On a recent trip to Los Angeles I patronised a traditional diner and ordered a milkshake. The prolific eating habits of Americans are well documented; I expected to be served a huge strawberry ice-cream creation. What I hadn’t anticipated however, was that the waitron would hand me the stainless steel decanter that was used for mixing the shake – it contained the remnants of the milkshake that would have overfilled the glass. With the words: “you always want the extra” he put the shiny container on the table with a big smile on his face. The Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG is remarkably similar – a blend of automotive craftsmanship, luxury and performance that’s surplus to a motorists’ requirements of an automobile, but, “you always want the extra”…
Twelve cylinders
In the world of downsizing and efficiency, a 6,0-litre turbocharged V12 engine seems to be on the brink of extinction, but Mercedes-Benz is adamant that as long as there is a market for this powertrain of excess, it will remain in production. The claimed power outputs read like the script of a science fiction movie: 463 kW and 1 000 N.m. If the latter figure sounds unbelievable consider this – the engine is capable of producing 1 200 N.m but had to be “detuned” for the sake of the transmission’s reliability.
Performance
Although the vehicle weighs in excess of two tonnes, the S65’s surfeit power output seems to propel the imposing saloon to the horizon with the force of an almighty blow of Thor’s hammer. Flattening the throttle sees the traction control on high alert and once the Benz hits its straps, the speedometer (marked to an astonishing 360 km/h) spins its pointer round the dial with the alacrity of a rev counter. The engine never feels stressed and produces massive thrust without breaking a sweat.
True S-Class
The “problem” with this impressive turn of speed is that the Benz’s occupants are mostly unaware that their mode of transport is attempting to bend the laws of physics. Apart from engendering sensations of chest compression and lightheadedness, the cabin retains a calm ambience with little road noise (aided by the double glazing) and just a deep, burbling bass note to denote the “full steam ahead” throttle position. This is still an S-Class in the true sense of the word. The ”cooking” versions are already in a class of their own in terms of refinement, luxury and ride quality. However, the S65 manages to amplify theses sensory inputs to a new level. Stopping power is impressive and carbon-ceramic brakes are offered as an option.
Styling
From the outside there are a few cues to differentiate the monster from its stablemates: the grille is a twin-louvred design and three large mesh air ducts are lavished in chrome to persuade even the most stubborn bunny-hugging lane hogger to move over. The chrome theme continues on the side sills, which are complimented by the S65-specific AMG forged, light-alloy wheels with a closed wheel nut design. The “V12 BITURBO” lettering on the side and S65 moniker on the boot makes no secret as to the pedigree of the machine that will inevitably pass you. Your final memory of the vehicle will be the quad exhaust pipes and gloss black and chrome diffuser as the car disappears over the horizon.
Inside the AMG cues are evident and the touchpad control interface first seen on the C-Class is now also available in its big brother. Rear legroom is excellent as the V12 engine only finds its home in the Limousine version of the S-Class body (S65 AMG L and S600 L). The list of standard features results in a hefty owner’s manual and all safety systems available to a Mercedes-Benz customer are fitted to this vehicle. The standard AMG sports suspension is enhanced with the widely publicised Magic Body Control technology that can actively alter the air-suspension to cope with road imperfections in the vehicle’s path (identified using a forward facing camera). Improving on the already magnificent ride of the standard S-Class is no mean feat – the most noticeable bit of “magic” is the flat body control when cornering and traversing humps in the road.
Summary
There is no logical reason to opt for the S63 AMG over the already brilliant S500 version of the S-Class, so where does that leave the S65 AMG? It is a luxury saloon for a customer that demands the finest with no compromise in quality or performance. The (very affluent) owner will know that he/she is driving the best product from Affalterbach or Sindelfingen that money can buy, and then there’s that little extra… And you know you want it.
