MT CONFIDENTIAL

Photos of the interior of the next Mercedes-Benz S-Class, code-named W223, show the car will have a single freestanding screen in front of the driver for the instrument display and a central Tesla-sized touchscreen in a over the relevance of Audi’s MLB architecture, which packages a longitudinally mounted engine ahead of the front axle. The configuration allowed Audi to produce both front- and all-wheel-drive versions at relatively low cost. However, the setup makes meeting modern safety regulations more of a challenge because of the proximity of the engine to the impact zone. It also adversely affects vehicle dynamics, putting more weight on the front axle, and it forces designers to adopt front-drive vehicle proportions. “The Audi architecture is only valuable if a front-drive car is needed, but there is little demand these days for front-wheel-drive Audi A6s or A8s,” one insider grumbled. They suggested the Porsche-developed, rear-drive-focused MSB architecture would be a better, more cost-effective fit for Audi’s premium sedans, but Ingolstadt refuses to budge. “Yes, of course an electric Type R is possible,” Kakinuma says. But any electric propulsion system would have to provide the performance the company requires from a Type R–branded vehicle, and at a reasonable price. “If all the base concept and philosophy of being a Type R is fulfilled with an electric powertrain … sure, this can happen.”