Luxury Life & Style

top of the class Mercedes-Benz S-Class The S-Class is available in four distinct models: S550, S600, S63 and S65. The S550 is also available with the 4-Matic, Benz’s all-wheel drive system. Regardless of which one you may choose, you’re assured a quality vehicle that performs well, offers ample interior space, exceptional comfort, and a history that has few rivals. Inside any S-Class, occupants are surrounded by serious leather, highly polished woods, large gauges, numerous power amenities and myriad techno gadgets. The S-Class is also one of the heaviest sedans you can buy - pressing the 5,000-pound mark. Thanks to its blatantly stiff body, the big Benz handles more like a sports car than a land yacht and yields little noise, vibration or harshness. For road boiler types, the S63 and S65 would be your match. Hand crafted at the AMG facility, the 63 is a hot rod S550, while the 65 is a supernova S600. The S65 is an absolute king of the hill, boasting a twin-turbo V12 huffing out 604 horses spinning a 5-speed automatic, and providing its occupants with all the conceivable amenities that make an S-Class an S-Class. It also flashes to 60 miles per hour in just a tick over four seconds, or roughly as quick as a Ferrari F430. Conversely the S63’s 6.3-liter V8 uses 518 horsepower through a 7-speed autobox, taking about a second longer to 60. Special aero kits, interior appointments, wheels, tires, and little odds and ends separate the AMG equipment list from those other S-Classes, which are usually much more conservative. Economically minded individuals will be more impressed with the S550, a truly respectable vehicle in any court. Offering a symphony of standard features and luxuries, the 550 boasts the best fuel efficiency with 14 city/21 highway from its 382-horsepower V8 and a 7-speed automatic, while the S63, S65, and S600 mirror one another with 11 city/17 highway. The S600 may just offer the highest level of true zen. Packing a 510-horsepower wallop, the twin-turbo V12 churns a 5-speed automatic and propels its vault-like body to 60 in just 4.7 seconds, making it just a hair out of line with the AMG cars. You also get special interior appointments, such as an Alcantara headliner and heatingcooling-massaging front seats. Mercedes-Benz of South Bay, 3233 Pacific Coast Highway, Torrance. 866-259-7832, sbmercedes.com. • S-CLASS SPECIFICATIONS* BODY: Material: Steel Overall Length: 205 in. Overall Width: 73.7 in. Height: 58 in. Wheelbase: 124.5 in. Curb Weight: 4,630 lbs Weight distribution (fr/rr): NA MECHANICALS: Transmission: 6- or 7-speed auto Engine: 5.5-liter V8; 5.5-liter V12 w/twin turbos; 6.3-liter V8; 6.5-liter V12 w/twin turbos Horsepower: 382, 510, 518, and 604 horsepower Torque: 391, 612, 465, and 738 ft. lbs TIRES: FR: 255.45 R18 (S550) RR: Same PERFORMANCE: 0-62 MPH: 5.4 seconds (S550) Top Speed: NA *Manufacturer informational claims 52 Luxury Life & Style May/June 2008 Photos courtesy of their respective organizations. sbmercedes.com

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