It’s not often the CAR test team gets subjected to a limousine or, more to the point, the flagship model of a grand-saloon range. Every time it happens, we have to abandon our customary consumerist critiques because measurable attributes such as value for money, efficiency/performance and prudent specification are largely irrelevant on, say, a near-three-million-rand Mercedes-Benz – or so you might think. What’s more, if a performance version of a full-sized luxury saloon is truly a viable product, we believe the 430 kW and 900 N.m produced by the 5,5-litre twin-turbocharged V8 at the heart of Benz’s S63 AMG provide more than ample sporty propulsion. Why then would Affalterbach need to build a 6,0-litre V12-engined S-Class model that produces “merely” 33 kW and 100 N.m more than that?
Insofar as its aesthetic exclusivity is concerned, the S65 AMG L is comparatively demure by the standards of other, more purposefully styled, AMG models. Not all testers approved of the Benz’s chrome-look addenda, such as the 20-inch rims, air-intake grilles, as well as trims, which are a bit glitzy – but when combined with a dark metallic finish (which we suspect most owners will prefer), the overall effect could be balanced with the smoky tail- and headlamps.
The AMG’s interior, on the other hand, displays a plethora of tactile finishes and some of the finest craftsmanship that we’ve experienced in any vehicle that’s been availed for a CAR road test.
But it’s the finer details that catch the eye. Over and above the opulent “silk” beige nappa leather trim, the dark hide inlays in the front and rear armrests are embossed with the AMG crest; the ornate aluminium-trimmed circular tweeters of the Burmester 3D audio system, each of which are located in the corners of the front-door window frames, spin out of their casings when the S65’s phenomenal audio system is activated and return when the ignition’s off. Speaking of which, the twin-turbocharged V12 announces its awakening with a eager woofle as opposed to an angry grumble produced by virtually all V8-engined AMG models. That’s just so that driver and occupants are reminded of what the engine’s performance capabilities are.
Because, although the S65 will happily potter at just under 2 000 r/min with a mere faint whisper from its 6,0-litre mill at cruising speeds, burying the throttle unleashes a billowing hum (forget the shriek of a Ferrari V12 or the sonorous bellow from an Aston Martin of similar engine configuration). Zero to 100 km/h comes up in 4,61 seconds and in-gear acceleration from 80 to 140 km/h takes 4,22 seconds, which is astounding for any four-door, not least one weighing about 2,3 tonnes.
To put things in context, however, an S63 AMG we tested earlier this year (although we did not publish a review) achieved the same benchmarks in 4,2 and 4,17 seconds – and that product costs more than R600 000 less than the unit we tested here. It’s also worth noting that, although both AMG-fettled S-Class models we tested were equipped with Magic Body Control (a system that scans the road surface at speeds of up to 120 km/h and adjusts the damping to compensate for imperfect surfaces in the car’s path), the ride quality of the S65 was less forgiving than those of S-Class models on smaller rims and chunkier tyres, especially the S500 we tested for the May 2014 issue.
That said, the ride quality of the S65 is still “more resolved than those of 90% of the new vehicles available at the moment” – as one tester put it.
Furthermore, we have to question positioning this AMG as a car for driving enthusiasts when the S65 is available in long-wheelbase configuration only, which avails generous leg- and headroom for the rear passengers who can sit back and recline on memory-equipped electrically adjustable seats. The rear accommodation certainly designates the test unit as a limousine – surely the recently launched S65 Coupé would fit the bill better as driver-oriented V12 long-distance sportscar? One sop to practicality we did appreciate, however, was that the AMG returned a (relatively modest) consumption figure of 11,9 litres/100 km on our fuel-route test, which is spot on with the manufacturer’s claim.
Test Summary
There is an undeniable air of cossetted pampering and privilege that envelops the driver of an S65 AMG L – and the Benz manages to do that in a manner that very few cars can match. Still, there are very few reasons to buy this model rather than its lesser-cylindered AMG sibling (which is just as fast) or even the middle-of-the-range S500 (that seems perfectly balanced in its character and execution).
R3 million is a small fortune, but a veritable bargain compared with wares from Bentley, Aston Martin (Rapide) and Rolls-Royce. If you hold the Three Pointed Star in the same esteem as those exotic brands and want the most ostentatious four-door Benz money can buy, the S65 AMG L is it. Some oligarchs will
certainly see it that way…
Read our driving impression of the Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG L, here.
