► Convertible version of S-class Coupe
► S63 AMG features 570bhp 5.5-litre V8
► Drop-top S-class debuts at Frankfurt
Convertibles don’t get much bigger, or faster, than this. Or occupy much smaller niches. Say hello to the Mercedes S63 AMG Convertible, a high-performance version of the upcoming S-class Convertible.
An S-class AMG convertible? Really?
The Mercedes S-class Convertible is set to make its debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September 2015, and this go-faster AMG variant is already well into its development.
Based on the S-class Coupe, it replaces the fastback roof with an elongated folding soft top. It’ll be a four-seater, with rollover protection of the pop-up variety, to avoid cluttering those lines.
This prototype wears little in the way of disguise barring the stickerwork at the rear, although we shouldn’t expect any radical styling departures from the existing S-class Coupe’s tail.
Natural rivals in this most rarefied of markets are few, but those likely to have a drop-top Mercedes S-class on their shopping list might also be eyeing the likes of the Bentley Continental GTC cabrio, and the upcoming Rolls-Royce Dawn.
Read more about the Mercedes-Benz S-class Convertible here.
Check out the size of those front brakes…
Indeed. They’ll have a job to do, as this car will be no lightweight. The S63 AMG Coupe tops the two-tonne mark, and that complicated roof’s inner workings and necessary body bracing will add further pounds still.
Power will come from the same 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 with around 576bhp. If that sounds a bit weedy, we hear a stronger-brew S65 AMG is also planned, with a 630bhp 6.0-litre V12.
One thing that’s certain, it won’t be cheap. The S63 AMG Coupe starts from around £125k at present. Expect to pay a significant premium to get a free tan.
Click here for CAR’s review of the roofed Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe.