Yorkregion.com - Wheels - A touch of AMG turns the Mercedes-Benz S63 into a sedan to remember
A touch of AMG turns the Mercedes-Benz S63 into a sedan to remember
Except for the wheels and massive twin-sliding caliper brakes, there isn't much to give away that this is the 2008 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG, one of the fastest sedans in the world.
Wheels
Jan 13, 2008 05:50 PM
Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG sedan
By: Jim Robinson
"What's the best car?" is a question I am always asked. I respond by asking how much questioners want to spend including taxes and the cost of insurance. Usually people already have a pretty good idea of what they can afford so it narrows the field. But then there are the dreamers.
So really, what's the best car?
There are Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches, but they have drawbacks like limited passenger room, miniscule cargo space and you always have to be concerned about theft.
But if backed into a corner among the three or four cars I can legitimately call "best" is one you might not think of - the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG.
It has astounding performance, gobs of interior and cargo room, the fitting and amenities of a five-star hotel, more technological advances then you can imagine and all in a package that is (sort of) discreet. There isn't much that can accelerate, turn and stop with it, and all with four or five adults aboard.
At this year's Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) Canadian Car of the Year (CCOTY) testing, in a controlled setting, the winner of the Sports/Performance over $50,000 category was the 4.2-litre V8 Audi S5 that did 0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds. The S63 AMG weighing in at 2,115 kg versus 1,765 for the S5 did it in 4.6 seconds.
The S63 AMG is custom built and engineered by AMG, the performance division of Mercedes-Benz. Like all AMG products, work starts with a standard production car - in this case a 2008 S-Class sedan.
The S63 AMG features a 6.2-litre, naturally aspirated V8 that produces 518 hp and 465 lb/ft of torque. The engine is designed and built by AMG and shares no parts with any other Mercedes V8.
A first for a production engine, the cylinder bores feature a twin-wire-arc-sprayed (TWAS) coating, a new process that results in impressively low friction and running surfaces that are twice as hard as conventional cast-iron cylinders.
The transmission is a beefed up version of the 7G-tronic seven-speed automatic unit driving the rear wheels.
A Sport-Comfort-Manual button on the centre console lets the driver select between three different transmission shift programs. The program also fine-tunes accelerator pedal response and the sport suspension spring-shock settings.
The suspension and brake systems are specific to the S63 and are designed for high-performance driving by people who know how to get the most out of a car.
AMG has adapted Mercedes-Benz Active Body Control (ABC), tuning it for even flatter cornering and less body movement when accelerating and braking.
In a nutshell, ABC reduces body roll in cornering, squat under acceleration and dive during braking. Mercedes-Benz engineers use the interconnection of hydraulic, electronic and mechanical parts to reduce body roll by 68 per cent. However the system ensures the suspension still provides the driver with feedback through the vehicle chassis. A switch on the console allows the driver to further reduce body roll by up to 95 per cent.
At the same time, AMG reworks the Electronic Stability Program (ESP) control and ASR traction control systems and integrates them into the overall suspension/chassis setup. As on all Mercedes-Benz models, standard ABS anti-lock brakes help maintain directional stability when braking and turning, while Brake Assist can reduce braking distances in "panic" stops.
In the stopping department, twin-sliding calipers are used for the front brakes. This new technology combines the performance of a large fixed caliper with the distinct advantages of a floating caliper. The net result is lower heat transfer to the brake fluid and better ride comfort. Large composite brake discs also help ensure short stopping distances even during high-speed driving.
The S63 AMG sedan comes with 20-inch staggered-width AMG light alloy wheels, 8.5 inches wide in front and 9.5 inches at the rear, wearing low-profile 255/35 (front) and 275/35 (rear) tires.
During the CCOTY event, I was judging in the category that included the S63 AMG. I've driven S-Class sedans for years now and found them nice enough, fast enough and luxurious enough, but they didn't always get me excited.
Expecting a sedate (I thought) ride, any preconceptions ended on the first corner going out of the parking lot when the optional multicontour front seat went into action.
The seat has bladders that expand/contract built into each side bolster. Turn right/left and the right/left bladder expands to cup you into the seat and then contract as you straighten out. The faster you turn left or right, the faster the bladders react. And to keep your body performing at its best, the seats are also climate controlled.
Loping along on a two-lane road, the S63 is eminently steerable, being quick to respond with just enough road feel coming through.
But, when you hit the gas, the S63 bares its teeth and takes off like being shot out of a howitzer. If I had to drive across the country, the S63 would be my choice. It can trundle along side streets, cruise near silently at highway speeds and has what feels like limitless amounts of power in reserve, and on tap immediately, if needed.
Getting there, they say, is half the fun and getting there in the S63 is better than a club car.
Considering what's beneath the skin, the S63 AMG doesn't give a lot away that it is much more than a stock S-Class.
The biggest tipoff are the special alloy wheels, and the beefier front bumper has large air intakes that house round fog lights ringed in chrome, and a "6.3 AMG" badge marks each front fender. Along the side, the contoured side skirts carry the aggressive lines of the front bumper to the rear, where an AMG rear apron emphasizes the width of the vehicle. A pair of twin tailpipes completes the exclusive look and sound of the new models.
Inside the S63 AMG, drivers are greeted by an AMG sport steering wheel with distinctive aluminum shift paddles and the standard AMG leather sport seats finished in special cross piping. Completing the interior package is an exclusive analog clock modelled on the design of the 'IWC-Ingenieur' series in the centre of the dashboard.
Tunes come via a harman/kardon Logic7 surround sound system. You have to watch the heated steering wheel because it can get very hot very fast. My wife would love the two-stage rain sensing wipers.
Of course, the S63 AMG is not cheap at $149,500 and $154,400 as tested, but then we are talking about the "best" here.
Summing up, I have to say the S63 AMG was one of the surprises of my year and a very enjoyable one at that.
MERCEDES-BENZ S63 AMG 2008 AT A GLANCE
- BODY STYLE: Premium luxury sedan.
- DRIVE METHOD: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive.
- ENGINE: 6.2-litre, DOHC V8 (518 hp, 465 lb/ft)
- FUEL ECONOMY: 18.9/11.5/15.6L/100 km city/highway/combined.
- PRICE: $149,500, as tested, $154,000.
- WEBSITE: mercedes-benz.ca