Say Hello To The New 4.0 V8-Powered Mercedes-AMG S63 Coupe And Cabriolet

It’s mid-life facelift time for the Mercedes-AMG S63 coupe and cabriolet, and for once, we’re actually looking at some fairly noticeable changes. We have new OLED rear light clusters, AMG’s fancy ‘Panamerica’ front grille - first seen on the AMG GT R - and a new front bumper which Mercedes says “resembles a hovering jet wing.” Lovely.

The big news is under the bonnet, however. As we saw with the recent S63 saloon refresh, the coupe and cabriolet have dropped the old 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 in favour of the newer 4.0-litre unit. It’s rather pokey, too, being good for a monstrous 612bhp and 663lb ft of torque.

Thanks to the wonders of all-wheel drive traction, the S63 dispatches the 0-62mph sprint in a preposterous 3.5 seconds. Not bad for something that weighs over two tonnes, but there is a catch: right-hand drive S63s will be rear-wheel drive only, so won’t be quite as brisk off the line.

The range-topping S65 remains unchanged mechanically, putting out 621bhp and 737lb ft from its 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12. Or if you’d prefer, a neat and rather frightening 1000nm. Like the RHD S63s, it’s rear-drive only.

Exterior tweaks to the non-AMG two-door S-Classes are a little more subtle, but there arguably wasn’t a whole lot that needed changing. Changes in the cabin and under the skin meanwhile largely mirror the saloon’s, kicking off with a bunch of autonomous-ish systems including ‘Active Distance Control’ and ‘Active Steering Assist’.

Mercedes’ new ‘energising comfort control’ makes an appearance too, working with the fragrance system (yep, it has one of those), massage seats, lighting, music and more for your ‘wellness’. You can choose from Freshness, Warmth, Vitality, Joy, Comfort and Training programmes, which each run for 10 minutes.

If it’s a non-AMG S-Class coupe or cabriolet you’re after, you can choose between the S450 with its 362bhp V6, or the 463bhp, 4.0-litre V8-powered S560. Both have ‘4Matic’ all-wheel drive as standard.

The fettled range will make its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next week.