The new Bentley Continental GT is grabbing headlines, but Mercedes isn’t standing still with its S-Class Coupe. So the jumbo two-door’s line-up not only gets a new engine and model designation, in the shape of the S 560, but it also features a heavily revised Mercedes-AMG S 63.
In fact, you can’t get much more of an update in an AMG than a change of engine - and that’s precisely what we have here. Out goes the old 5.5-litre V8 motor, replaced by the 4.0-litre unit that has already transformed the E 63 into the must-have super-saloon of the moment. Hand-built at AMG’s headquarters in Affaltenbach, the engine produces 604bhp and a walloping 900Nm of torque - useful increases over the figures offered by the old unit.
The changes don’t stop there either, because the previous S 63’s seven-speed automatic transmission has also been phased out of this model; there’s now a nine-speed dual-clutch automatic, although the old gearbox lives on, in the 1,000Nm V12 S 65.
As we know from the E 63, the twin-turbo V8 (codenamed M 177) is a sophisticated motor, and it’s no less of a technical tour de force in the two-door S-Class. It’s able to propel the rear-wheel-drive S 63 AMG from 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds, and on to a limited top speed of 155mph - or 186mph if you tick the box marked ‘AMG Driver’s Pack’ on the options list.
And yet it’s considerably more efficient than the old model, too; thanks in no small part to cylinder deactivation when you’re cruising along, this S 63 AMG manages claimed fuel economy of 31.7mpg and 203g/km of CO2 emissions - numbers that sound merely respectable until you realise we’re talking about a 5.0-metre-long, 2.1-tonne behemoth.
None of this will matter, of course, if the S 63 fails to live up to its AMG badge on the road. But in truth, it does more than that. The E 63’s 4.0-litre V8 feels perfectly happy in the nose of the bigger car, and its linear power delivery seems perfectly well suited to this more sophisticated and marginally more genteel vehicle.
Indeed, the thing that impresses you most about the S 63, most of the time, is its refinement. The V8 drops to 1,600rpm when you’re maintaining a high-speed cruise, and the exhaust note in Comfort mode is more of a distant rumble than anything else. If anything it’s quieter than the S 65, thanks to a kerb weight that’s more than 100kg lighter and considerably less tyre roar.
Does this mean, though, that the S 63 lacks the hooligan element that makes AMG models so special? Not a bit of it. Flick the Dynamic Select controller between the front seats into Sport or Sport+ and the V8’s throttle response focuses more on pace than smoothness. The gearshifts are snappier too, allowing you to stick the car in manual mode and use the steering wheel paddles to (whisper it) have some fun.
There’s no denying that a car of this size and length is not going to be the last word in agility, but the S 63 is way more game for a laugh than you might expect. Indeed, the front end is quick to obey the instructions of the nicely weighted and direct steering, and the body control has things in hand on all but the bumpiest, twistiest stretches of road. It’s a not quite a sports car. But it feels much more than just a plush grand tourer. And the V8’s rasp and the sporadic crackles from the exhaust add to this.
The rest of the package gets modest updates, although the new Panamericana front grille helps to give this S-Class Coupe aggression beyond its usual road presence. Inside, there’s plenty of space for two adults and two children - or four adults, if the pair in the back are willing to put up with merely adequate amounts of space for a long journey. It’s nowhere near as capacious as the limo, then, but it’s pretty generous by GT standards. The same can be said for the boot, which, at 400 litres, is plenty big enough for a couple of large suitcases.
There’s plenty of tech on board, too, because the S 63 gets much of the added functionality of the recently revamped S-Class saloon. The voice command system can now control everything from cabin fragrances to the seat massagers, and the dashboard is dominated by the pair of 12.3-inch screens - one acting as a digital instrument panel, the other displaying infotainment, navigation and vehicle status.
- Model: Mercedes-Benz S 63 Coupe
- Price: £127,515
- Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, petrol
- Power/torque: 604bhp/900Nm
- Transmission: Nine-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive (four-wheel drive tested)
- 0-62mph/Top speed: 4.2s/155mph
- Economy/CO2: 31.7mpg/203g/km
- On sale: Now
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