Mercedes S-Class S600 L | Spotted
Want to own a 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged V12 before they become extinct? This one is £90k off...
The S-Class has long been an automotive pioneer in comfort and technology, and from what we've seen of the next-generation car, things are about to take a big leap forward in both respects. With cutting-edge augmented reality inside and an all-electrified powertrain line-up, it might just be the biggest forward stride yet taken in Mercedes's crowning model. Its arrival will probably date the outgoing S-Class like nineties sci-fi - an ignominious fate for car which everyone hailed as a technological marvel when it launched in 2014.
It was a comprehensive offering, too. The £62k 350 CDI SE Line set the agenda from the entry level, with its vast (for the day) digital screens surrounded by Merc's top-level leathers and metal trim. But higher-grade models really allowed the W222 platform to set a new bar for comfort, with Merc's Magic Body Control taking the 'waftmobile' reputation to new heights. Using stereo cameras to read the road ahead, the chassis could actively counter imperfections and furniture. Genius.
Also pioneering was the S-Class's ultra-advanced driver assist tech. A steer assist feature is becoming familiar across the board, but in 2014, the S-Class made it work brilliantly. As did the car's Traffic Jam Assist and emergency braking functions, which had plenty excited by the prospect of autonomous cars being just around the corner. They weren't, of course, but the S Class nudged the whole concept closer by a significant margin.
There were usable hybrids as well, but we saved our affection for AMG's characteristic madness - delivered as the 585hp S63 and 630hp S65, the latter affirming that there was still space for a more traditional, big block take on luxury motoring. This was particularly conspicuous in Merc's S600 L, a car (or limo, given its long-wheelbase) that deployed its twelve cylinders for effortless progress above all else. Although with 530hp and 612lb ft of torque, the latter being available from 1,900rpm, it also wasn't short of pace: 62mph came in under five seconds and the top speed had to be limited at 155mph.
But the focus was obviously elsewhere. Merc's thick insulation ensured that interior road noise was the lowest in class, and there were such reserves of performance that the S600 L has always been a car to use when the private jet was grounded. The S500 could get you from Munich to Berlin nailed at 155mph, too - but it didn't have as many cylinders, and when you've got the best of everything, why scrimp on the important stuff? The £145,970 starting price reflected that instinct.
That means today's Spotted, a four-year, 21,000-mile-old example is not far off a third of its original value, if you assume the buyer added a few options to pump that base price up a bit. That's a painful bout of depreciation for the original buyer, but a chance to bag a cut-price present-gen S-Class before the new one comes and makes it all feel a bit last decade. We'd recommend standing on the shoulder of a giant why you have the chance...
SPECIFICATION | MERCEDES-BENZ S -CLASS S600 L
Engine: 5,980cc, V12, twin-turbocharged
Transmission: 7-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 530@4,900-5,300rpm
Torque (lb ft): 612@1,900-4,000rpm
MPG: 25
CO2: 259g/km
Recorded mileage: 21,000
First registered: 2016
Price new: £145,970
Yours for: £53,990
Our new GLS has so many faults and niggles that the dealership can’t replicate or isn’t able to diagnose it alarms me. Still this may have transitioned into specialist territory so it won’t cripple someone who’s brave enough to give it a go and enjoy that colossal power
It would be great if the systems degraded gracefully and in a manner which didn't cripple the car, but these cars seem to integrate everything so deeply that a failure is either catastrophic or significantly impairs multiple car systems.
I can think of many more satisfying ways to deploy £50k.
They're lovely when they're working, but they're one of the least reliable, and certainly the least confidence-inspiring cars I've ever owned.
And that comes from a serial owner of classic Lotuses...
It's averaged 44mpg over 55,000 miles and just needed servicing, tyres and brake pads. I did have one issue with a failed NOX sensor, just out of warranty, but Mercedes replaced it free-of-charge. No other issues and it still feels as taught as the day I bought it.
Depreciation is the biggest cost; mine is worth about £15k now, which just means I'll keep hold of it. I can't think of anything I'd rather own - except perhaps an S63 with the 4.0-litre V8.
It is so sad that he was absolutely correct in so many ways - of course things go wrong with the oily bits, but it is so often the electronics that scare us.
Makes me look back with great fondness at the era of the W126 and 140 cars that of course could cost money but were less likely in my mind (if not in reality) to eat themselves from the inside out.
as an aside I still think after a few revisions I-drive is now the best by a long way!
Not the sort of area the original S Class owners would be frequenting...
I had the CL65 and truly loved the V12 twin turbo engines relentless thrust once on the move, if anyone buys it I've got a nice set of Vossen wheels that fit nicely and transform the looks.
Shame about the output it should be around 620 BHP at least that is about what my CL 65 put out, it's been castrated in which case a quick re-map should get it where it should be.
I run cars like you'd run an aircraft - stay on top everything, keep it garaged/hangared, ensure it all works and do preventative maintenance.
You can treat your car to protect your investment by maintaining it to factory specification in which case it should be reliable and perform as new (which TUV in Germany requires owners to do) or you can cheap-out and fool yourself with false economies by running it into the ground with the result that you'll accelerate depreciation and be driving an unreliable, under-performing banger.
From the picture of the dealer it also seems a strange place to be selling something such as this from .
The majority of the issues (which were, admittedly, minor and annoying rather than show-stoppers) that I suffered on my two S-classes were electronics related. Some, I got the distinct impression, were simply flaky software programming.. you got used to the Microsoft Windows expedient of 'switch it off, switch it on again'.
Not really acceptable on a £100K car, though.
But yet Mercedes managed to go one step farther with 'Steer Assist'. In proper English we'd say Steering Assistance, my dears.
- One step "farther" is more accurate for a physical distance.
- One step further would be more accurate for a figurative distance, which is what I believe you are implicating, in proper English ;-)
But yet Mercedes managed to go one step farther with 'Steer Assist'. In proper English we'd say Steering Assistance, my dears.
- One step "farther" is more accurate for a physical distance.
- One step further would be more accurate for a figurative distance, which is what I believe you are implicating, in proper English ;-)
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