Even the wet forces of Mother Nature couldn't keep the Mercedes S-Class->ke359 Cabrio from doing a few test runs in Germany. That much appears to be the case with these fresh batch of photos our spy photographers sent to our inbox recently. As expected, the S-Class Cabrio remains hidden in a maze of camouflage, preventing us from getting a full peek at what the new top-end cabrio looks like. But neither rain nor camouflage can stop us from pulling out our magnifying glasses and do a little inspecting of our own.

It's already been established that the S-Class Cabrio will feature a retractable soft top and a modified rear section, but these new photos also show what appears to be a different front grille from the new-generation design found on the coupe version. We don't know if Mercedes->ke187 will mimic the new design with the production version, but we're confident that it will.

Speaking of that rear section, we're a little curious about what those red markers to the inside of the taillights are all about. The coupe version doesn't have that and we won't be surprised if those are part of the convertible's taillight configuration. Other than these little bits and those fancy set of wheels, the S-Class Cabrio is looking more and more like a close-to-identical version of its coupe counterpart.

Even the cabrio's expected engine lineup will be the same as the coupe, including a 4.7-liter, twin-turbo V-8 that packs 450 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, a 5.5-liter, twin-turbo V-8 that produces 577 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, and a big-boy, 6.0-liter, twin-turbo V-12 that churns out 622 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque.

Click past the jump to read more about the Mercedes S-Class Convertible.

Spy Shots

Why It Matters

The launch of the Mercedes S-Class Coupe at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show->ke228 ushered in the arrival of Merc's flagship luxury coupe. But rumors of an S-Class Cabrio had been circulating since 2012, so when Mercedes announced the coupe version, it was only a matter of time before the cabrio followed suit.

Now, testing for the drop-top S-Class is in full swing and once it's launched, Mercedes now has a car that can take on the BMW 6 Series Convertible, as well as models from Bentley->ke15 and Aston Martin->ke13.

Once the S-Class Cabrio goes live, it's going to enter a field of exciting luxury sports convertibles and make that segment even more competitive than it already is.