Thursday, June 20, 2019

A Brute In Silk Stockings

On the heels of the new 2014 S-Class sedan, Mercedes-Benz today handed out details of the even newer 2014 S63 AMG 4Matic performance model of the posh sedan. The S63 AMG is a more powerful, more outrageous version — just in case the regular S-Class was too tame. Think of it as the grownups' version of the heart-thumping SLS AMG coupe and roadster. Swinging the pendulum from ultra-luxury to ultra-performance, the new S63 AMG swaps out the 4.7-liter V-8 in the S550 for AMG's hand-built, twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter unit. It's good for 577 horsepower and a brutish 664 pounds-feet of torque, which M-B says will rocket the massive sedan to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. As quick as an Aston Martin Vanquish, if you're keeping score. That power is channeled through an AMG-tuned seven-speed automatic and ends up at all four wheels thanks to standard all-wheel drive (4Matic in Mercedes-speak).


Three driving modes are available to choose the behavior of your S63: Comfort, Sport or Manual. A start-stop system that shuts off the engine at long lights is standard, but active only in Comfort mode. An AMG-tuned air suspension is standard, with its own Comfort and Sport settings to adjust the S63 to the driver's mood and desires. The electric power steering has a variable ratio. AMG paid attention to the S63's weight: The new model is 220 pounds lighter than the outgoing one. May not sound like much for a car that's still about two-and-a-quarter tons, but it's like leaving an entire person at home whenever you drive the car somewhere. The starter battery is now a lithium-ion unit instead of the traditional 12-volt lead-acid starter battery in nearly every car on the planet, allowing Mercedes to eliminate a second backup battery and save 44 pounds overall. Special lightweight AMG wheels also help: 19 inches front and rear, but 20-inch wheels are available. AMG added its sporting touch to the styling inside and out as well, with special high-gloss black trim and special badging on the exterior. Inside, special AMG sport seats are standard, and a milled metal trim adorns the instrument panel and doors. The 12.3-inch display screen, which has replaced gauges in the S-Class, gets exclusive AMG-style graphics and content that focus on driving performance and engine information. Some content available on the S550 is also available on the S63, such as the Night View Assist Plus and the Driver Assistance Package, but others are not, such as the new Magic Body Control automatically adjustable suspension system. It is expected to go on sale at the same time as the all-wheel-drive S550 in November.


The continuous development of the Mercedes design idiom is a shared mission performed by more than 450 employees in Sindelfingen and four studios in Italy, Japan, China, and the U.S. They refine the stylistic attributes and come up with new ideas to build “design bridges” into the future. As a consequence, the Mercedes-Benz design idiom remains alive in every detail — always modern, but never faddish. A glimpse of the future design idiom of Mercedes-Benz is provided by the F 800 Style research vehicle, which is both a technology platform and a design statement. The F 800 Style was created through close cooperation between the technical research and advance engineering departments and the advanced design studios in Sindelfingen and Como, Italy. Its exterior appearance is marked by a long wheelbase, short body overhangs, and a sensually flowing roof line. The exciting coupe-like roof line, and in general the vehicle’s balanced proportions, lend it a stylish sporty look that reinterprets the Mercedes-Benz design idiom.


At Mercedes-Benz, maximum comfort means much more than pleasant driving and high-quality features. All of our comfort solutions are intended to improve the driver´s condition and to consistently relieve driving strain by means of many individual measures that are painstakingly coordinated with one another. Operating comfort, ergonomics, air conditioning, low noise levels, handling properties, and many other factors affect a driver’s condition behind the wheel, and thus also his or her ability to keep an overview of the traffic situation. After all, only a relaxed driver is also a safe driver. Mercedes-Benz researchers have been investigating this complex topic, called “physiological well-being,” for many years, and Mercedes-Benz has consistently applied their findings to improve its series-production vehicles. As a result, it has been proven that Mercedes drivers stay for a longer time fit and concentrated. Prime examples of the progress achieved in this field are the carefully designed, intuitive control and display concepts and the intelligent Driving Assistance systems, which turn the automobile into a partner that thinks along with the person behind the wheel.

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