As the flagship for Mercedes-Benz, the S-Class is as much a symbol of corporate aspirations, as it is a mark of achievement for buyers. That's why it was so important for Mercedes to get things right with the 2000 model. And the automaker's engineers have succeeded.Mercedes has big plans for the new S500. It's forecasting a sizable jump in sales. Based on our initial ride-and-drive, it has good reason to be optimistic. With this all-new edition, Mercedes is in a good position to win over skeptical buyers who thought the old S-Class was nothing but a bulky, Teutonic dinosaur.