Biggest Merc Coupe gets a new name,
sharper looks and more tech than ever. Twin-turbo V8 range-topper packs 577bhp
and 664lb ft, with 0-62mph brushed off in just 4.3 seconds
Merc’s largest two-door car, previously the
CL and now the more straightforwardly named S-class Coupe, has never been easy
to pigeonhole. Essentially a chopped down, lowered and rebodied super-luxury
limo, it sacrifices great tracts of rear cabin room for the opportunity to
compete with senior GTs more traditionally steeped in the ways of sensually
styled seduction; those from the likes of Aston, Bentley and even Ferrari (with
the FF). The Mercedes has certainly never wanted for comfort, refinement or
performance, especially in AMG form, but what it has lacked is individual
charisma. For all its S-class tech and engineering-led excellence, the CL was
insufficiently glamorous and engaging as a steer to really justify its über-GT
billing, despite its obvious abilities and strong material value.
The
S63 AMG Coupe is a rival for the likes of the Aston Martin Vanquish, Bentley
Continental GT and Ferrari FF
It would be misleading to say the formula
has changed dramatically for the new S-class Coupe. In the same way the CL
benefitted from its S-class engines and underpinnings, so the new car acquires
all of the things that make the current S-class saloon most people’s idea of
the world’s most accomplished limo, including the curve-surfing tech (more on
which shortly) and dubiously helpful plethora of driver aids. The question
remains, though: has Mercedes managed to dial in enough attitude to make the
S-class Coupe its own car and a more persuasive presence in a sector largely
defined by pleasures that extend beyond the merely technical?
The exterior design certainly suggests a
new direction. Although similarly huge, the S-class Coupe is vastly more
stylish than its predecessor, staying mostly faithful to the concept shown at
last year’s Frankfurt show, which provided a suitably expansive canvas for
Mercedes’ distinctive new form language, with sharp converging swage lines
running from the front wings to the rear wheelarches. It looks crouched and
purposeful, with a long bonnet and low-slung pillarless passenger compartment
–what Mercedes calls a ‘cowering glasshouse’ – emphasising the fact that the
cabin sits slightly back from the front wheels and, from a distance at least,
helping disguise the sheer size of the car.
5.5-litre
twin-turbo V8 has 41bhp and 74lb ft more than in the CL63 that this car
replaces
There’s no mistaking it when you climb
inside, though. The optional full-length ‘Magic Sky’ sunroof on our fully
specced S63 AMG test car, with its glass self-dimming in strong sunlight, adds
a further dimension of airiness to the acres of expensively furnished space
granted to the driver and front-seat passenger, and is doubtless even more
welcomed by anyone who chooses to travel in the back. Not that they would if
the front was free. There the beautifully trimmed leather seats are large,
hugely comfortable and adjustable in just about every way imaginable to the
command of gently purring electric motors, more of which can massage your back,
blow cold air up your bum and actively squeeze your torso via the side bolsters
when cornering, if so specified.
Exhaust
system has active flaps to make theV8 louder or quieter, depending on the
selected transmission mode and engine revs
But the analogue-aping TFT instrument
display, while clear and well stocked, looks a bit perfunctory, certainly
compared to a Jaguar XJ’s. It strikes an incongruous note in a high-quality
interior that strives so hard for a conspicuously cut-above feel and look. The
tweeter grilles for the fab Burmester sound system, for example, look like the
exposed innards of a fancy watch, and even the optional sliver of Swarovski
crystal adorning the leather-bound ashtray cover on this car – a reminder of
the dozens in the headlight units to ‘sharpen’ the beam – isn’t as naff as it
sounds. The large, rectangular satnav display next to the dials, on the other
hand, is brilliant.
