► Soft-top version of AMG S65 Coupe
► Bi-turbo V12 with 621bhp, 738lb ft
► Four (heated) seats, on sale April 2016
The new year’s not yet upon us, but here’s an early contender for the most excessive car of 2016: the Mercedes-AMG S65 Cabriolet.
The open-air version of the Merc-AMG S-class Coupe, it puts up to four occupants beneath an enormous retractable soft-top and propels them down the road using a 6.0-litre bi-turbo V12 with 621bhp and a nice, round 1000Nm (738lb ft) of torque.
How fast is the Mercedes-AMG S65 Cabrio?
Try 0-62mph in 4.1sec (not bad for a car that weighs more than 2.2 tonnes). Top speed’s limited to 155mph, although speccing the ‘AMG Driver’s package’ raises the limiter to 186mph.
The V12’s hooked up to a seven-speed automatic gearbox, driving the rear wheels. Merc claims average fuel consumption of 23.5mpg.
What kind of tricks does it have up its sleeve?
When that enormous soft-top’s retracted it gets automatically sorted into a separate section of the boot, so there’s no need to stop and move your luggage about. The climate control system can work out whether the roof’s open or not and keeps the temperature regulated just the same. Even the armrests are heated, so there’s no excuse for not getting the top down.
How much?
No official word on pricing yet, but given that the S65 Coupe starts at around £183,000 in the UK, expect to see prices head towards the £200,000 mark.
Read CAR’s review of the Mercedes-AMG S63 AMG Coupe (with ‘only’ 577bhp) here.