First pics: 2015 Mercedes S65 AMG Coupe

THE Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Coupe will cost about $520,000 when the flagship V12 AMG model arrives in Australia in 2015.

The S65 AMG Coupe is the undisputed king of the S-Class line-up and will be the fourth V12-powered model offered by AMG.

These first official images present no real surprises given that the regular two-door S-Class and the V8-powered S63 AMG have already been shown.

The V12 model sees the same chunkier front and rear bumpers and side skirts of the S63 bolstered by bigger 20-inch alloys that work well visually with the impressive scale of the more than 5.0-metre-long coupe. Inside is wall-to-wall S-Class luxury loveliness, with the usual AMG enhancements.

The S65’s twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12 produces 463kW, a number that’s impressive until you read its maximum torque figure; a neat 1000Nm.

Key technical features of the V12 are its aluminium block, forged steel crankshaft, dozen twin-spark ignition units and air-to-liquid intercooler with low-temperature circuit.

The engine’s stampede of Newton-metres gallop to the big coupe’s rear wheels via AMG’s sturdy Speedshift Plus transmission, a toughened version of Mercedes’ 7G-Tronic seven-speed auto.

In the new S65 Coupe, this drivetrain delivers a claimed 4.1-second 0-100km/h time, an improvement of 0.3sec.

Fuel efficiency isn’t as awful as you’d expect from a V12-powered monster, with its 11.9L/100km in the European combined cycle test a substantial 2.4L/100km improvement compared to its CL65 predecessor.

The S65 Coupe naturally delivers the full suite of advanced tech introduced in the new S-Class Coupe.

But the idiotically named Magic Body Control, with its curve tilting function and brilliant, bump-obliterating Road Surface Scan system, operates in harmony with an AMG-tuned suspension set-up.

The S65 Coupe joins the S65 sedan, SL65 roadster and, weirdest of them all, the G65 off-roader in what Mercedes describes as “an unrivalled range of V12-powered choices”.

These are also cars bought by the brand’s wealthiest, most loyal customers: “There are AMG fans for whom our V12 bi-turbo is the measure of all things,” said Mercedes-AMG chief Tobias Moers.