12 for the Road: Mercedes Bids Adieu to V-12 S65 Super Sedan

The window is closing on a bygone era at the Mercedes-Benz display in Geneva as it rolls out the Final Edition of the Mercedes AMG S65 super sedan, a rear-wheel-drive V-12 brute, for the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show. Among other Mercedes reveals this week was a concept for a coming electric minivan.

Related: More 2019 Geneva Motor Show Coverage

Mercedes will build just 130 copies of the fully tricked-out S65’s last hurrah — many of which are likely to end up in wealthy collectors’ Garage Mahals. Perhaps anticipating they won’t spend a lot of time on the road, Mercedes thoughtfully is including a matching AMG indoor car cover emblazoned with “AMG S65 Final Edition.” Pricing was not announced, but a similarly equipped regular S65 (that has every option and more) hovers around a quarter of a million dollars.

Highlights of the Final Edition (which include pretty much all available luxury and driver assistance features):

• A lot of black, befitting the end of the line, including high-gloss Obsidian Black Metallic paint, black exhaust tips and an interior swathed in black Nappa leather. The AMG engine builder’s badge on the V-12 also is black.
• Spoked 20-inch wheels and exterior accents with a matte bronze-color finish. That accent is picked up inside with miles of copper-color contrast stitching — even on the floormats. The ambient lighting choices also include a special copper color.
• Carbon-fiber interior trim and a “1 of 130” badge on the console lid.
• Standard features that include the variable Magic Sky Control panoramic moonroof, individual power reclining rear seats with a lounger leg rest on the passenger side and a full-length center console with heated and cooled cupholders.

The heart of the S65 version of Mercedes-Benz’s S-Class sedan is the 621-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V-12 that puts out a trucklike 738 pounds-feet of torque. Mercedes estimates that it can push the U.S. S65 from zero-to-60 mph in 4.1 seconds; top speed is 186 mph if you have an autobahn handy. It’s not even the fastest S-Class sedan anymore, however; the AMG S63, with its more modern 602-hp, twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8, all-wheel drive and launch control, hits 60 mph in 3.4 seconds.

More From Cars.com:

• 2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Is the New Bargain Benz
• 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class First Drive: Resetting the Luxury Bar
• 2019 Audi A8: Redesigned Flagship Sedan Revealed
• Here’s Lookin’ at You, Kidneys: Updated BMW 7 Series Gets Gigantic Grille

But that’s not the point. There is no comparison to the V-12’s smooth power delivery and the uniquely satisfying sound you get when you fire it up. I was told by Mercedes that the V-12, which dates in its current form to 2003, still is offered to satisfy the buyer who wants the “ultimate” cachet and sound.

Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.