DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: As fate would have it, I was handed the keys to the 2012
Mercedes-Benz
S63 AMG immediately after I spent the evening in a disappointingly
over-automated CL550. My hope was that the additional $34,000 and
rescrambling of the decklid alphabet soup would result in a true
driver's car.
I wasn't disappointed. It's no C63 AMG
in terms of its violence, but the S63 is a camouflage cruise missile of
the first order—an earthbound business express of the sort no one in
the world seems to build outside of Germany—or, more accurately, German
companies.
The S63 was cursed with the same confusing COMAND
layout as the CL550, which meant my Bluetooth phone again couldn't be
synched. But at least the seats played nice this time, and the entire
cabin was imbued with a cigars-and-brandy aesthetic a bit uptight for my
taste, but then I'm not generally the target market for a $162,000
four-door supercar.
That's not to say I don't want to be . . .
EXECUTIVE EDITOR ROGER HART:
Despite this car being somewhat subdued, almost stealth-like in its
appearance, I was amazed at just what a head-turner it was, drawing
attention from neighbors as well as those passing by the house on a walk
in the neighborhood. Maybe it was exactly that stealth look that made
people notice. It's partly due to the flat gray paint, which is not
something you see every day, and it's also due to the menacing look this
thing gives off. Fire up the engine and the exhaust note backs up the
look—this thing can take on nearly all comers.
This is another of
those near supercars that defies the laws of physics. It is surprising
just how quickly something this big and heavy can move, and the
nimbleness in which it can do it. The steering weight is a bit too heavy
for my tastes, as it takes away from the overall steering feel. It
limits being able to feel the car placed exactly where you want it in a
corner. But that is about the only complaint I have, and if this were in
my garage, I'd get used to the feel straightaway.
I didn't have
any trouble pairing my phone, and I've gotten used to the COMAND system
and find the navigation relatively straight-forward. The air
conditioning was downright frigid—something you appreciate on a hot day.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: There's no reason
this car couldn't easily take the place of the Maybach for all the
rappers and ballplayers out there. It has a nuclear weapon for an
engine, a tank for a body and a high-backed leather chair for a perch.
Like the guys above said, there's nothing this car can't do.
I was
surprised and delighted by the matte finish on the Benz. It makes a
beautiful car just a bit sinister. It's a $4,000 option by the way, and
much more difficult to take care of as opposed to a standard hue. If my
neighbors didn't think I was a drug dealer before, they definitely do
now.
The sound of the engine is just fantastic, low, angry and
powerful—but it really only gets going fast when you already have a head
of steam. Any attempt at a hard start is met with electronic nannies
telling you to behave.
I put the car in sport suspension mode and
left it there the entire night. Even at that setting, the car can roll
over bumps and potholes like they're not even there. With the windows
rolled up, you feel completely isolated. In this car, that's a good
thing.
The center console controls are somewhat easy to use, once
you get the movements down. I like that the volume is a separate knob,
which can be easily felt without looking. I did quickly find the massage
function in the menus, which I commenced to using immediately.
ROAD TEST EDITOR JONATHAN WONG:
Yes, the matte paint job does get its fair share of attention. If
you've been to SEMA anytime during the past few years, you knew the
matte paint trend was coming and I think it's safe to say that it's
here. Heck, you can get matte paint on a Hyundai Veloster!
Besides
that, as others above have mentioned, this big, near-5,000-pound sedan
does deliver on so many fronts. It's a luxury liner with glider-like
ride quality and top-notch interior surroundings. There are rich
leathers, slick carbon fiber trim pieces and comfortable seats that will
even massage you.
On the other hand, there's 563 hp on tap and
664 lb-ft of torque that's available from just 2,000 rpm from the
twin-turbo V8 with optional AMG performance package. That's up 20 hp and
74 lb-ft of torque compared to a S63 AMG in base form. Oh, and top
speed gets raised from 155 to 186 mph, which I suppose makes the person
paying $7,300 for the performance package feel a little better knowing
their car can go that fast.
And yes, something this big and
weighing this much handling this well is worth applause. Steering has a
hefty feel to it, which I like, and the way it holds itself together
when taking turns is surprising. There's some initial roll at turn-in,
but then it just holds its position and tracks through corners with
little drama. It's difficult to wrap your head around the S63's handling
abilities even when you're behind the wheel as it shoots around bends.
Another
thing I like about AMG vehicles are the brakes with a firm pedal
feedback. Normal run-of-the-mill Mercedes cars are usually hampered by a
squishy brake pedal, which is one of my biggest beefs when it comes to
cars.
As for this turbocharged engine, I like it a lot with all
the twist available down low, and it really gets this sedan moving.
Triple-digit speeds can be reached without breaking a sweat and when you
just want to cruise lazily around town, the engine will hum at low rpm
to totally fly under the radar.
I do miss the old 6.2-liter
naturally aspirated that went away from the S63 after the 2010 model
year, but the engine still sees duty in the C63 AMG and SLS AMG. That
engine sounds brutal and seemed a smidge more responsive, but with just
518 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque in base form, the new engine wins in the
most important category: performance. Not saying this turbo engine
doesn't sound good, because it certainly does. It's just not quite as
good in my opinion.
The only complaint I have about this car is
the seven-speed automatic transmission. Sometimes it gets hung up a
little between gear shifts at low speeds, and the occasional downshift
can be clunky.
Besides that, this high-powered S-class remains at
the top of the class. It's crazy to think that because this generation
S-class has been around since the 2006 model year. How's that for
longevity?
2012 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG
Base Price: $140,175
As-Tested Price: $162,675
Drivetrain: 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8; RWD, seven-speed automatic
Output: 563 hp @ 5,250-5,750 rpm, 664 lb-ft @ 2,000-4,500 rpm
Curb Weight: 4,916 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 18/16.3 mpg
Options:
AMG performance package including power increased to 563 hp/664 lb-ft,
top speed increased to 186 miles per hour, carbon fiber engine cover
($7,300); designo Magno Alanite Gray paint with matte finish ($3,950);
rear seat package including eight-way power adjustable rear seats,
4-zone automatic climate control, 5-place seating, heated and active
ventilated rear seats ($3,040); driver assistance package including
Distronic plus adaptive cruise control with pre-safe bake, active blind
spot assist and active lane-keeping assist ($2,950); carbon fiber/black
piano lacquer trim ($2,850); 20-inch forged AMG wheel ($1,700);
splitview ($710)
