09 Oct 06
Mercifully, the brakes are up to the job of stopping cars being propelled by so much power. This is thanks to an AMG-developed unit based on Merc's Adaptive Braking System that uses twin sliding calipers on the front wheels and large sliding frame-type calipers at the rear. Quick-acting, sensitive and fade-free, they are well matched to the engine. If the two crashed Mercs blocking the autobahn on the way back to Munich had had them, their obvious lack of stopping distance wouldn't have been such a problem...
As you would expect with performance versions of the S and CL, the ride is excellent, thanks to AMG's Active Body Control-based sports suspension. The three spring/damper settings of the sports suspension are controlled by the same button in the centre console used for changing the transmission mode and accelerator response. So Comfort does what it says on the tin, while in Sport and Manual the driver has a stiffer set-up with reduced body roll.
We gave it a thorough test on twisting, winding roads over the German/Austrian border and the absence of body roll in the stiffer settings, even in the S-Class, was almost unnerving. You kept expecting to feel some uncomfortable weight-shifting when attacking corners at unhealthy speeds, but it never came. As for the comfort setting, at 130mph on the autobahn, you might as well have been sitting in the world's comfiest chair, secured to the floor of a padded cell.
The cosseting also continues in the sports seats with massage function: with a choice of four settings (fast and gentle was very relaxing), any aches and strains you might be feeling after being sat in the same position for too long are gently eased away.
Both cars are also unbelievably quiet when cruising at high speed. There's no road noise, no wind noise - nothing but sound of convivial conversation and the welcome howl of that AMG V8.
Of course, the downside of all this sense of privilege is that you have to pay for it. Although UK prices haven't been confirmed yet - we'll get them nearer the launch in March of next year - they'll be in the low six-figure range, putting them in the reach of city types with big bonuses and Premiership footballers.
Which leads us to the elephants in the room - namely, the competition. Starting with the S-Class, there's only two real competitors: the Audi S8, which is around £30K cheaper, but is also half a second slower to 60mph; or the Bentley Continental Flying Spur, around £10K dearer, slower to 60, but which has a top speed of 195mph. Neither quite has the balls-out performance of the S 63, but the Audi is a lot cheaper and the Bentley is, well, a Bentley.
However, the CL 63 has a tougher time of it. The obvious opposition is the M6: its identical 0-60 time and the fact that you'll come away around £30K better off means that it is likely to be a real thorn in the side of the AMG. And, like its bigger brother, the CL's also got a Bentley Continental up against it - this time the GT - which is only marginally slower to 60 (0.1secs) and arguably has more prestige (even if Jordan, David Dickinson and Dale Winton each have one). Decision, decisions...
Whichever way you go, you have to have a fair bit of loose change to afford any of these. But would you be happy?
If driving the AMGs for a few days is anything to go by, you'd damned well should be.
