Mercedes-Benz S 63 AMG coupe 2015 Review

Recently, a spoilered, skirted Mercedes-Benz A 45 AMG sprinted past me, its out-there factory option bodykit and blaring exhaust note tuned for a specific demographic.

Now, standing before the latest S 63 AMG Coupe, its metallic green exterior (which looks black in overcast light) shimmering gently, the difference in AMG target markets couldn’t be starker. It also explains why the brand is going from strength to strength.

Targeted towards “captains of industry, around the 60-year-old mark, who want to continue their climb up the AMG ladder” (according to S-Class product manager Gordon Jones), the S-Class Coupe combines subtlety and presence with a hint of menace in a way few others can. Talk about targeted…

We’ve already detailed the key specification of the $409,000 (plus on-roads) S 63 AMG, so now it’s time to put what impresses on paper into practice.

Aesthetically there’s a nod to its CL-Class predecessor in the rear window design, and an overall shape that references S-Class coupes of the past while being thoroughly modern, its distinctive snout and rear lines drawing a presence similar to the SLS.

At launch, all vehicles are to ‘Edition 1’ specification, which adds 17 Swarovski LED crystals (along with another 30 for indicators) in each front headlight assembly (this will revert to an option for regular production) and the Exclusive Interior package.

This delivers AMG sport seats in designo Exclusive nappa leather with the upper dashboard section also nappa leather-trimmed. Even the floor mat edging is nappa leather, while the roof lining and sun-screens are made in DINAMICA microfibre. Night View Assist Plus and sill panels with illuminated AMG lettering are also included.

Being an S-Class, you expect all the fruit, along with some fresh delicacies to be sampled for the first time. The fruit is there, but in the S-Class Coupe, there’s further opulence with a host of bespoke interior design features, including the dash and surrounds.

The cabin is further highlighted by the glass roof and frameless window look that gives a sense of lightness. The glass doesn’t actually open to the elements, but it has an effective blind which can be deployed to keep the sun off scorched heads.

Of particular note is the opulently trimmed, heated, cooled and electrically-adjustable seats that cosset and caress in equal measure. Specifying the quilted Bengal red leather adds another layer of sophistication, especially when matched to one of the various wood finishes Mercedes-Benz has on offer.

The seating position is high-set for a coupe but the electric seat and steering wheel adjustments are fine enough to find most people a decent driving position. Gripping the Alcantara of the multi-function wheel, you know you are in an AMG Mercedes, but a look to the centre console, with its mouse-like infotainment control, suggests Lexus.

Built to suit left-hand drive vehicles, the centre control layout is unintuitive, with key controls for suspension and gearbox not visible to the driver at a glance. Exacerbating this is the centre screen. Set so it appears to hover above the console, in some instances its width is almost too great, making it hard to see instructions on the display’s ‘far’ side. It also lacks touch sensitivity, which would add clarity of use over the current mouse, wheel or button options.

Pressing the start button, there’s less of the histrionics expected from within the cabin, though the 430kW, 900Nm twin-turbo V8 still barks externally via quad exhausts.

In default comfort modes for the active body control suspension system as well as the carry-over seven-speed MCT transmission, the S 63 eases away on a never-ending torque wave.

Although the transmission feels smoother than ever before, it still lacks the fluidity of a torque converter automatic. When in harder-core modes, it delivers a brutal speediness that feels at home in a C 63, but less so in an S. It also clunks on downshifts and can become confused in stop-start situations as a result, becoming momentarily stuck between gears.

The upcoming S 500 which arrives mid-year will use Mercedes-Benz’s own in-house nine-speeder, however, the updated gearbox is ‘years’ away from being confirmed for AMG use, according to MB Australia.

Beyond the gearbox the S 63 Coupe is serene, the cabin so quiet that only the combination of coarse-chip surface and 20-inch low-profile rubber really intrudes.

Flex your foot, even slightly, and it transforms into a rocket, though again it's smooth and the V8 only raises its voice loud enough to be pleasantly noticed without ruffling the conversation. It will also pull from idle to redline with the same vigour, though it’s not a fan of stop-start; we reach towards 16L/100km on-test, dropping to 14.6L/100km with more consistently flowing traffic.

The S 63 Coupe clearly has road presence, judging by the attention of passers-by, though it could also be due to its sheer size. It never feels less than wide, particularly on the narrow Sydney city streets that form part of the drive loop.

At 2070kg it is 25kg more than the S 63 Sedan, despite its shorter length, wheelbase and height. It’s lucky, then, that it has the most innovative suspension system we’ve seen in years.

Based on Mercedes-Benz’s 'magic body control' system, the S 63 Coupe gains a world-first (for series production) curve tilting function. Functional from 15km/h-180km/h in the middle of three damping modes, it tilts the S 63 Coupe into corners at the rate of 2.6 degrees; though externally it appears a lot more angle is wrought.

From in the vehicle it takes some small adjustment to steering, as the car becomes more responsive to the steering input both at turn-in and when exiting the corner. For those happier with a traditional sport mode setting, that is also available.

Additionally a road surface scan uses cameras to analyse the road surface ahead, at a distance of up to 15m, and can adjust the suspension’s damping to anticipate the surface. Set to comfort mode, the ride is quite remarkable as a result.

Visibility is impressive thanks to all that glass and the driving position, and practicality is also reasonable for a vehicle of this type, the front pews whirring forwards to allow rear occupants in at the lift of a latch. The rear boot access is also electronically-controlled and reveals decent luggage space.

Highly luxurious and crushingly fast, the S 63 AMG Coupe is a tantalising choice at the very top-end of the market.