2020 Mercedes-Benz S-Class W223 Mule Filmed on Car Carrier in Germany

Mercedes has a way of trickling down its technology. First comes the flagship limo, followed by all the other models in the range. As you might have noticed, there's a C- and E-Class that borrow everything from the W222 S-Class. So we're already looking ahead at the next generation.

Of course, this prototype doesn't look the part; it's a regular W222 with average white paint. However, the fenders have been flared out, indicating that the next generation will use slightly wider tacks. It's almost like somebody tried to make a Rocket Bunny Mercedes for SEMA but forgot to add stupidly large wheels or lowered suspension.

Oddly, it seems like the W223 prototypes are sharing the car carrier with the S-Class and E-Class 2-door coupe models, which are both relatively new. Maybe they need the current batch of luxury cars for comparison to see how they're going to step their game up.

Nowadays, flagship German cars need to have not only powerful engines, but also all-wheel steering, digital controls, autonomous technology and clever safety features. The new Audi A8, for example, can lift its air suspension on the side that's about to get T-boned by another car so that the frame absorbs the shock instead of the door. That's something Mercedes might look into.

Of course, the big trick is going to be taking your hands completely off the wheel. Instead of bespoke self-driving cars like Google tried to make, Mercedes is likely to cram all the sensors into the 2020 S-Class. That's right, around the turn of the decade the driver will be free to do other things in his car, provided that he specified the right set of options.

We can't forget that despite enjoying flagship status, the S-Class is still sometimes bought with a four-cylinder engine. Speaking of which, the W222 generation has sold over 100,000 units already.