Mercedes-AMG S 63 2018 Review

The rundown

Uber-luxury limousines are traditionally all about rear-seat passengers. That’s a dreadful shame in the case of the facelifted Mercedes-AMG S 63 L, which gives its driver equal focus.

We’re at Mount Panorama, Bathurst, the day after this year’s ‘11.5 Hour’ endurance race. The circuit has been closed off to public use for a customer track day, when a quick opportunity presents itself to break away from Mercedes-AMG’s various sports machines and take the $375,000 luxury bruiser for a quick ‘reccy’ lap of the famed 6.2 kilometre circuit.

For a car that is so focussed on opulence, technology and safety, the S 63 L remains an unequivocal performance flag bearer for the German marque. It’s not the quickest, nor most ferocious offering from AMG, but it tops the sheets in every other regard.

Updated for 2018, the S 63 L gets a new engine (which we’ll get to in a moment), AMG-specific drive programs, an uprated exhaust, sports steering and retuned suspension along with the requisite AMG body kit and 20-inch AMG wheels.

Inside you’ll find items commensurate with any high-end luxury limousine: namely, heated and cooled front seats,  a new interior ambient lighting system, a panoramic sunroof, head-up display, auto-dimming rear-view and side mirrors, a wireless phone charging system, keyless entry and push-button start, auto-closing doors and an electric boot lid.

The S 63 further differentiates itself with model-specific elements including special wood trim, front seats with active bolstering, and heated and ventilated rear seats.

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What’s under the hood?

The S 63’s broadened dynamic brief is owed partly to a new 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol that eschews the 5.5-litre unit fitted in its predecessor. Despite a smaller displacement, power is up to 450kW and torque to a mammoth 900Nm.

The added firepower is matched by Benz’s incredible Magic Ride Control function, which uses a camera to scan the road ahead and prime the adaptive suspension for the optimum ride and body control.

Giving the car a brief squirt up Mountain Straight to Griffins and then onwards to the famous Cutting, it is clear the big Benz lacks for little in a straight line.

Peak earth-churning torque chimes in at 2750rpm, while maximum power arrives at 6000rpm, meaning the bent-eight likes to explore the tacho.

Nought to 100? Try 4.3 seconds. Not bad from 2.2 tonnes of metal.

More impressive than that, the Benz manages a combined fuel consumption rating of 9.0L/100km on paper, a figure we get mildly close to during later testing on country roads.

In fact, our overall average on test sat at 11.5L/100km, achieved through use of the car’s cylinder de-activation tech and coasting mode within the nine-speed automatic gearbox.

The S 63 sends drive to the rear wheels only in Australia, a distinguishing feature from European markets where all-wheel drive reigns supreme.

The finer details

Admiring a car for its consistent panel gaps, perfectly aligned stitching and plush trims may sound a touch anorak but the S-Class is an unashamed work of art in this regard.

The Benz approaches the level of detail seen on smaller run production vehicles including Bentleys and Rolls-Royces with its delicate displays and finishes. Truly impressive.

The craftsmanship is matched by a slew of digital displays that streamline the cabin – both from a physical button and driving perspective. The key functions are projected via two 12.3-inch screens joined by a single piece of glass and covering the traditional driver instrument cluster and centre fascia.

The S-Class safety repertoire is also enhanced for 2018, thanks to the fitment of Active Braking Assist, Crosswind Assist, Evasive Steering Assist, Active Lane Change Assist, drowsiness protection and the occupant protection system PRE-SAFE.

For 2018, the flagship adds PRE-SAFE Sound, “which prepares human hearing for the anticipated accident noise when there is a risk of a collision”.

On the automated front, the S-Class is available with active proximity control and active steer assist functions, allowing the car to automatically adjust its speed ahead of curves or junctions. The S-Class will also brake automatically for pedestrians and hazardous situations, such as rear impacts.

Further back, the long-wheelbase version of the S 63 endows occupants with arguably better hospitality. Plush goose-down pillows are fitted to the head restraints, the head, leg and shoulder proportions are enormous and there are two colour screens along with requisite USB points – all controlled by a single remote that also holds the ability to dictate the functions on the main screen.

If we’re honest, the ability to control the rear screens via touch would be less clunky, but the common theme across the cabin is that everything is electrically-powered, double-glazed or connected to the web.

Further back resides a big 530-litre boot space that houses an inflation kit underneath. Fortunate, if Jeeves isn’t sure how to change a spare.

Track test

OK, so it would be remiss of us to simply burn around Mount Panorama in the S 63, but our brief foray on the 6.2km circuit was a valuable insight into this larger-than-life boulevard brawler.

Switching the S 63 machine to Sports-plus mode really elicits the most from the engine and steering, bringing greater response and more of a guttural growl from the sports exhaust. The noise is truly at odds with the bespoke mastery of the cabin, but it’s a successful formula nonetheless.

Arriving at a corner, the S 63 quickly settles itself and finds a rhythm belied by its 5.3-metre length and 2.2-tonne kerb weight. Sure, an E 63 will elicit more feel and playfulness, but the fact the S63 is capable of such athleticism is almost a feat in physics.

A 100kg weight loss over the predecessor only aids proceedings.

During higher speed corners, the body remains well controlled, and there are masses of grip courtesy of its AMG-specific chassis and 20-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 3 rubber.

Come to grips with the entire process and the 63’s 2.1-metre girth tends to narrow, the way a good performance car would.

Away from our foray on The Mountain is where the S 63 feels most at home. The combination of effortless power – channelled via a rhythmic soundtrack at low revs and a bellowing baritone higher along the tacho – and supreme ride comfort enable smooth and luxurious progress on country roads.

Hardly pragmatic

Standing back and weighing up the S 63, yes, lesser S-Class models will achieve similar luxury and refinement, just as the smaller E 63 better balances luxury and performance.

But this is a car that wants for nothing, even withstanding the predictably pricey slew of options.

It is one of the great luxury cars equipped with one of the great sports engines – a combination that difficult to argue against, even on one of the greatest race tracks on the planet.

2018 Mercedes-AMG S 63 L pricing and specifications:
Price: $375,000 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8
Output: 450kW/900Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 204g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP