A twin-turbo four-door, it is just the thing for the executive or company owner who is not content to have Jeeves, or in this case Dieter, drive him home, lest Dieter have all the fun.
What is it?
A four or five place automobile, it is the V8-powered version of the company's Sonderklasse (Special Class) S-Class flagship and the final stepping stone before crossing over into Maybach territory. It is a favorite for transporting dignitaries, executives and oligarchs alike. Dating back to its original debut as the 1972 model year W116 (in Mercedes-Benz speak) sedan, it is now known as the W221 and available with normally aspirated, Diesel, hybrid and twin-turbocharged V8 engines (the latter being what we drove) before the range tops out witha 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 AMG powerplant that makes 621-horsepower.
Our S63 AMG is as high-end a four-door Mercedes-Benz steed as you're likely to see since the V12 S65 AMG is essentially a special order-only vehicle these days.
As an AMG variant, it is immediately recognizable through the aggressive lean, the wider than wide wheels and tires, sport exhaust system, and the discreet AMG Biturbo badging.
What's it up against?
The playing field for the S63 is rather diverse with competitors ranging from the Jaguar XJ Supersport, Maserati Quattroporte S, the Porsche Panamera Turbo, the Audi A8, and BMW Alpina B7.
Of those, only the Audi A8 is without a high-performance variant. Expect an S8 within the next 12 months.
Any breakthroughs?
Mercedes has come to market with a load of new features that push the tech envelope, from lane departure warning and prevention systems, to an eco-friendly system with auto start/stop and hill hold, to AMG high performance compound braking with torque vectoring. AMG calibrated Active Body Control (ABC) is also included to help the suspension with crosswind stabilization. Using suspension servo pistons at each corner, wheel load is added or reduced as determined by yaw and lateral acceleration sensors.
At the heart of the matter though, is the hand-built AMG 5.5-liter twin turbo V8 with direct injection. And since this is an über-car, our test model came optioned up with the AMG Performance Package ,which is good for a 27 horsepower boost and a 74 lb-ft. increase in torque over the already amazing standard AMG mill. In other words, this one really does go to eleven.
How does it look?
No blacklight Barbie, here. The S63 looks like a pro-baseball player who has been making a weekly connection with his local anabolic sales representative. Sure, the subtle cues are there. The flares over the wheel wells, the AMG 20-inch twin five-spoke alloy wheels that nearly play second fiddle to the huge platters masquerading as brake rotors. The front fascia is there with just a hint of aggression through the shark gills and the enlarged air intakes in front.
Along the sides, AMG-designed ground effect skirts enhance the lowered ride of the S63 and carry that aggression towards the rear apron. From there, it surrounds the quad pipes and ties the package all together. And at the rear, we actually like how designers eschewed the use of a lip spoiler. Perhaps they realize the entire rear decklid is supplying downforce.
And on the inside?
Back to the vault-like description: The doors seem to open just a bit wider than the average automotive portal, and in the process, show off a leather-lined tomb of silence. Once you close them with a clunk (or a thud if you don't pull hard enough, in which case the automatic door-suckers do the rest of the job), all is right with the world.
A quick tap of the start/stop button does the trick. A TFT screen handles all pertinent vehicle info and is programmable to several different configurations like navigation, audio, track timing (as if!) and Bluetooth in addition to the expected information gauges. One of the more interesting items adorning the screen is the sight of a small coffee cup, complete with fumes from the cup. Monitoring erratic steering corrections between 50 and 112 mph, it warns the driver and suggests taking a break before any harm may occur.
The Mercedes-Benz COMAND system with 40GB hard drive and Bluetooth function dominates the top of the leather-stitched dashboard cover. It offers controls for the normally spec'd Harmon/Kardon audio system. But that "mere" system isn't enough for an S63 AMG owner, Mercedes-Benz reckons, so a Bang & Olufsen system is on the option list. To say that it sounds phenomenal is an understatement. And it should, since the $6,400 price of admission for the stereo alone is enough to buy at least a few cars in your local Kroger parking lot.
New for 2011 is an available Splitview monitor that essentially splits the visual pixels in half and reflects a movie DVD image to the front passenger while the driver sees the audio happenings, map or other information. It works so brilliantly that we're pretty confident we'll see this tech show up on other vehicles for other purposes soon enough.
The front AMG sport seats are ventilated, heated and dynamic in nature, meaning they have the ability to massage at various points up and down the seat back, as well as cinch up the bolsters while making a turn. We have been in many cars with massage functions but, by feel, none top the M-B for their electronic masseuses. Our tester was also equipped with the $3,040 Rear Seat Package, which provides the same heating and ventilation functions as the front seats, as well as eight-way power adjustments.
Finally, this S-rocket had the rear seat entertainment package, with dual source DVD players, wireless headphones and remote controls. We didn't try them out because we prefer to get our entertainment from behind the steering wheel.
Nothing about the S63 AMG's cabin doesn't feel worth the price of admission - as steep as at might be. Mercedes-Benz has found a way to make a car as pricey as a nice home in many cities feel like it is worth every penny.
But does it go?
With a piece of art under the hood like AMG's Affalterbach, Germany-built 5.5-liter Biturbo V8, how could it not?
First of all, things have changed at AMG. In the past, the name of the car designated the engine size inside. Now it is merely a placeholder.. Regardless, this twin turbo would normally come with 536 horsepower and 590 lb-ft. of torque. That's if things were normal. But they're not. With the optional P30 Performance Package, you're looking at a 563 horsepower, 664 lb-ft. of torque-spewing monster that wants to get up and go. And that package is good enough to re-limit the S63's top end from 155 to 186 mph.
AMG's Speedshift MCT seven-speed sport transmission transfers the power to the rear, where the 20-inch Continental SportContact2s lay it down. Operated by aluminum steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, the seven-speed went blip, blip, blip through the gearing, even while in automatic mode. AMG also tuned the steering with a power-assisted, speed-sensitive rack and pinion setup which offered very direct feedback for this car that would feel right at home in a car half its size, too. The front suspension is comprised of a quad-link independent setup with antilift control and stabilizer bar, while the rear is a multilink with anti-squat and anti-dive tuning as well.
Three suspension, transmission and engine mapping modes - comfort, sport and manual (C-S-M) - are changed via a button on the center console north of the COMAND dial.
Firing up the engine is a simple single-button effort after placing the smart key in your pocket. The big V8 growls to life in an instant and twin-spark technology makes sure of an efficient burn. After the system reaches an optimal operating temperature, it switches over (if active) into ECO mode, which uses an Auto Stop/Start function to shut off the engine when at a complete stop and then, after releasing the brake, it fires the cylinder with the best piston position at that moment to restart again.
Acceleration is impressive. Equipped as a standard S63, zero to 60 is accomplished in 4.4 seconds; Opting for the Performance Package shaves just a tenth but moves the S63 at a much more rapid pace, which is amazing considering the 4,786 lbs. the engine is responsible for motivating. While underway on our test loop, we found a car that offered pure confidence in its ability. It was clear that this was a vehicle that makes a good driver a better one, and a great driver ecstatic.
Driving on the highway and on back roads allowed opportunity for the S63 to stretch its legs. Squeezing the accelerator slapped us back into the seats and gave off a growl that had us smiling inside. Lolly-gaggers and slower traffic were picked off as though they were standing still. No twitchiness in the steering; it just aimed where you willed it to go.
Long sweeping turns are where this sled excels, although it handles well in the tighter curves, too. We like the feeling of being held in place by the inflatable bolsters that puff up immediately to hold you in place. And to add to those turns, the AMG performance compound braking system which also includes torque vectoring that would subtly apply micro-pulses to the brakes at the inside of a turn to assist via a yaw sensor in getting through the turn quickly and safely.
Not that it should matter when in this realm, but the EPA puts mileage figures at 15/22 mpg. We averaged about 16.2 mpg, overall. But if you have to ask...
Why you would buy it:
You just won Powerball and the proceeds were burning a hole in your pockets. This is reason enough to have a 'rod with ventilated seats.
Why you wouldn't:
Firmness? Power? Cachet? Nah, I like my Lexus ES 350 just fine, thank you.
Leftlane's bottom line
Mercedes-Benz's AMG engineers have seemingly defied the laws of physics and good sense to bring a car to market that weighs a lot, costs a lot and does a lot.
The result is so good, to borrow a line from the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, that the 2011 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG has just the right amount of wrong.
Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG base price, $138,000. As tested, $158,775.
Bang & Olufsen audio, $6,400; Splitview screen, $710; AMG Performance Package, $7,300; Rear Seat package, $3,040; Rear seat entertainment package, $2,450; Destination, $875.
Words and photos by Mark Elias.
