Mercedes AMG S Class Cabriolet S63

The Mercedes-AMG S 63 Cabriolet takes the luxurious top-down motoring of the S-Class Cabriolet and adds a healthy dose of performance. It has the sumptuous and incredibly high specification interior that's expected from Mercedes' luxury models, and is equipped with a monstrous V8 engine. Mercedes-Benz has a long history of making its S-Class models the pinnacle of in-car luxury and automotive technology. This new convertible isn't any different and it's immediately clear that this car puts opulence above all else. There is a multitude of driver assistance technologies and a climate control system that even has a choice of fragrances built in. The dashboard is dominated by a pair of 12.3-inch TFT displays; the central screen houses the satellite navigation and COMAND system, while the driver-side screen displays the dials. With the complex roof reclined - it has three layers and double-glazed glass to keep noise levels down - wind intrusion is kept to a minimum by the optional AIRCAP wind protection system.

Despite the sumptuous interior, the experience is dominated by the engine. The hand-built 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 responds instantly with a howl the moment you put your foot down. Boot space is decent and a clever movable tray stops the roof dropping if there's a danger of luggage being crushed. Unsurprisingly for such a large car with a powerful engine, economy figures make for difficult reading. The S 63 Cabriolet officially achieves 28mpg - though we struggled to achieve this even on a long motorway run - and emits 237g/km of CO2. The Mercedes-AMG S 63 Cabriolet is for people who enjoy the finer things in life and want everyone else to know it. It's big, its styling demands the attention of passers-by and the interior is full of toys you didn't know you needed. If you like to be understated with your wealth look elsewhere, but for those who revel in the luxury lifestyle, this car is a dream.

The performance boffins over at AMG keep themselves pretty busy, churning out high-output versions of just about every vehicle in the Mercedes-Benz line-up. Just about, but not quite. For example, if you want a GL-Class family-hauler with the division's stonking 6.3-liter V8 engine, you're SOL. But that's where the aftermarket comes in, and Brabus has arrived at the scene to save the day. Not only has Brabus fitted the 6.3-liter V8 to the GL, but they've bolted a pair of turbochargers in the process. And while they were at it, they tweaked the seven-speed auto-box, fitted a big water-to-air intercooler and upgraded the intake, exhaust, brakes, suspension and rolling stock. 650 horsepower and nearly as much torque. That oughta be good for 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour) and hitting 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.7 seconds along the way. The Widestar body kit also widens the vehicle's stance, while the interior has been tricked out in custom leather, carbon fiber trim and LCD screens aplenty to keep the kids busy while you focus on maximum velocity.

Mercedes-Benz is setting previously unachievable efficiency standards in the premium segment with completely newly developed V6 and V8 engines. The new V8 engine has a displacement of 4663 cc and develops a maximum power output of 320 kW (435 hp), which is around 12 percent more than its predecessor despite approximately 800cc lesser in displacement. Torque has increased from 530 Nm to 700 Nm - i.e. by no less than 32 percent. Fuel consumption has however been reduced by 22 percent. With the same 3499 cc displacement as its predecessor, the new V6 engine develops 225 kW (306 hp). Torque has increased from 350 Nm to 370 Nm. Here too, the improvement in fuel efficiency is remarkable. The S 350 with the new V6 engine consumes an economical 7.6 litres per 100 kilometres, a saving of 24 percent compared to its predecessor. Mercedes-Benz has achieved this considerable leap in efficiency with the use of a start/stop function as standard and other features such as newly developed, third-generation direct petrol injection with spray-guided combustion, multiple injection and multi-spark ignition.

“Budapest is a great city and the atmosphere there and at the track over the race weekend is very vibrant so I always enjoy visiting. The Hungaroring is one of those tracks that provides a real technical challenge and it is good fun to drive. Overtaking is difficult there so qualifying is really important and you need to start from as high up the grid as possible. Qualifying hasn’t been our strong point recently so we will be working hard on our preparations over the weekend to give us the best chance in the race. “The German Grand Prix last weekend was clearly disappointing for us but we have seen a variety of performances from our team over the past few races. With this in mind, I will still go to Hungary with a positive feeling. It is clear that we need to understand our car better, and the track in Budapest plus more time to evaluate our upgrades should help us in that respect. As I said after the last race, we have to remain calm, look into all the details and analyse our performance in order to learn as much as possible from such weekends.