So I had a minor incident and my passenger
side taillight on MY15 S 65 is damaged. It’s currently at the dealer . I asked him if since we are going to be replacing with new light if it’s possible to convert to the new MY 18
style oled light and change both. Dealer said he would check into this. Anyone can help whether this is possible? Thanks

 

Let us know what you find out.

I know the new front bumper and grille can be fitted but it is quite expensive.

 

Dealer texted me this picture today . They installed the part of new light side by side but It doesn’t come ON. He said it’s not compatible 😟

 

I'm sure they will need to replace the entire light, nit the trunk part only.

 

New OLED light probably has a different power specification

 

It is possible. I have completely converted my 2015 S63. You do need a converter for the new LED taillights + CPU programming to remove taillight error messages.

 

Care to share?

 

Sure! Here’s before and after..
A local shop in Riyadh did a good job on it 👍

 

Where did you get the parts? Also any info on panamericana grill swap??

 

I don’t think you can swap the grill. You’d have to change the whole bumper.
The shop owner ordered the parts from Germany through his connections over there.

 

Conversion looks great. I wasn't a fan of the new grille early on but it has really grown on me, and now I find it far more appealing than the pre-facelift grille that is now more or less being used on the S560. An entire new front bumper assembly is indeed required.

Mercteil sells the conversion kit

So with shipping, import duty, paint, and labor figure final cost > $15k. While certainly a lot cheaper than upgrading to a new 2018+ S63 Coupe, you won't get the new drivetrain or COMAND, and both are very substantial upgrades to the driving experience compared with the pre-facelift models. And unfortunately these cars will continue to depreciate to basically nothing. So in a way such a cosmetic refresh, aftermarket body kit, etc is throwing more good money after bad. Plus you can count on expensive repairs (or service center visits under extended warranty) after 4-5 years, particularly with the suspension. And there will be significant maintenance costs too i.e. new lithium battery $1500, new brakes $6000 (unless you have CCBs), etc.

If you look at long term, in 4-5 years from now a 2015-2017 S63 will probably be worth $25k or less. A 2018-2020 will probably be worth at least $80-100k, and there will be no costs for repairs, extended warranty, or costly maintenance. So while a trade-in may seem very expensive compared to retrofit, and indeed one will take a big hit over the first 1-2 years, over a longer haul the loss may be similar. Also my understanding is Mercedes will not carry the S Coupe/Cab into the W223 generation, rather they will be merged into the SL replacement which will be a 2+2 convertible. And from what I've seen in renderings and spy shots, the W223 interior is a massive, Tesla-esque downgrade. So the C217 is the end of the line for the ultimate personal luxury coupe. Production numbers have been very low since 2018 too - check the resale market for 2018 and 2019 and you will find few to none. In 2016 there were already a ton of 2015 resales available. So it is possible the final iteration of this car will hold value better than history would suggest. At least that is what I'm telling myself, as I'm about to put a deposit on a 2020 S63 allocation with plan to trade-in my 2015 around year end

 

The facelift is a huge step forward. Heisenberg, you wont regret it. I mistakenly traded my 2015 in when i bought my AMG GTR. After a few months i regretted it. i found a 2019 to my exact specs and bought it. I'm so happy i got another one.

 

I had a 2015 S63 coupe and now have a 2018 S63 coupe. The 2018 is sooo much better than the 2015 in every way. I'm glad I traded up to the 2018. Very happy with my decision. It's a night and day difference.

 

Only changes I don't like are the eliminated passenger seat control and seat belt extension buttons, both of which I use on my 2015. The former was replaced on the refresh by the rear headrest button, which was previously in between the dash displays along with the sunshade button, which is now where memory 3 was. I wish they had put the rear sunshade and headrest buttons eliminated from the dash in the COMAND menus, left the passenger seat control button alone, and maybe replace memory 3 with the seat belt extension.

 

The faxcelifted car is indeed a step forward in driving imho (see my earlier reviews). Have it now for 4 months, and it is mainly the driveability that is much better (more agile, more responsive, better shifting, better exhaust note, especially in Sport+/Race, better mileage!, for convertible lovers: much better windstop, this one really works!, etc).

Also some flaws, mainly to do with the less performing COMAND NTG 5*5 (no more BT tethering possible, so obliged to use built-in Vodafone SIM, slower interface, etc), and indeed some buttons disappeared:

Those 2 buttons indeed are misssing in the facelifted cars (but only in the S63/65 it seems, in the S560 e.a. the buttons are there, but on different places, because in the middle, center console, less buttons are required for Dynamic Select options (like exhaust, transmission, etc).

 

Care to explain how is it night and day with some real life scenarios? It's like going from c class > s class?

 

I only drove mine about 20 mi before it went to the detailer for paint protection, ceramic coat, and tint. And I didn't get on it very hard since it is new as I'm going to try and be respectful to the break-in recommendations.

The 2015-2017 were hindered by their electronics, by design. Only Comfort and Sport programs were available, with comfort being much like the S560, i.e. a quick luxury cruiser. In S mode it became a very quick luxury cruiser, but probably was a little less of an AMG than it should have been; there was no S+ or Race mode, no launch control / Race Start feature, and even with the valves open the exhaust was barely audible unless the windows were down in which case some modest burbles and cracks to be heard.

The 2018-2020 now adds S+, Race, and Individual modes (which I programmed as S+ but with comfort suspension). In comfort and sport modes it is similar to the older car, but with less turbo lag. But it really comes alive with the new S+/Race modes - it is now a proper AMG with a very exciting exhaust and it seems more eager to rev. And the 9sp-MCT seems to be much improved over the 7sp-MCT in the 2015-2017, I don't think the transmission is a weakness of these cars any longer. The 4MATIC system is new too. I have not had an opportunity to evaluate it, but I know it can vary the torque distribution to the front versus rear, while the old model was fixed. However, I don't believe the S63 can complete detach the front axle (i.e. drift mode) like in some other AMG AWD cars.

Inside, there is little change. The new COMAND NTG5.5 looks nice and seems reasonably responsive, and the screens are noticeably higher resolution. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now standard. But a few useful buttons are gone (passenger seat control, seat belt extender, driver memory #3). The parking camera resolution is better, but it is harder to activate the very useful surround view - I much prefer the single button on the active panel as on the old car, new one has to be accessed via Favorites or by pressing the parking button on the console and then scrolling to the desired view, both of which are tedious. Two steps forward, two steps back on the inside.

Outside, only the front bumper, grill, rear diffuser, and taillights have changed. Which I think is great because the car looks amazing - elegant, aggressive, and understated all at the same time. I honestly wasn't a fan of the new front end at first but it grew on me, and now I think it looks fantastic - and it sets the car apart more from the S560. The OLED taillights look amazing and the new diffuser design is much better, even if it is borrowed from lower end AMG cars.

 

the engine is a lot more responsive, and together with the 9 speed, turns the car into a true low 3 seconds car. I thought energizing comfort was a gimmick, it still is, but I’ve grown to like it.