2025 Kia Sportage Road Test and Review
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Yes, Mercedes-Benz will be bringing out a new S-Class coupe next year, as well as a plug-in hybrid, but the sedan will no doubt remain the flagship of the M-B fleet—which sort of makes the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG the flagship’s flagship. Needless to say, the S65 AMG expands on the advantages of the “regular” S-Class in just about every way imaginable, with the biggest differentiator coming from AMG’s powertrain department. But not only does the new car’s engine distinguish it from the rest of the S-Class, the powerplant also sets the S65 AMG apart from the competition: The 2015 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG is the industry’s only “high-performance 12-cylinder automobile from a German premium manufacturer,” according to the automaker.
And when you’re trying to attract a clientele as interested in exclusivity as it is in performance, that matters.
Style changes from the S-Class proper are fairly subtle for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG. Its grille, for example, shows six twin bars to represent the car’s V12 engine, and is set off in a high-gloss chrome that further accents the rest of the exterior; high-gloss black accents are available as well. Some tasteful AMG badging makes an appearance as well, while the exterior package is finished off with more aggressive aero pieces and a chrome-plated AMG dual sport exhaust.
Highlighting the cabin are Nappa leather AMG sport seats that have been resculpted for improved support and comfort, then re-upholstered with a mix of perforated and unperforated seat leather that creates particularly neat seams.
Also particularly neat: The S65's AMG instrument cluster. Eschewing anything as humble as analog gauges, the car instead uses a high-res, full-color thin-film transistor (TFT) display that features an animated start-up program, with that setup complemented by a new head-up display that projects key vehicle info on the inside windshield.
The 2015 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG premieres a new powertrain for M-B, marking the first time the company has paired the 6.0-liter, twin-turbo V12 with its AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-tronic transmission. But it probably won't be the last, since drivers can use that hardware to enjoy 621 hp and 738 lb.-ft. of torque, along with 0-60 runs of about 4.2 seconds and an electronically controlled top speed of 155 mph. Remember, too, that each of those powerplants is hand-assembled by an expert AMG engine technician (before being hidden beneath an exclusive AMG carbon-fiber engine cover, of course).
In a segment where technological leadership is sometimes preferred above sales leadership, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG looks ready to help the brand's S-Class achieve both when it goes on sale next spring at a price that's still to be determined.
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