With its hand-built, twin-turbocharged, 6.0-liter V12 engine firing under its sculpted hood, the S65 AMG rockets from rest to 60 mph just half a click slower than a Corvette Z06, at 4.2 seconds. That’s what 604 horsepower peaking at about 5,000 rpm and 738 lb.-ft. of torque spread between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm will do for a car, even a heavy one like the redesigned 2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

Other upgrades that turn a regular S600 into a 2007 Mercedes S65 AMG include high-performance two-piece brake rotors squeezed by stout eight-piston calipers. Mercedes claims that this compound rotor design saves weight by 20 percent over conventional systems. Helping to haul the Benz down from speed, those front discs are internally-ventilated, perforated, and measure 15.4 inches in diameter. In back, the S65 AMG is equipped with 14.4-inch discs clamped by four-piston calipers. ABS and brake assist are standard.

The suspension gets a massage, too. The standard S600’s Active Body Control (ABC) suspension uses AMG-specific spring struts with firmer damping for sportier ride quality and improved handling. ABC reduces dive, roll, and squat through the use of hydraulics, electronics, and mechanical parts, normally reducing roll by 68 percent. A switch on the console directs ABC to scrub lean by as much as 95 percent if the driver wishes. Mercedes also revised the traction and stability control systems so that they behave commensurate with the S65 AMG’s performance potential.