One of the most entertaining games petrol enthusiasts like to play is “What would you buy?” – a pastime that is mostly futile unless you own some sort of mine, or you’ve developed an app that is more popular than flinging birds at pigs.

Up until recently, if anyone had asked me what I’d buy with R3.5million, I don’t think the answer would have been a V12 Mercedes Benz.

But then I spent a week with the new S 65 AMG Coupe. It is a model that replaces the relatively popular CL range, but to be honest, the new generation is so good that Mercedes could very easily market it as an entirely new entry to its stable.

And to explain why, we’ve made this video in a bid to convey why this car is so special.

It is vastly luxurious. The interior is easily one of the best available in any car at any pricepoint. I’m quite happy to say that I’ve never encountered a cabin which blends quality with technology quite like this. The Bentley Continental GT, the S Coupe’s key rival, has a magnificent interior, but the SatNav is from Passat. Not that a Bentley driver would know what a Passat is. But I do, and it’s annoying.

And gone are the days when a luxury barge was exactly that: a barge. Thanks to technology, the big girl does a very laudable job of being a drivers’s car. As you’ll see in the video, the S Coupe makes use of world-first technology to help it through the corners. In fact, I found it easier to push harder in this car than in the smaller CLS 63 AMG.

So, what would I buy with R3.5million? Well, I could get a Ferrari California, or quite a nice second hand Ferrari 458, which is a real gem of a thing. I could have a Maserati GT with some change. Or a very nice Porsche.

But would I be as comfortable? No. Would I command as much presence on the road? Probably not. And would people like me more? Probably. Every time I stopped for petrol in this car, which was often, I had about 13 people at my window wanting to know all about it. I don’t think you get that in a California.

Right now, I’m a little jealous of mine owners and oil barons and Finnish wunderkid app developers. Because the S 65 AMG Coupe is one of the best cars ever built, and I miss it very much.

0:00 Intro
0:39 Engine, Power & Torque
2:32 Driving Experience
3:50 Features
5:28 S65 AMG Experience


-- Credits --

Written, Directed, Produced and Presented by
Ciro De Siena
www.twitter.com/cirodesiena

DOP
Warrick Le Sueuer
www.bounceboardproductions.com

Camera and assistant
Tom Purcell

Offline Editor and Colourist
JJ Jordaan