Sumptuous performance coupé is now a clear threat to the Aston Martin Vanquish, Bentley Continental GT and Ferrari FF The Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Coupé is the fastest and, for the time being, most powerful variant of Merc’s stylish CL successor, the S-class Coupé.Planned for UK sale from September at a price tipped to start at close to £124,000, the big coupé replaces the CL63 AMG, aiming to provide stiff competition to the likes of the Aston Martin Vanquish, Bentley Continental GT and Ferrari FF.Power for the initial top-of-the-line S-class coupe hails from the same twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 direct injection petrol engine as that used by the old CL63 AMG. But while its predecessor was offered with a choice of two states of engine tune, the S63 AMG Coupé receives just one in what amounts to a streamlining of sales operations.With a stout 576bhp, it packs 32bhp more than the CL63 AMG in standard tune and 5bhp more than that offered by the CL63 AMG running the earlier performance package option. It is also 128bhp more than that offered by the standard S500 Coupé’s twin-turbocharged 4.7-litre V8 direct injection petrol engine.The subtle increase in reserves provides the 2070bhp S63 AMG with a power-to-weight ratio of 278bhp per tonne, giving it a subtle 14bhp per tonne increase over the standard 2069kg CL63 AMG.As before, it is the torque that really moulds the performance potential, providing the plush new Mercedes with a fabulously potent low-end shove. Swelling to a peak of 663lb ft, it is at the same level as the earlier performance package option, and it can be tapped on band of revs between 2250 and 3750rpm.The prodigious reserves are sent through an updated version of AMG’s seven-speed Speedshift automatic gearbox to the rear-wheels. The wet clutch unit is a development of Mercedes-Benz’s standard 7-speed automatic, and has received new software aimed at speeding upshifts and providing more intuitive downshifts.While selected markets are set to receive the S63 AMG Coupé in 4Matic four-wheel drive guise, the UK sticks with standard rear-wheel drive in a move mirroring that of the its four-door sibling, the S63 AMG.Underpinning rear-wheel drive versions of the new Mercedes-Benz is an advanced magic body control suspension that uses a combination of air springs up front and hydraulic operated rear dampers, or plungers as they are described by the German car maker.They operate in combination with a stereo camera within the windscreen that constantly monitors the road surface and topography and adjusts the underpinnings accordingly.
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