Shanghai Motor Show: 2018 Mercedes-AMG S63 revealed

The new Mercedes-AMG S63 can thunder from 0-100km/h in just 3.5sec – but sadly not in Australian specification.

The good news is that local buyers will feel the full force of 450kW/900Nm from the latest – and most powerful – iteration of AMG’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, attached to a new nine-speed wet-clutch automatic, which replaces the previous model’s seven-speeder.

Unfortunately, unlike the new E63 which is set to launch in Australia in the coming months, the all-wheel drive S63 is still limited to left-hand drive markets only, which means local cars will drive only the rear wheels.

AMG doesn’t claim a 0-100km/h time for the rear-drive S63, however its 463kW/1000Nm S65 brother’s effort of 4.3sec provides a clue, though with both cars the challenge will be getting the cars off the line without tearing the rear tyres to shreds.

The arrival of the 4.0-litre ‘hot-vee’ V8 under the bonnet of the S-Class means only the G-Class SUVs and S-Class two-door models still use AMG’s venerable 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8.

The latest iteration of the engine, shared with the E-Class, is able to shut-off four cylinders under partial load, allowing this 1995kg, 450kW super limo to claim just 8.9L/100km on the combined cycle.

Efforts have been made to shed mass from the new S-Class, including a lithium-ion battery, lightweight alloys wheels and a spare wheel recess made from carbon fibre.

Weight can be further reduced by optioning the carbon-ceramic brake option, which replaces the standard steel discs, measuring 390 x 36mm front and 360 x 24mm rear, with discs measuring 420 x 40mm front and 360 x 32mm rear.

The new S63 also benefits from the updated S-Class’s revised exterior and interior, including benchmark driver assistance systems, which you can read more about here. The updated S-Class range is expected to appear locally in December 2017.