MERCEDES-BENZ DROPS THE TOP ON S-CLASS
Cabriolet the first convertible offered by the luxury carmaker since 1971
The grand old hotel’s white marble walls, the twisted olive trees and the deep blue Mediterranean coastline are a fitting backdrop for the classic 1962 Mercedes-Benz 220SE Cabriolet parked in the courtyard. It’s an evocative setting, a throwback to the Cote d’Azur’s heyday as a sun-drenched playground of such disparate characters as Picasso, Charlie Chaplin, Aristotle Onassis and Brigitte Bardot. A melting pot of aristocracy and notoriety, the French Riviera inspired Somerset Maugham to call it “a sunny place for shady people.”
Fifty years later, this land of super-yachts and jet-setters is a fitting place to showcase the revived S-class Cabriolet.
With the addition of the Cabriolet, Mercedes-Benz now offers six variants of the S-class to fulfil every conceivable customer need. It’s the first time there’s been a convertible in the lineup since 1971 and from the beltline down, it’s identical to the S-class Coupe, save for an additional hundred pounds of roof mechanism and reinforcements. Like the Coupe, the new droptop will be offered in Canada as the S550 and the Mercedes-AMG S63, to be followed later by the S65 with a fire-spitting 6.0-litre twin-turbo V-12.
The multi-layer soft top can be deployed in 20 seconds using either the key fob or a switch in the centre console, while the car is on the move at speeds up to 50 km/h. Available in four colours, the cloth top is one of the more neatly finished of its type, but like most it looks better stowed.
The sumptuous cabin reflects its targeted demographic in its rich craftsmanship and attention to detail. There’s an impressive suite of technologies that let the occupants enjoy the alfresco aspect of topless cruising without the usual downsides.
Mercedes-Benz claims bestin-class aerodynamics for the new S-class Cabriolet, which results in extremely low wind noise. Everything from the wheel spoilers and exterior mirrors to the acoustic glass and the door seals has been optimized to prevent noise from entering the cabin. The optional Aircap system deflects air up and over the cabin, ingeniously preventing turbulence from building up inside. Unfortunately, it looks a little clunky and mars the smooth lines of the raked windshield. The Airscarf system emits warm air from the headrests, encircling the neck area for an extra sense of warmth and well-being in nippy weather.
Along the French coastline and onto a busy three-lane highway en route to Provence, we had no trouble holding a conversation without raising our voices. Alternatively, you can forgo the conversation and listen to the superb Burmester sound system. There’s also a host of semi-autonomous technology, such as Steering Pilot, lane-keeping assist and all sorts of collision prevention that inspires confidence in traffic. The flat, digital gauges seemed out of place, jarringly modern in such refined surroundings. Surely, some beautifully crafted, chronograph-type instrumentation with a matching analog timepiece would be more fitting?
The S550 is a buttery smooth cruiser, with standard Airmatic adaptable air suspension and selectable drive modes. Under the hood is a twin-turbocharged 4.7-litre V-8 producing 449 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, a rather prodigious output for the base model in the lineup.
Our route took us through centuries-old villages whose narrow roads were never intended to accommodate vehicles of this width. Weaving back and forth through the alpine switchbacks toward Aix en Provence, the S550 displayed the suppleness of a grand tourer, rather than the firm athleticism of a sports car. This is not a car that compels you to flog it through the hairpins, but rather encourages you to luxuriate in your enjoyment of the view.
Swapping the S550 for an S63, the change in attitude is immediately apparent from its more aggressive fascia and wider stance. Its 5.5-L twin- turbocharged V-8 roars to life with a husky bark; select Sport mode and its growl is delightfully punctuated by pops and crackles. Instead of the nine-speed automatic transmission of the S550, the S63 gets the AMG-tuned seven-speed wet-clutch automatic, with standard 4Matic all-wheel drive.
The power delivery is immediate and the chassis more rigid than the S550. Despite the deli- ciousness of its barking engine and ability to sprint from rest to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, the S63 is a car to savour rather than push to its outer limits, unlike, say, a Porsche 911 Turbo cabriolet.
Because that’s not what this car is about; the S-class Cabriolet is simply a superbly executed, softtop grand tourer that’s every bit at home here as the yachts on the Mediterranean coastline.
The 2017 Mercedes-Benz S550 and AMG S63 Cabriolet are scheduled to arrive in Canada in July, with the Mercedes-AMG S65 arriving sometime later.
Although Canadian pricing won’t be available until closer to the car’s on-sale date, expect the luxurious droptop to start upwards of $135,000 for the S550 and at least $175,000 for the Mercedes-AMG S63 4Matic.