Road Test: Mercedes-Benz S Class S65L 4dr Auto

This is not the best car in the S-Class range. Well, not unless you have regular access to an autobahn and an unquenchable thirst for super unleaded. The way it accelerates above 100mph is utterly staggering. What’s utterly staggering below 100mph is just how little traction there is to hand...

At any speed that’s legal in the UK, the S65 struggles to make a case for itself. In cities, the clutch slips to protect the gearbox from the turning forces delivered by 738lb ft of twin-turbo V12, making the heavy engine feel a little lazy and slow to respond, and outside 30mph limits any attempt to indulge the torque is greeted by a palpable sense of electronic tension as the ESP goes into overdrive. We don’t say this lightly, but the S65 could really use 4WD.

It doesn’t ride as sumptuously as lesser models, and the blend of heavenly luxury and hell-bent power delivery isn’t quite as beguiling as I’d hoped. The V12 is pure buttercream, though – as rich, smooth and powerful as the clientele it’s aimed at. If nothing else, you’ve got to be happy that engines – and by extension, cars – like this still exist.