A $250k Mercedes S65 AMG, now worth around $28,000, gets a professional detail and a thorough road test. The twin-turbo V12 engine roars to life, showcasing luxury features like massaging seats and night vision. Auto Auction Rebuilds explores this depreciated luxury vehicle.
I Paid $12,000 for this $250,000 V12 Mercedes S65 AMG – Here’s Why
A car rebuild expert paid $12,000 for a car that was once a $200,000 deal. This black-on-black 2009 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG W221 checks all the right boxes of a luxury sedan: it comes with a plush interior with sporty vibes, has the elegant silhouette that only the Benz cars used to have and somehow (some) lost along the way, and tons of power coming out of the almighty V12.
Randy Sheer bought a nearly 17-year-old Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG from an auction yard and is planning to give it away. However, despite being used to buying cars and flipping them just days or weeks later, he has grown attached to this performance sedan. It’s hard not to.
The car has 120,000 miles (193,121 kilometers) on the clock, but doesn’t show its mileage, nor its age. To make it look like it had just driven off the showroom floor, Randy took it to a studio for an inside-out detailing. It was steam-cleaned, ceramic-coated, and sent off to turn heads even when driving side by side with new cars.
Refined comfort and blistering performance go hand in hand in the 2009 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG W221. The sedan is powered by Mercedes’ pride and joy: the almighty twin-turbocharged V12, because at the time, downsizing and electrification were still light-years away. Mercedes-AMG wasn’t going to switch to the 4.0-liter V8 until 2014 with the launch of the AMG GT.
However, the S65 retained the V12 for the W222 as well. Under the hood of the W221, it pumps out 604 horsepower (612 metric horsepower) and 738 pound-feet (1,000 Newton meters) of torque. A five-speed AMG Speedshift automatic transmission puts the power down in an all-wheel-drive setup.
It is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, because those numbers make the performance sedan rocket from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 kph) in 4.2 seconds and top out at 155 mph (250 kph).
The cabin is a luxury lounge on wheels. Diamond-stitched leather wraps the heated and ventilated seats with massage functions, while Alcantara covers the headliner. A dual-pane panoramic sunroof lets in all the light of sunny days.
Meanwhile, the Bang & Olufsen audio system provides the soundtrack when the driver has had enough of the V12. However, the sedan remains quiet, sophisticated, and comfortable, and it makes traffic jams an enjoyable time once you start the massage program. Furthermore, it comes with tons of power for the era it comes from.
The S65 features Night View Assist, DISTRONIC PLUS radar-guided cruise control, and PRE-SAFE with automatic emergency braking. It rides on the Active Body Control suspension, engineered to reduce body roll and adapt to driving conditions.
Randy plans to give the car away, so this time, he is not making any money on it. He is already looking for a replacement. And the only car that would replace an S65 would be another S65. That one has 90,000 miles (144,841 kilometers) on the clock.
