Mercedes-AMG S 63 Coupe review, test drive

What is it like to drive?

There are no two ways about it, the S 63 AMG is wildly quick; its 4.2 second 0-100kph time spells out just how much. The incredible performance is made possible by a 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 and its jaw-dropping power and torque figures of 577bhp and 91kgm, respectively. Power delivery is just relentless, so you’ll probably run out of road before the S 63 runs out of breath. To be honest, even the back straight at the Buddh International Circuit won’t be sufficient to fully exploit the S 63’s performance capability. Just as well because shifts from fifth to sixth and sixth to seventh gears on the seven-speed auto gearbox are jerky at the very limit.

What Mercedes-AMG has got really right is the sound level in the cabin. The S 63’s engine sounds quite cultured as AMGs go, but luxury coupe buyers are unlikely to want it any other way. Thanks to the brilliant refinement and general poise, the S 63 also masks speed unbelievably well. This is a car in which you’ll often find yourself driving much faster than you think you are.

That’s true around the corners too. The S 63 remains controlled and flat during quick direction changes that lends it an agility you wouldn’t associate with a car of this class. What helps is the steering that’s not sharp per se, but has a nice smoothness to it.

In more everyday driving conditions too, the S 63 feels quite special. It features Merc’s Magic Body Control that scans the road ahead to prime the suspension in advance for all sorts of bumps and undulations. Our roads probably have the system working overtime but it does its job well. Ride quality is only a notch down on the standard S-class sedan – very impressive for a performance coupe.