Mercedes to roll out S65 AMG Coupe in July

Mon, 07 Apr 2014

We're still a couple of weeks away from the public debut of the new Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe at the fast-approaching New York Auto Show, but already we're receiving word of an even more powerful version in the works. That, of course, would be the S65 AMG Coupe – the twelve-cylinder version of the latest S-Class Coupe, two-door counterpart to the S65 AMG sedan and replacement for the outgoing CL65 AMG.

Like the four-door version rolled out back in November, the S65 AMG Coupe would be distinguished from less powerful vehicles (which, lets face it, is just about everything) principally by its engine: a massive, 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 that produces 621 horsepower, 738 pound-feet of torque and cares as much about global warming as an oil-shipping mega-tanker.

Because Merc's 4Matic all-wheel drive system can't handle that much torque, the ne plus ultra coupe would (like the S65 sedan but unlike the S63 coupe) be offered only in rear-drive form. That means it will have that much more trouble getting the power down to the road, but since the Magic Body Control suspension is similarly incompatible with 4Matic, the flagship coupe will get that trick suspension.

According to company insider site Mercedes-Benz Passion, when the S65 AMG Coupe will be rolled out in July, Mercedes will also begin offering the 'lesser' S63 coupe (with its relatively paltry 577 hp and 664 lb-ft) in rear-drive/active suspension form as well, giving buyers in search of the ultimate performance luxury coupe an extra choice to ponder as they speed down the Autobahn.

By Noah Joseph