Lifestyles of the rich and famous – S 63 AMG Coupe Review

The lifestyles of the rich and famous. Crazy cars, million dollar yachts, a holiday home overlooking a pristine lake – you get the picture. Doing what I do, I’m about a million years away from those things and maybe in the life after the next one, I’ll be able to acquire and dispose of my yachts like I do toilet paper. Lucky for me, doing what I do, I occasionally get a chance to live the Swiss bank accounts and the girlfriend everywhere (yeah right!) way of life. Today I feel like living.

Doing what I do also means I have one day to do it (I have to be in Goa tomorrow to drive the Kwid), and that rules out the French Riviera unfortunately. I have to do it out of Pune. Hmmm…

I need a nice car, something out of the ordinary, because, how else will I slip into someone’s Guccis right? From my writing desk in my humble home, the S 63 AMG Coupe stares at me from last month’s Evo India cover. It’s available and will be at my doorstep in half an hour. Excellent.

AMG will happily go sideways thanks to 900Nm of torque

Now where to? I can only think of Lavasa City. It’s not too far from Pune and I know the road leading there is a beautiful road that winds and twists its way through the Sahyadris to get to that sometimes misty abode in the hills. I don’t have a holiday home overlooking the lake there but hey, I’m willing to overlook the small details. In fact, I’ll get there in this Swarovski bejewelled car and hand out a cheque (that my bank balance can’t cash of course) for one of those fancy new villas above Portofino street. In a car like this, your mind gets carried away. Easily.

Now, I have to tell you why I picked the S 63 AMG Coupe. I’m the old-rich kind of billionaire, you know, generations of family money. I don’t want fast, loud and red, but I want effortlessly quick and comfortable. I like driving myself, so the car has to be nimble and responsive and I don’t want a regular three-pointed star. I already have five of those in my garage.

The S 63 AMG Coupe fits that silk-lined leather glove perfectly. I like its distinct shape and I love its long, pillarless doors. I like its complex colour and I like that it doesn’t make too much noise but goes like stink. I have power at my disposal and I don’t need to shout about it.

It looks really elegant

So, half an hour after the man from Mercedes drops the car off at my doorstep, I’m climbing above the clouds, the twin-turbo V8 purring along effortlessly. The sun is out, I’ve got the MAGIC SKY control roof set on transparent and Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells album playing over the superb Burmester audio. Yup, I’m getting into Branson’s groove. I could get used to this.

This is a different kind of AMG and it is damn good at doing what it does which is, effortlessly propel its occupants across continents. The ingredients are simple – 900Nm of torque (enough to upset the earth’s rotation when you put your foot down) and an interior that’s just out of this world.

You see, I happen to really like the direction that Mercedes-Benz is taking with their new interiors. This one’s reminds me of my S-class but with a few AMG inspired details. I love the thought that’s gone into the small details – little things like the way the air-con vents feel when you operate them and the tactility of the climate control switches as you set desired temperature – it just feels special. For a car this size it handles superbly. It’s agile and it is slicing through this road’s unpredictable corners like a carving knife through caviar. Now I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to my cars – I like reading up on them and knowing what makes them tick. So, for this one, the wheelbase is shorter than my full-size S-Class and this makes the S 63 AMG all the more agile. It’s got brake-based torque vectoring that shuffles power across wheels and helps get its stunning body around corners effortlessly.

The interiors are just out of this world; the S 63

And, on butter smooth roads like this one, I can even set the Active Body Control in its most hardcore mode and really push the envelope. There’s little squat, dive or roll and the car faithfully follows my steering inputs. I like it when my commands are carried out instantly.

Now don’t tell the papparazzi, but I like the occasional spot of hooliganism and on this road’s open corners, with the stability programs switched off, and a bootful of throttle, the rear swings out gracefully. It’s so stable and comfortable letting its tail out that you can ride out the slide on full power using the wonderfully fluid steering to aim the nose in the right direction. This car is really something and Ouch!

I injured my back a couple of days ago when, on a scuba diving trip a few days back, the Necker Belle (my 105ft catamaran) nosedived into a swell. So, heated seats and massage function on, these sumptuous AMG chairs give me the full spa treatment.

God is in the details

Because I own my time, we arrive fashionably late at Lavasa. I think of calling the Michelin chef at the villa (he’s a good sort and we just got him a few weeks back) and telling him to prepare lunch but, wait a minute, who am I kidding? I’m not Branson!

I settle for gavran chicken at a local Maharastrian joint and borrow money from the photographer to pay the measly bill. I tell you! Spending time in the S 63 AMG Coupe can really get you carried away.

Specification:

Engine: V8, 5461cc, twin-turbo
Transmission: 7-speed MCT auto
Power: 576bhp @ 5500rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 2250-3750rpm
Weight: 2070kg
0-100kmph: 4.2sec (claimed)
Top speed: 250kmph (limited)
Price (ex-showroom, Delhi): Rs. 2.6 crore