Mercedes-Benz unleashes the S63 AMG, and American roadways may never be the same
MIND BENZING | With horsepower nearing 600, Mercedes-Benz’s premium S-Class model has power and style, and the interiors, below, are equally indulgent.
CASEY WILLIAMS | Auto Reviewer
autocasey@aol.com
In 1991, when I was a high school senior, a teacher walked in and asked how much the new V12 -powered Mercedes 600SEL cost. I said, $126,000. He grinned and nodded. That was the price for the world’s best car.
That was then. While the 600SEL packed a 402 horsepower 6.0-liter V12, the 2014 S63 AMG — a kick-ass ride if ever there was one — slams forth with a hand-built 5.5-liter biturbo V8, delivering 577 horses and 664 lb.-ft. of torque. That much power can shrink a car. It connects to a paddle-shifted 7-speed automatic transmission and 4MATIC all-wheel-drive. Flash from 0-60 mph in just 3.9s and on to unmentionable speeds. Gas mileage is disgusting, but nobody cares.
A console button optimizes the powertrain’s performance. “C” (Controlled Efficiency) is the preferred cruising mode, using ECO Start/Stop technology and less aggressive throttle response to conserve fuel. “S” (Sport) and “M” (Manual) modes hold shifts longer with a more sensitive throttle. The modes also alter the throaty roar of the engine by opening and closing exhaust flaps. Full-on, it sings like your boyfriend.
A sophisticated chassis delivers. 4MATIC and AIRMATIC suspension systems conspire for dynamics that would bedevil smaller cars. “Comfort” and “Sport” modes deliver a softer ride on-road or a firm AMG feel for peeling backroads. Carbon ceramic brakes “deploy the parachute.”
An S-Class is also about recognized style.
Whoever at Mercedes thinks screwing with the fronts of the company’s sedans, moving the star from hood to grille, has never gazed hood-long at one from behind the steering wheel. Fortunately, none of that nonsense found its way onto the S63. Flash that big chrome grille at exclusive hotels, or fill the mirrors of left-lane slow-pokes with it, and you quickly get respect. People tend to move in your favor!
If they pause, they’ll realize all of the car’s lights are LEDs. They’ll also swoon over our car’s 20-in. black alloys, AMG-embossed exhaust outlets, and flowing lines that replace chunky wedges as Mercedes’ design repertoire. It recalls elegantly grand sedans from the ‘30s–‘50s.
Interiors are dominated by twin LCD screens, expanses of stitched leather, and real wood that foretell elegance for decades to come. Use the knurled aluminum joywheel and center screen to select infotainment functions. Connect smart phones via Bluetooth or USB ports in the armrest and settle into plush heated/cooled leather seats with pillow headrests. Rear passengers recline under the twin pane panoramic sunroof.
Heated/cooled seats and a heated sueded steering wheel are sweet, but our test car spoiled with heated armrests and door panels and in-car wifi hotspot.
Hear the Bermester 3D audio and you’ll sledge your home system. Customize the cabin’s scent atomizer and ambient lighting as you please.
Further, the S63 employs smart cruise control with steering assist to monitor vehicles ahead and marker lines to keep the big ‘Benz centered in its lane.
Brake assist with pedestrian recognition, blind spot warning, lane keeping assist, 360-degree parking guidance, and cross-traffic alert systems shield fenders.
The S63’s blend of obnoxious power, hedonistic luxury, hushed cruising, gravity-defying chassis and advanced safety set the standard. There’s nothing like driving an S-Class — especially one massaged by AMG. It’s quick enough to cast shadows on Corvette bumpers while insuring Pullman cars remain derailed.
Is the S63 the best car in the world? If not, it’s darned close. A base price of $139,500, and $162,085 as-tested, will have buyers also considering the Bentley Continental, Rolls-Royce Ghost and Porsche Panamera.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition August 8, 2014.