Mercedes S65 Final Edition Is a Swan Song to Our Fave V12 Engine
M-B is bidding farewell to the W222 S-class via the S65 Final Edition. We reminisce about our favorite dozen-cylinder masterpieces.
Its the end of an era. A glorious era. Mercedes is signing off the W222 S-class. We thought it would be the end of the V12, too. But thankfully we covered this topic before, and that’s not the case. However, with the S-class being redesigned, the S65 Final Edition is a parting gift from Mercedes. It’s just a gift you’ll have to pay a huge amount of money for.
Amrit Hoeba from the CarVlogger YouTube channel checks out this example. Mercedes has added some special touches to the Final Edition including a unique accent color and special badging. “Look at the wheels! This bronze is all over the place and is such a contrast to the color of the car,” Hoeba says. Being an S65, you can expect the price to be lofty, and being 1 of 130, it is. In going through the MSRP, Hoeba says, “all these options for the final edition – excluding tax – is €293,848.” Although he mentions no tax, the line he’s reading from includes tax, so the numbers could be a bit off. Still, it’s a hefty price, but you do get everything as standard.
There were reports of the V12 being a long gone motor, but thankfully, it’s sticking around. Initial reports relegates any future V12 motors to Maybach and very special limited edition vehicles. But now we know it’ll be in the W222’s successor.
That’s a good thing, because some of the very best Mercedes models were (and are) V12 powered. In historical terms, the M120 V12 kicked off in the W140 chassis, and brought in the era of opulence yet to be found in any luxury sedan. Then came the turbocharged V12 era with the S65 Final Edition offering a punchy 621 hp and 738 lb/ft of torque.
And of course, who can forget that Pagani uses AMG V12 engines. In fact, you can hear the sound of a Zonda and a Huayra – or an uncorked W140 – just by mentioning the name. Which really makes the speedy silence of the S-class V12 all the more impressive.
And while the W222 still remains impressive, we have to wonder what Mercedes will do to improve an already incredible design.
Join the MB World forums now!
