If these cars were weapons, they would be the heaviest battle axes, covered in gold leaf and decorated with wood inlays. But they are not. Instead, we're just going to have to feature another boring comparison between $500,000 worth of convertibles.
12-cylinder engines are like an automotive fetish. Cars equipped with these things are always exotic and rare. Automakers could do the same job with a V8, but it's so much fancier this way.
The latest episode of Head 2 Head is dedicated to the big guns, two convertibles that cost over a quarter of a million dollars each, seat four people and have twin-turbocharged engines with four cylinders. Other than that, the Mercedes-AMG S65 and Bentley Continental GT Black Edition don't have that much in common.
Things start out slowly with the "guess the price of the options" game. That being said, the S65 only has $5,000 worth of options, the lowest we've seen in a long time. Heck, the average CLA 250 has at least $3,000 in options on it.
Meanwhile, the Bentley has something called a color package, which for $13,000 adds those horrible red plinths that surround the car and that interior. Who let the tuners loose on those seats?
This is also the first time that a Mercedes with a V12 engine is significantly lighter than its direct competitor. But everybody knows Bentley makes its cars from granite and railway sleepers.
Steering, gearbox, engine - everything is different on the Bentley and Mercedes, with flaws being found in every department. The GT Speed has direct, responsive steering on center and confidence-inspiring all-wheel drive.
Meanwhile, the Merc shines in the engine department, despite also using old-fashioned tech. Motor Trend's editors say this is one of the best applications of the 6.0-lite AMG V12. Another area where the S-Class shines is technology, being packed with systems that work behind the scenes to keep you safe and comfortable.
In the end, that's what wins it the review against one of the ugliest Bentleys we've ever seen. But we can't help wonder what will happen when the all-new GT comes out.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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