Mercedes-Benz will debut the new S-Class online on Sept. 2

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is arguably the most important large luxury sedan in the world -- much to the chagrin of its competitors from Munich and Ingolstadt.

The simple fact is that the S-Class often marks the debut of new technology and features that will later become common throughout the automotive industry. That's why it's a big deal that there is a new one coming, and now we know exactly when to expect it, thanks to an announcement published Wednesday by Mercedes.

The new S-Class is set to debut (online, of course) on Sept. 2 at 2 p.m. CEST (that's a bleary-eyed 5 a.m. for me and my fellow West Coasters). The whole affair will be live-streamed on Mercedes' media site, and the best part is that you won't even need a media login to see it.

So, what do we know about the forthcoming luxo-barge from Stuttgart? We know that it'll have a big ol' grille as is the current (regrettable) fashion with luxury cars. We also know that it will have a wild, yacht-inspired interior with lots of screen real estate. We've also learned that there will still be a V12 version, which makes us pretty happy because nothing screams plutocrat like 12 nearly silent cylinders pushing you forward on an effortless wave of torque.

Lastly, we know that the new S-Class will be built in a new factory that Mercedes calls "Factory 56," which it claims is ultramodern. Will it be as modern as, say, the transparent factory (aka Glaserne Manufaktur) that VW built to make the Phaeton? Time will tell.