2016 Mercedes-AMG S 63 Cabriolet first drive

The Mercedes-AMG S 63 AMG represents the middle ground to Mercedes-Benz’s newly re-established S-Class Cabriolet line-up – the first from the German car maker since the iconic W111 series model back in 1971.

Positioned between the S 500 Cabriolet and the even more exclusive S 65 Cabriolet, the plush four-seater is due to hit UK showrooms next month wearing a price tag of £135,675. This pitches it £50,000 below its closest perceived open-top rival, the Bentley Continental GT Convertible Speed, which goes for £185,200.

Predictably, the S-Class Cabriolet adheres closely to the latest S-Class Coupé. The two share the same basic design, mechanical package and luxurious leather-lined four-seat interior, which can be enhanced by a seemingly limitless amount of optional features.   

To accommodate what is claimed to be the largest fabric roof applied to a current production car, the new open-top adopts a unique windscreen with greater rake and a more substantial frame for added rollover protection.

It also receives a uniquely designed rear end with added stiffening within the rear bulkhead, rollover structures designed to deploy from behind the rear seats, a tonneau cover that opens to reveal a large storage compartment for the roof and longer bootlid.

With a claimed drag coefficient of 0.29, Mercedes says the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet is the most aerodynamically efficient car in its class. It has also developed a new sealing process for the doors and provided its latest model with double-glazed side windows in efforts to match the competition for outright refinement.  

As with the latest S 63 Coupé launched in the UK last year, the S 63 Cabriolet runs AMG’s twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 petrol engine. The 90deg unit produces 577bhp, giving it 129bhp more than the twin-turbocharged 4.7-litre V8 in the S 500 Cabriolet but 44bhp less than the recently upgraded twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 found in the S 65 Cabriolet.

Power is delivered to all four wheels via AMG’s seven-speed automatic Speedshift gearbox and a 4Matic four-wheel drive system engineered to provide a nominal 33/67 front-to-rear torque split. There are three driving modes to choose from: Controlled Efficiency, Sport and Manual.

The S 63 Cabriolet is underpinned by a uniquely tuned version of Mercedes-Benz’s air sprung Airmatic suspension with adaptive damping, offering the choice between Comfort and Sport modes. AMG has focused quite a bit of attention on the underpinnings, providing the front wheels with added camber and adopting a larger-diameter roll bar than that of the standard S 500 Cabriolet up front. The rear also receives a stiffer subframe.

The ride height can be raised by 30mm at the press of a button. The chassis then lowers again automatically when switched to Sport mode at speeds of more than 75mph. 

Driving the Mercedes-AMG S 63 Cabriolet is an event, whether you’re running with hood down along a sun-drenched boulevard on the French Riviera or pushing it to the limit on a lonely back road on one of the mountain passes used for the Monte Carlo Rally. For sheer opulence and sense of occasion it is right up there with the Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible.