Mercedes S63 AMG flies the Coupe

Still warm from last month’s hot reception in Geneva, the new S-Class Coupe turned the burners right back up in New York City with a preview of the AMG-enriched S63.

The new-generation S63 AMG hit the Big Apple brandishing a hand-built 430kW/900Nm 5.5-litre bi-turbo V8 in place of the standard 335kW/700Nm unit that will power the S500 base car.

The regular S-Class Coupe will be launched in Australia early next year and will be followed about a month later by two AMG models, the S63 and a twin-turbo V12-powered S65.

The rear-drive S63 Coupe is capable of reaching 100km/h in only 4.3 seconds, not bad for an aluminium-skinned two-tonne four-seater coupe bursting with standard gear.

Not such good news is that this is 0.4s slower than the 4Matic all-wheel-drive variant that will not come to Australia because Benz won’t build it in right-hand drive.

Nevertheless, ‘our’ rear-drive express combines impressive frugality (10.5L/100km) with blistering performance due to efficiency-enhancing actions by AMG – including the fitment of a specially modified seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, idle-stop tech, ceramic composite brakes, lighter (19-inch) alloys and even a lithium-ion battery – that also save 65kg.

The S63 AMG Coupe ushers in ‘Magic Body Control’, an active suspension system that employs a road-scanning camera to anticipate and then counteract cornering forces as they occur via hydraulic-pressure dampers.

Looking lower and meaner than its regular two-door S-Class siblings, the New York debutante scores a unique bumper design, gloss-black rear diffuser and a quartet of exhaust outlets.