Can this car’s magic change your view of the world?

There is Mercedes-Benz, and there is their AMG performance-luxury sub-brand… and then there is the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG coupé.  This is the most expensive new Mercedes-Benz money can buy.

First impressions are impressive

Upon delivery, the immediate sense of seeing this car parked in one’s driveway is miles apart from seeing it on a glitzy showroom floor, or when seeing another lucky human driving it.  This car has presence, in abundance.  The length and width of it… all wrapped up in what must have been created by a sculpture artist.  This car arrives on a driveway or at its destination (any destination) like an Oscar winner walking onto a stage – all eyes turn to the winner.

The S-Class coupé is an impressive car – it makes an immediate impression of immense style, quality, power, status, esteem, luxury, and wealth (you can see people drooling mentally, while thinking “the owner must be rich”).

A rich history

Mercedes-Benz has always been very good at the big coupé.  Its rich history dates back to the early 20th century, with iconic collectable classics like the 540K supercharged.  In the 1960s and 70s the big SE coupé was a symbol of understated luxury, which exceeded the status of even the mighty S-Class sedan.

The 80s saw the S-Class 4-door gain a very sleek and big solid coupé mate, which received the name SEC.  Then when the next big “cathedral” S-Class was launched, surely it could not be turned into the same scale coupé?  But it did – the Mercedes-Benz SEC received a bigger successor, and was the biggest coupé on the market, challenging for size next to the Bentley Continental R and Continental T.  But it went through a bit of an identity crisis, with the SEC changing to S-Class coupé for a while, before it was facelifted and renamed to an all-new Mercedes-Benz moniker:  CL.  The CL kept for another 2 subsequent generations, blessed when AMG went power mad in 2001 by introducing V8 Kompressor and V12 Biturbo engines.  The high-power big coupé AMG was born, and the CL65 AMG with its big power and price tag became a very desirable car.

Then the new (current) S-Class arrived, followed by the coupé, making a U-turn by changing its name from SEC then CL back to S-Class coupé.  So now there is no doubt where this coupé fits into the Mercedes-Benz hierarchy – at the top.

Exciting intimidation

From the moment you see its sculpted curves, you are tempted to open the door… and then you see the interior with its superbly luxurious finishes and silky smooth soft leather, sending you a personal invitation to come and enjoy the good life.

As soon as you enter the road, feelings of isolation from the outside world and the hushed pampered power (thanks to the cocooned interior and the knowledge of the V12 Biturbo’s control under your right expensive leather shoe) wash emotions over your mind… even if you have driven other super-luxury coupés or supercars, the S65 AMG coupé will initially intimidate with its overwhelming sense that this car is something very very special.  Intimidation which excites.

A paradigm shift?

When driving this the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG coupé, one’s head goes into comparison mode.  This car is so so soooo far ahead of other most other cars on the market right now. 

How does it, or can it even, be compare to other cars around me?  Not the normal cars, but the luxury and sports cars.  What else does this AMG giant compete against?  When waiting at a red traffic light, which other car can pull up which will knock this car off its pride of place?  Mmm, a big bad Bentley Continental GT coupé?  No, too many of them around.  An exotic supercar… perhaps, but a supercar is predictably expected to be low and loud and expensive and fast, but cannot pull off the big rich luxury look like the S65 AMG coupé.  See, a supercar like a Lamborghini or luxury brand like Bentley or Maserati is recognised as ostentatious… but the S-Class coupé pulls of a certain understated subtlety the others cannot.  It simply arrives and stands parked anywhere with the utmost self-confidence.  Well, only if a Rolls-Royce Wraith pulled up next to it could it ooze more presence… but the RRW flaunts obvious wealth.

The mysterious matt metallic grey paint only adds to the special appearance of this large coupé, painted on to accentuate the beautiful lines.  This colour is called designo Grey Magno, and costs R 52 500.  When you take it to the carwash, please ask them to wash it by hand or a high-pressure cleaner, and no roller machines or polishing, please!

Doing the normal shopping stops at grocery stores and a quick shop at a filling station (for food and fuel) drew more comments out of mouths and drew more camera phones out of pockets than any other car (even supercar!) ever tested, this car is clearly a universal favourite.  Its rarity and uncertain identity helps turn up the intrigue magnet.

An example of the special treatment one receives when arriving in this car: upon visiting an upmarket car dealer, the usual welcome and can-we-help greeting (when parking in a normal car) suddenly turned into “Would you like a drink, sir?”.  When doing the usual showroom browsing, instead of the usual 1 or 2 sales people approaching, this car elicited 5 sales personnel, in turn, to greet and offer assistance.

Why does everything else on the road suddenly feel so boring, plain, poor?  The other cars look so everyday, so uninspired… so low down the ladder.

Driving the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG coupé suddenly makes the world feel like a different place.  In this car you’re up there at the top… and the rest of the world is down there.  A paradigm shift.

The V12 flagship is set apart

The S65, as V12 flagship, is set apart visually from its lesser S63 V8 sibling by its multi-spoke chrome wheels, chrome mesh in the grille and chrome front airdam.  Only the S65 AMG sedan and S65 AMG coupé get this special visual treatment.  Of course the V12 BITURBO badging on the front fender is still there, thankfully.

Unfortunately there seems to have been a mix-up when speccing the test cars – this car arrived with the AMG Night Package of R 16 200, which replaces the S65-distinction chrome with gloss black for the grille, airdam, mirror housings and lower body moulding, whereas another test car from another publication was specced with the S65 standard chrome package (good) but with matt black wheels… at odds.  If you want the S65, stay with the all-chrome look (which announces its arrival and status as flagship), otherwise it might be mistaken for an S63.

The rear badge reads S65, which might be only 2 numbers up from S63, but the differences between the 2 cars are vast.  Some might argue the V8 is more responsive, a better car, and what else, but if you want the ultimate AMG and appreciate the smooth power and esteem of a V12, only the S65 will suit.  If the AMG salesperson tells you these are similar, don’t believe a word.  The S63 versus S65 will clearly highlights 2 distinctly different characters.  The S65 will become the most memorable one, and this, if ever there was a collectable Mercedes-Benz coupé, will for certain become a future classic.

The 6-litre V12 Biturbo power-punch… and that husky voice

You press the start button, and the V12 up front cranks up in the classic slow-turning V12 starter-winding sound, reminding of other great V12s of the past.  Then the beast suddenly breathes into life, blowing a hoarse puff through the 4 square exhausts.  Ooh! is the unrestrained response… from people and the AMG. 

The idle is ultra-smooth, and on a cold start the engine revs rise for a while, simply lifting one’s mood to the next level.  If ever there is an award or list of best engine start-up sound, this would be right up there with the best.

The bi-turbos up front force air out the back of those AMG-branded exhausts, much to the delight of passersby… and a large part of the neighbourhood.  This AMG might be unobtrusive inside, but at its sound is heard at a distance.  A big deep husky voice.  Sadly the distinctive exclusive-to-AMG-V12 fused-centre exhaust tips (which used to tell it apart from its mere V8 brothers) were replaced by more normal independent square outlets. 

So, the engine power?  The V12 biturbo AMG has been around for a while, but really no need for improvement.  OK, the power increased slightly from an already immense 450 to 463kW, but torque remains “limited” to a full 1000 (yes, one thousand) Newton metres.  Cough.  Bentley may have uprated their W12 turbo engine in the GT Speed recently to 467kW, but its 820Nm is no match for the V12.

The S65 AMG coupé, in classic Mercedes fashion for its big-engined cars, pulls off in 2nd gear – this is to allow a comfortable start, and no need to change experience the gear change from 1st to 2nd gear unnecessarily.

Warning!  See the pedal on the right?  Handle with care!  When you have a long – and only a long – stretch of traffic-free piece of road, and you’re already in 3rd gear, preferably, push the pedal (yes, the same Mercedes traditional long heavy accelerator pedal) all the way in.  If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to experience travel in a private jet on take-off, this will feel familiar – not much noise… just a sudden surge of G-force, with your neck muscles tensing up instinctively to counter-weight the backwards movement of your head and torso.  With the V12 bulk delivery of torque lifting the front, the tail squatting, and the people in the middle getting pushed into the seats.  Thrust.  So much unexpected thrust, it will make even a usually calm passenger grab the seat edges in fear.

The biggest problem this car has is its rear tyres – surely one cannot expect even the 285/35 R20 rear tyres to cope with 1000Nm of torque?!  It cannot.  When in 1st, 2nd or even sometimes 3rd gear, the rear tyres break traction, kicking out the car’s big tail, and despite the traction control working over-time, the driver still has to be quick to correct the steering wheel to keep the car going straight ahead. 

If ever there was a case for the 4Matic 4-wheel drive, as AMG offers on 4-cylinder to V8 AMGs, this is it.  It would add to the already hefty 2.2-ton (empty) kerb weight, but traction would be better.  Its Bentley Continental rival benefits from 4-wheel traction, and is better at putting down the power.  The S65 AMG coupé’s supercar-fast claimed 4.1 seconds to 100km/h could not be achieved, due to the overwhelmed rear tyres… but once they grab the tar, overtaking and sudden bursts of power are exciting.  But again, be warned that on most roads one simply cannot floor the throttle.  A monster.  A beast with bite.  A V12 biturbo power-punch!

An interior to make an interior decorator blush

Mercedes-Benz has always been very good at creating a big coupé interior to feel luxurious, of impeccable quality, and clearly precisely put together.  But the problem with most German brands is that, while luxurious and of quality, they do not create that special feeling, that subtle can’t-put-my-finger-on-it ambience found in British cars like Jaguar… well, never before has a Mercedes been able to create an interior ambience the way this S65 AMG coupé has.  The S65 AMG actually gets design Exclusive leather as standard above lesser models.  Extra leather fits on the dashboard, door top rolls, and even the roof lining is lined in leather.  The leather even smells exactly like the older Merc SL and CL cars.  Familiarly pleasant.

When getting into the driver seat, one is presented not with the usual dials and an afterthought-looking tablet-style screen of other modern cars, but rather by 2 huge black digital displays – the car rests, and on ignition-on, these screens light up, showing an all-digital dashboard in the driver binnacle, and the centre screen so big it can show a large map area, which is really handy for travelling distances… and in this GT (Grand Tourer) one will want to go on long open-road trips.

The swooping curves that let the dashboard flow into the doors, while more flow is seen in the sculpted rear seats (found to be surprisingly comfortable and even unusually spacious for a coupé).  The atmosphere and interior design… enough to make an interior decorator blush.  Beyond sumptuous.

The silver switchgear all around, a neat wide horizontal row with pleasant tactile switches on the console, stylised seat controls on the doors (even the headrests are electrically adjustable) and the gear-lever-free console (the gear selector is to the right of the steering column) combine to give an uncluttered style.  Of course the Bentley guy, upon asking how this car is, having received a response “They are trying to out-Bentley a Bentley with this S-Class coupé”, was quick to reply that these air vents are not made from metal as they are in a Bentley.  OK, true – these are painted plastic, but still look great, sitting proudly 4 abreast on the centre console and 1 each side next to the door, complimented by tiny push-to-pop-out then turn air vent controls.

The seats are already superbly comfortable, and the S65 as the V12 king even gets special upholstery to distinguish it from the lesser S63 V8.  The previous Mercedes-Benz CL cars were of the first to have massaging seats, but in the S-Class coupé it is taken to spa level – through the control screen, you can dial up a selection of massages, including adjusting the intensity, and even a “hot rock massage” which actually uses proper pressure to really push into the back muscles (not the usual gentle nudge of most massaging seats) and uses heat for the treatment.  Dedicated seat-icon switches quickly call up the seat menu.

The driver and front passenger are served the safety belt on an electric extension (again, a Mercedes-Benz feature from the SEC of the 80s).  The front seats even have good manners – rather than the usual handle to release the front seat to allow rear passengers to enter/exit, this coupé simply needs a touch of the handle, to electrically slide the seat out of the way for easy ingress/egress.

Just close the doors softly until it reaches the pillar… these will pull themselves shut gently – no need to slam, thanks.  The doorhold function is very helpful – the usual challenge with long coupé doors is opening them without bumping into the garage wall or car next to it, so this S coupé will hold the door in whichever angle it is opened at.

There is magic in the sky – rather than the normal sunroof or panoramic roof, the S-Class coupé can be ordered with Magic Sky Control.  The large sunroof can be adjusted between dimmed (in a rich bright blue) or clear, by simply adjusting how much light you want to allow onto your monied heads and laps.  This is a R 60 000 option.

However, the optional race-car-feel suede-cloth steering wheel really does not belong in this car with all its leather and luxury coupé trim – in an S63 perhaps, yes, but the S65 is better suited to the leather steering wheel, or, for a special feel, the leather and wood combination.  The coupé cars do not get the same horizontal 2-spoke steering as the sedans, instead sticking to a more conventional 3-spoke.

The Night Vision uses the digital screen ahead of the driver (an improvement from the smaller screen used in the previous CL).  When activated, it neatly slides the speedometer and rev counter out the way by reducing their scale, allowing a bigger night display.  Pedestrians are recognised, with humans highlighted on-screen by red borders.

Silence, please.  So quiet is the new S-Class coupé, that 120km/h feels really slow.  The side mirrors, windscreen, doors (despite being frameless joined windows) simply don’t make a noise.  The only faint rumble is from the big tyres.

A big Merc coupé trait (and this company understands their customers well) is the pillarless door frames – drop the 4 windows to get an enjoyable open-air feeling, thanks to the absence of a side pillar to obstruct the front or rear occupants’ views out.

A small crystal on the front sliding storage cover (it slides shut and open in a smooth damped move) is a nice finishing touch.

Real crystals in the headlights?

For sure.  The S65 AMG can be ordered with the LED Intelligent Light System and… 47 genuine Swarovski crystals in each side, stringed alongside the headlights!  This is a mere R 47 900 option, which makes the +- R500 per crystal quite a bargain.  Perhaps a sign of true wealth when one can use crystals as a car’s indicators.  They look, erm, brilliant.

The LED headlights are not only ultra-bright, turning any dark road into sports field flood-light illumination, but so intelligent that when you pass pedestrians at night, the lights will actually throw a quick beam in a square block to momentarily point out people… ingenious.

Magic Body Control – locks out G-forces and flattens speed humps

An S-Class usually tells us which knew technology the smart Germans were able to think up, to make the Mercedes safer and more comfortable.  A feature which debuts on the S-Class coupé is Magic Body Control.

The easiest way to explain what this does is by analogy – think of how a bike rider leans into a corner, whereas a car would normally tilt to the side as the weight is transferred to the side… well, in the S65 AMG coupé, comfort is taken to a next level.  Switch on the Magic Body Control, and go into a bend, maintaining a set speed.  Instead of the normally experienced tilt of the car’s body, this clever AMG actually counteracts by angling the body of the car, which it does by raising the suspension one side and lower on the other side.  If you drive into a right-hand bend, the left suspension will rise and the right will lower, and vice versa.  The result?  A totally flat cornering stance – the big coupé stays absolutely level, so its driver and passengers experience no discomfort of being pushed to the side.  Quite weird at first, as we are conditioned to feel a sideways force, but quickly becomes pleasant magic control of the car’s body and its occupant’s body.

But wait, there’s more… not only does it counter-tilt in corners, the clever S-Class will also scan the road surface ahead.  Using its myriad of scanners, the car is trained to spot bumps and ruts and other road undulations ahead… then, immediately, as the front wheels reach the detected irregularity, the suspension instantly adjusts to iron out the road.  Sounds great, but does it work?  Brilliantly.  Try approaching a speed hump at 30km/h plus – better than even the usual softness of the comfortable air suspension, the electronics lift the front when the front wheels reach the hump, then quickly, imperceptibly, raise the rear suspension to flatten out the hump.  No rocking movement or doof-doof over a speed hump.  Takes some getting used to, but the comfort is a magic carpet ride (without the fear of heights).

One complaint, though, is that the Magic Body Control switch is mounted to the left of the horizontal switchgear, hidden from the driver’s seated view – to reach and activate the switch, the driver has to lean and look across.  Ideal for left-hand drive as in its home market Germany, but for right-hand drive this switch needs to jump sides, please.

“Guess the price” game

Fortunately most onlookers are aware that big Mercedes and especially AMGs are not cheap, with most asking how many millions this machine costs?  A small fortune is what you’ll need – to create a perspective, the preceding CL65 AMG went off the market approaching R2.7 million, and the SLS AMG was also in that price region.  So, given the extra luxury, technology and looks, the S65 AMG coupé at R 3 070 700 doesn’t, by comparison, seem that excessive.  You can do without the R120k optional carbon-ceramic brakes as specced on the test car, which added up to just over R3.4m.

The S-Class coupé, and particularly this S65 AMG, aims to fill a market gap between the big coupés in the R1- to R3 million range like BMW 6 Series / M6, the now-gone Jaguar XK, Maserati GranTurismo and Porsche 911, and the top-end grand tourers namely Aston Martin DB9 and Vanquish, Ferrari F12berlinetta or FF, Bentley Continental GT and Rolls-Royce Wraith.  Here it plays well, bridging the gap between the premium-brand coupés we see often, and the rare-air exotics.

If one asks why BMW is not building a new rival to S-Class coupé, as it did with the 8 Series which flopped, the answer would be that BMW takes the supercar hybrid approach with the BMW i8… and of course there is the Rolls-Royce brand, owned by BMW.  But still, BMW and Audi do not offer a car similar to the S-Class coupé.

A certain kind of magic

Even die-hard BMW and Porsche and Bentley fans admitted, reluctantly, that the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG coupé is a desirable car.  Even anti-Merc people succumbed to this car. 

It is as if S65 transcends as a halo sub-brand above other AMG, even.  Can you imagine what a Mercedes-Maybach (the new upper-luxury sub-brand) as an S-Class coupé would be like?  Ultra!

A friend who is usually blasé about even luxurious test cars, with “It’s normal” or “Argh, it is just the same” was instantly full of praise for this car, swapping his usual disinterest for “Wow! Wow! This is a machine to have!”.

The S65 AMG coupé sets itself apart from other cars on the market, and experiencing it created a feeling of such excellence that, by comparison, most other cars seem so uninspired.

This car’s magic changes one’s view of the world.

 

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