In 2004 Mercedes in conjunction with in-house tuners AMG launched the S65 AMG to reinforce the S-Class as the high speed saloon market leader. To back up the new sporty look, the car needed proper performance so why not install a V12 engine? And chuck in a couple of Turbos for good measure?
The S-Class W220 featured a new look, with a lower profile, narrow headlights, and raked A-pillars The sloped rear window toward the straight boot lid was an aerodynamic-enhancement for a car that wasn't necessarily built for speed records. The front bumper was different from the rest of the range, with more aggressive styling. The bigger light-alloy AMG wheels allowed a view of the large, cross-drilled, brake-discs. Inside, it was similar to the standard S-Class, with the full complement of luxury items and features.
The engine was a massive 6.0-liter V12 with 3 valves per cylinder. Just for a bit of extra oomph it was twin-turbocharged and produced 1001 N/m (738 lb/ft) of torque! It was the most powerful 4-door saloon of its time, with over 600 hp available. In fact, it was too powerful for the newly developed 7G-Tronic gearbox, so the car had to use the older, but more reliable, 5G-Tronic.
Much of the early history of the S65 is unknown except it was 1st registered in March 2006. It has had only 4 owners, and was purchased by the Vendor as repossession in 2016, so unfortunately the history file, service book and Owners pack are no longer with the car. It may be possible to investigate its history by talking to Mercedes who will probably have records of its servicing and early owners. That said, the S65 has been used regularly by the Vendor, commuting to work and for pleasure. He has decided to part with it as he has “scratched the AMG itch” and had his fun; hence it’s time for a change.
The history with the S65 is mainly from its current owner, and there are some receipts on file for the work he has done to keep it running well. There is a V5c, and three MoT certificates, the earliest being from 2017 when the car had completed just under 45,000 miles. The latest one is valid until July 2022. The mileage is currently 47,519, so the Vendor has added just 2,500 in the past 2 and a bit years.
As one would expect from a car of this quality the interior is beautifully appointed. There cannot be many nicer places to be, especially as this interior can be enjoyed by four adults up to a limited top speed of 155mph! And it will get to that speed in less time than it takes for “normal” cars get to the 70mph speed limit!
The soft leather seats are all in great shape showing only minor wear. Some of the plastic trim that is vulnerable to shoes when entering or leaving shows marks and scuffs, but most could be sorted by an experienced valeter. The wood work is all intact and shows a good shine. The grey carpets are clean, both in the cabin and the large boot area. Those in the cabin are protected by AMG logo floor mats. The roof lining is immaculate, and the sliding roof operates correctly. The door panels are a little grubby, and again would benefit from the attention of a valeter to match the rest of the interior.
In the boot the Mercedes CD system and Navigation system are present, as is the cargo net and warning triangle.
From the outside the S65 is most impressive, the black paint shines well and gives the car enormous presence. The paintwork down the flanks of the car shows that it has not spent time in supermarket car parks; there are no dings or dents. In general the exterior is pretty much faultless, except the wheels which are showing some pitting around the centre caps as can be seen in the photographs.
When we visited to take the photographs the S65 was still hot from a fast trip back from the office. The engine started easily with a subdued bark, before settling into a barely perceptible rumble. The oil pressure reads correctly on tick over. Recent expenditure has included a new ECU and control units (£3,036), a new crank sensor and reinstallation of the starter motor (£1,007), new coils and spark plugs, filters and oil (£1,353) and in August 2020 an “A” Service was carried out and a new battery purchased (£536). All this has been performed in the last 7,000 miles.
Fitted with a Sports Catalytics, the car sounds absolutely gorgeous!
Who said that the Germans don’t have a sense of humour? As we slide slowly into a world where the roads are populated by hybrid powered soulless transport products, it is delightfully refreshing to see such an outrageous and monumentally shameless Twin Turbo V12 luxury limousine! There cannot be a faster or more comfortable way to traverse continents when your private jet is parked for maintenance! Superb value.
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2006 Mercedes - Benz S65 AMG
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