NEWCOMER 2015 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe

Intake

THE WIZARD Not since Oz has emerald green sparkled like this. The pictures, though gorgeous, don’t do the paint justice.

2015 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe

The S65 AMG Coupe is gorgeous, inside and out. Newcomer The interior is the finest I’ve ever seen on a production car, full stop. The $1,300 Designo Black Piano Lacquer “Flowing Lines” trim framing the dashboard is stunning. The lines fan out like a comet’s tail, reminiscent of the brightwork on prewar deco cars. The unique curved dash reminds me of a Pagani Huayra’s, the second finest interior extant. You like those gorgeous, drilled Burmester speaker grilles? The S65 Coupe is simply stuffed with them. The ample, comfy,

massaging seats are not only massively adjustable, but they’re handsome, too.

You can probably get a similar interior in an S63 or (God forbid) an S550 Coupe. Let’s talk about what makes the S65 come with a starting price of $233,525. Namely, that handbuilt 6.0-liter, twin-turbo V-12 that produces 621 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. Internally known as the M275, this V-12 has been around for more than a decade, but 738 lb-ft of torque is 738 lb-ft of torque. You know of any other 4,753-pound RWD coupes that can hit 60 mph in 4.0 seconds flat? I did not think so. Not that it matters to anyone in the world, but this big, beautiful, sparkling AMG completes our figure-eight course in 24.9 seconds, exactly the same as a Volkswagen Golf R.

Let’s not overlook Dynamic Curve, part of the tragicomically named Magic Body Control suspension. MBC uses the built-in stereo cameras to look at the road surface ahead and adjust the suspension accordingly; I like to think of it as speed bump

delete. Dynamic Curve looks at the twists and turns ahead and actively leans the S65 Coupe into a corner. The results, while not exactly magic, are close. The overall sense of suffocating luxury is increased to drowning when you smoothly and confidently tackle a convoluted canyon. Think of it as image stabilization for a car.

The Bentley Continental and Rolls-Royce Wraith are also big, sexy, expensive coupes with even more impressive badges. But can I honestly claim they’re better cars? Not

anymore. Jonny Lieberman

SPECIFICATIONS Base Price $233,525 Price As Tested $252,675 Vehicle Layout Front-engine, RWD, 4-pass, 2-door coupe Engine 6.0L/621hp/738-lb-ft twin-turbo SOHC 36-valve V-12 Transmission 7-speed automatic Curb Weight 4,753 lb (53/47%) Wheelbase 115.9 in Length x Width x Height 198.6 x 76.0 x 56.0 in 0-60 mph 4.0 sec Quarter Mile 12.3 sec @ 117.8 mph Braking, 60-0 mph 106 ft Lateral Acceleration 0.92 g (avg) MT Figure Eight 24.9 sec @ 0.82 g (avg) EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ 13/21/16 mpg Energy Cons, City/Hwy 259/160 kW-hrs/100 miles C02 Emissions, Comb 1.24 lb/mile

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