Mercedes-Benz S-CLASS S65 AMG
For Those Few For Whom The Latest S-Class Is Not Quite The World's Finest Saloon, Mercedes Has The Answer The Mighty AMG S65. Jonathan Crouch Reports
There are always a few for whom the best is never quite good enough. Think for a moment what, for you, would be the finest car in the world. Perhaps it would have
Porsche performance yet sensible fuel consumption? Handle better than a
BMW, yet cosset like a
Rolls Royce? Boast technology so revolutionary that, if desired, the car could almost drive itself? Just imagine.
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Stop dreaming.
Mercedes-Benz already makes such a car, the current S-class, and it still sets impressive standards against rivals already rated as outstanding in the large luxury sector. But for some customers, thats still not enough. They want more.
And Mercedes now provides it in the form of the S65 AMG: here, the S would seem to signify Supersaloon. You may already be familiar with the details of the current S-class. If thats the case, then youll probably know that arguably the pick of the model range is the S600, with a six-litre V12 and a pretty generous standard specification in exchange for the not inconsiderable sum of £93,090. But thats only the start of what becomes an AMG S65.
AMG started as an independent tuner and modifier of Mercedes-Benz cars before eventually becoming factory-approved. These days theyre part of the company itself and know how to take perfection and improve on it. First the 6.0-litre V12 is bored out to 5980cc, with extra urgency coming courtesy of a revised bi-turbo system, which features larger turbochargers and a more powerful charge-air cooling system as well as many other engine design measures.
You get the idea. The result is that power goes up to a jaw-dropping 612bhp. Torque goes up too, by what Mercedes describes as "a huge boost": wed say that at 1,000Nm, its off the planet. Anyway, this luxury limo has now been fettled to the point where (with help from revised ratios in the five-speed automatic gearbox) it lunges to 60mph in 4.4 seconds, half a second faster than an S600 and close to
Porsche/
Ferrari territory. It keeps going too, with 124mph just 13.
3 seconds away from rest. Top speed is an electronically reined-in 155mph but a careful short circuit or two would enable you to see close to 200mph. These bare statistics hardly tell the full story of the performance boost but theyre all the factory will disclose
''The S perhaps signifies Supersaloon...''
Visual modifications are relatively discreet. The S65 AMG does sit on huge 19-inch, twin-spoke alloy wheels with 8.5-inch wide tyres at the front and 9.5-inchers at the back, but the AMG body kit (restyled front and rear aprons and side sills) is not over the top.
At first glance, its hard to pick the sporty version from the standard S500. Each S65 AMG is built to order for its UK buyer and costs (deep breath) £142,670. Youd think for that youd get just about everything but our test car still managed to come with £3,700-worth of extras (radar distance control,
smart central locking of the kind you get in a £10,000
Nissan Micra - and remote boot closing). Youve got to admire Mercedes cheek Apart from that, of course, the recipe is pure S-class, the latest model still holding its own more strongly in a market filled with more recently introduced rivals.
This has always been a ground-breaking model for Mercedes and the list of design features pioneered by previous S-class models is long and distinguished. Airbags, self-closing boot lid, the electronic stability system that prevents you entering corners too fast, for example. This time round, there are plenty more: seats that gently massage you as you drive, air suspension and 'Distronic', the aforementioned optional radar-activated cruise control system that automatically prevents you from driving too close to the car in front. Thanks to engine modifications and the loss of 300kg over the previous model, today's S-class is between 13 and 17% more frugal than the previous generation version, though that wont come as much comfort when its time to face the S65s crippling appetite for the green pump. Mercedes quote a combined fuel consumption figure of 19mpg, but we couldnt get anywhere near that, even with lenient use of the right foot, an exercise that surely defeats the point of owning this car in the first place. Better to shove it on the company credit card and collect the free garage glasses. So what's it like to drive? Well stand by for a shock. The S-class is rated by many experts as being amongst the finest driver's cars in the class. So even without the AMG bits, you already have better handling than a
BMW 7 Series and a car thats more refined and comfortable than a
Lexus LS430. The S65 features Active Body Control and special AMG spring struts with a firmer damping response for highly dynamic handling. The driver can also select an even sportier mode at the touch of a button.
Furthermore, the latest ABC suspension system features a special function which takes account of the current vehicle load when calculating the active suspension settings. If the vehicle is heavily laden with passengers and/or luggage, for example, the ABC computer calls on corresponding control algorithms and reduces the roll angle of the body with the result that the dynamic handling values are identical to those of an unladen vehicle. The dynamic handling control systems such as ABS, Brake Assist, ASR and ESP® (Electronic Stability Program) have had to be fully reworked in order to cope with the high level of power available from the bi-turbo engine. Are there flaws? Of course there are. The boot could be bigger. There could be a little less plastic and wed have liked to find steering with a little more feel.
Plus of course, you could moan about the cost. Otherwise, it's hard to find fault. Most of the electrical gadgets you can imagine are standard, carefully laid out around an interior that's well-nigh perfect. At the wheel, many are found in an electronic command management system which monitors and controls the operation of the stereo and the telephone, TV and satellite navigation functions. If you're searching for the finest and fastest four-door that money can buy, then the AMG S65 is it. Envy the task of designers at Mercedes and tuners at AMG: they now have to come up with something even better.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG
PRICE: £142,670 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 4.4s / Max Speed 155mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 19mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags / window and side airbags in all doors / ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm [swb] 5158/1855/1444
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