BMW may be through the use of exotic materials like silk and cashmere. Use of these high-end yet delicate touchpoints is still under consideration, as is the use of banana wood as a new veneer. Mercedes designers and engineers are reportedly working to make the materials strong enough to stand up to every day use, which is a good idea considering how demanding buyers can be when dropping $100k or more on a new sedan.

It's anyone's guess as to whether Mercedes-Benz will actually add silk and cashmere to the cabin of the next S-Class. If the world's oldest automaker does plan to use the materials, we're guessing the materials will be served up as costly options, possibly as part of the automaker's Designo individualization program.Mercedes-Benz evaluating cashmere, silk for next S-Class cabin originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.


More...