Yahoo Finance 2018 Mercedes-AMG S63 4Matic Cabriolet
Fearful that Mercedes-AMG’s relatively rare S63 cabriolet is becoming, dare we say it, familiar? Visually, it might be. In spite of a mild update for 2018-which brought revised bumpers, headlights, and new organic-LED taillights-it looks pretty much the same as it did upon its debut a few years ago. That’s fine, because it’s gorgeous even in old age, like the Kylie Minogue of large, powerful four-seat luxury convertibles.
And wouldn’t you know it, just as Kylie keeps putting out music, AMG is keeping its sportiest S-class caste-the 63-badged models-fresh with a new engine. Everyone say “hallo” to Mercedes-AMG’s hand-built twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8, which replaces every S63 variant’s twin-turbo 5.5-liter this year and sits behind a grinning new Panamericana grille with striking vertical slats. Horsepower jumps 26 ponies to 603, the same state of tune as in the highest-output versions of the smaller E63 sedan and wagon. Peak torque remains 664 lb-ft, just as in the outgoing 5.5-liter, although it hits 500-rpm higher up the tachometer, at 2750 rpm.
On paper, the horsepower infusion edges the S63 further from the non-AMG, V-8–powered S-class (now called S560 and using a detuned, assembly-line-built version of the same 4.0-liter engine) and closer to the massively more expensive S65, whose 621-hp twin-turbocharged V-12 lopes into 2018 unchanged.
In reality, the S63’s switch from AMG’s old, jerky seven-speed automatic transmission (that used a multiplate wet clutch in place of a torque converter) to a new nine-speed unit (which also employs the clutch coupler) outshines its power upgrade. The new transmission’s spread of 8.92 is nearly 50 percent greater than the seven-speed’s, including a shorter first gear and a taller top gear, to the benefit of acceleration and fuel economy-if such a thing exists with 603 horses strapped to the reins.
And because the nine-speed retains its predecessor’s connection to the engine’s crankshaft, launch control is again part of the experience. To engage, hold the brake then mash the gas (in the hardest-core Sport+ driving mode), the engine revs to 3500 rpm or so, then release the brake and be prepared for the S63 to catapult forward as its four tires claw the pavement.
These drivetrain updates push the all-wheel-drive S63’s acceleration even further ahead of the traction-limited rear-drive S65’s, cementing the former’s place atop the S-class performance pyramid. This nearly 5000-pound convertible passes the mile-a-minute mark in 3.1 seconds. That’s 0.6 second quicker than its 26-hp-weaker 2017 equivalent and nearly a full second ahead of the 2018 S65 cabriolet. Next to achieving the second-quickest zero-to-60 time of all the S-classes we’ve ever tested-just behind the two-door S63 coupe and ahead of the four-door sedan, both 2018 models-this two-door boulevardier nips at the tailpipes of a few of Porsche’s feistier 911 variants.
Although no turbocharged engine will ever match the rolling thunder of Mercedes-AMG’s long gone-but not forgotten-naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8, the outfit’s hand-built take on the 4.0-liter V-8 comes close. The smaller, force-fed engine’s soundtrack ripples across an auditory washboard as the revs rise, and when you lift off the accelerator after getting on it, a fusillade of gunshot cracks tumble out of its quad exhaust pipes. Really, between the exhaust note and the S63’s incredible acceleration, it’s not even worth caring about the 14 mpg our test car averaged.
We tallied few other downsides during our time in the big AMG, though. The nine-speed transmission, while smoother than the seven-speed it replaces, occasionally suffers a low-speed stumble when gently pulling away from a stop. The AMG’s suspension, which consists of air springs with electronically adjustable dampers, isn’t tuned that differently from lesser S-classes’ cosseting setups, but pavement cracks and expansion joints are transmitted to the cabin more noticeably thanks to the S63’s low-profile performance tires. The ride generally remains quite pleasant, and with the liberally padded cloth roof raised, the interior is as quiet as a coupe at speed.
You’d never believe something this large and lacking the structural-rigidity benefits of a fixed roof is capable of 0.93 g of lateral grip, nor that something so heavy could stop from 70 mph in only 160 feet. It can, even if those capabilities will be leaned on far less in daily use than stomping the go pedal and experiencing the V-8’s tactile and aural rush. In the classic AMG vein, the S63 prefers to treat its occupants to fast, luxurious travel whilst minimizing or skipping distractions such as steering feel or a stiff ride. Enjoy a massage in the front seats, or simply delight in the beautifully crafted cabin’s hedonistic materials.
Further isolation is available by way of the 2018 S-class family’s active-safety upgrades. As before, there is a self-steering function that works in concert with Mercedes-Benz’s Distronic active cruise control for semi-autonomous freeway travel. This year, an automatic lane-change function (usable when the self-steering feature is active) along with more comprehensive sensors and hardware trickles up from the E-class family. The adaptive cruise moves beyond the E-class’s capabilities with new map-based controls that slow the car from its set speed to negotiate sharp curves, exit ramps, and roundabouts smoothly without needing to disengage Distronic. Feeling lazy and sporty at the same time? The S63’s driver assists will mimic a more aggressive driver when the Sport driving modes are selected. Fun, but these slick systems are a $2250 option on a car that starts at $180,495.
Being crushingly expensive is at least partially the point of the S63 family in general and this cabriolet in particular. Despite eye-poppers such as the $6500 Carbon Fiber package (which replaces the splitter, rocker panels, mirror caps, engine cover, and rear diffuser with carbon-fiber pieces), $3250 Designo saddle brown nappa leather, $2200 20-inch black-painted forged-aluminum wheels, $800 ash wood trim, and $700 red-painted brake calipers, our test car was-relatively speaking-modestly optioned. It also had the $6400 Burmester surround-sound audio system, which is 100 percent worth it both for the beautifully crafted speaker grilles that glint from every corner of the interior and the audio power that belts from each one. And what all-wheel-drive, year-round-friendly (with a set of proper winter tires, of course) convertible would be complete without the $1990 Warmth and Comfort package’s heated armrests, steering wheel, and rear seats?
Only the $2260 night-vision feature that can fill the digital gauge cluster with a military-style, heat-trace view of the road ahead-plus the $1750 Swarovski crystal headlight accents that package requires-stood out as extraneous frivolities. Those items brought this Selenite Grey metallic cruiser’s price to “just” $208,595. Delve deeper into Mercedes-AMG’s order guide, and you can push that beyond $220,000. You’ll still be some $30,000 shy of the S65 cabriolet’s base price, but remember, the S63 remains the quicker S-class droptop, even if it didn’t need a new engine and transmission to be so.
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