It’s all about smaller engines from here on out.
Nearly a quarter of a million dollars. That’s how much it would take you to buy a brand new Mercedes-AMG S 65 sedan. You’re certainly buying performance for that $232,500 starting price. Thanks to a 6.0-liter V12, you get 621 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque, which makes for a 4.1 second 0-60 time, according to Mercedes. But it’s more than that: You’re buying the latest in a line of V12-powered Mercedes stretching back nearly 30 years. Now, times are changing, and Mercedes-AMG crafted the S 65 Final Edition as a sendoff for their largest-engined car.
The Mercedes-AMG S 65 Final Edition boasts obsidian black paint, as well as 20-inch matte bronze alloy wheels and an AMG crest on the C-pillar. What’s more, you also gets gloss black tailpipes and exclusive Nappa leather with copper-colored piping on the interior. By S-Class limo standards, the car looks aggressive. It’s also exclusive: Only 130 Mercedes-AMG S 65 Final Edition models will ever exist.
Will you miss the V12? Perhaps not
Mercedes hasn’t announced pricing on the new S 65 Final Edition yet. However, it will likely sell out quickly, no matter the cost. While the massive 6.0-liter biturbo V12 has served the S-Class well, the V8 engines are quickly catching up on performance. In fact, the Mercedes-AMG S 63 — which is still in production — makes a colossal amount of power from its engine. In the S 63, you get a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. It’s not as impressive looking as a 6.0-liter engine, but it produces 603 horsepower and 664 lb-ft of torque.
That’s not far off the S 65, but here’s the rub. The Mercedes-AMG S 63 is a quicker car. Even with a 18 horsepower and 74 lb-ft torque disadvantage, it sprints to 60 in 3.4 seconds, according to Mercedes. The S 65, on the other hand, takes 4.1 seconds. Not to mention the fact that the S 65 is nearly $100,000 more than the S 63.
Or maybe you will (and should)
On paper, then, it makes sense for Mercedes to send the S 65 Final Edition out with a bang. It’s a powerful engine, sure. But in an age where downsizing is the name of the game to meet emissions regulations, it has to go. Ditching V12s in favor of V8s hasn’t seemed to hurt on the performance front either. Not only are they smaller and more efficient, but the V8s make nearly as much power as the old V12.
Still, there’s something to be said about driving a car with a giant engine. That’s why Mercedes-AMG is making the S 65 Final Edition. Styling and performance are a matter of personal taste, but it is a bit of an occasion to send off an engine that’s been in service for nearly three decades.
