Over 130 years ago, Gottlieb Daimler, the man who would one day found one of the biggest car companies in the world once said “The best or nothing at all”. Good thing he didn’t choose the latter or our world would look very differently than it already is. With Karl Benz on board the program, the duo patented their creation on 29 January, 1886. Many moons have come and gone since that time and look at just how far two men with an idea has come.
Fast forward 130 years and we arrive at the homage that the marque has built in honour of those visionaries, and what a thing it is. The plinth in question here is based on the uber-luxurious S-Class cabriolet. But not any coupe, it’s the S63 AMG 4Matic drop top, dubbed the “Edition 130” and thankfully unlike the original, it has more than just two horsepower.
From the outside, one could not differentiate this Edition 130 from its regular road going stablemate. These cars come with an endless list of options that tickles the whim and fancy of its most esteemed clientele. This limited edition model has all the trappings of an AMG-Merc such as the sports aero-kit for starters. One can’t talk about an AMG’s exterior without first mentioning those huge imposing alloy wheels that houses the over-sized brake rotors. This example comes with painted callipers too.
On the inside though, it’s everything you’d expect from a luxury barge such as this. Nappa leather upholstery in Bengal red/black or the optionally available crystal grey/black themes as well as the trim elements in AMG’s arsenal that feature a carbon/piano lacquer black theme. This specially-crafted cabin will only be limited to 130 examples, just as the name suggests. A badge in the middle console and an engraving plate on the steering wheel bezel highlights this fact.
Powering this lap of luxury around town is up to the job of the 5.5-litre V8 that’s boosted on either side by a couple of turbochargers. The result of such a matrimony made in petrolhead nirvana is an output just shy of 590 horsepower. As if that wasn’t already a bonkers figure for a rag-top, it packs 900 Nm of twist under the hood that’s on tap from between 2,250 to 3,750 rpm. Because it’s an AMG-Merc, there will always be a voice inside your head that tells you to floor it. Should you do just so, you’ll see the needle go past 100 km/h from standstill in just 3.9 seconds. Keep your foot planted and you’ll see it cap off at 250 km/h. However, these cars will rocket past the 320km/h barrier if unleashed.
The cost of all this power and hand-stitched luxury will set you back a whopping 226,457 Euros or around RM1.07 million (without taxes and duties, mind you). As we mentioned previously, only 130 of these prime examples will ever be built. But here’s a top tip, just get yourself a run-of-the-mill S-Class Coupe for a whole lot less.
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