It’s safe to say the upcoming S63 AMG Coupe is already a motivator. I can just hear people hustling to put in their orders for it at dealerships around the world. Its roadster sibling, the SL63 will be working out, so that it tops its corporate sibling’s output by creating 585 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque for the 2015 model year.
Along with the increase in output levels, up from 530 and 590, respectively, “AMG promises superior traction and improved lateral dynamics” thanks, in part, to a limited-slip rear differential.
The 2015 model will maintain its 16-city/25-highway/19-combined mpg ratings, but buyers won’t have to stick with a plastic engine cover: they can choose to have their 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 shrouded in carbon fiber.
Pricing has yet to be released, but it should be close to the 2014 car’s $147,300 starting figure. Look for the 2015 SL63 AMG on showroom floors this summer.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
