Security Deposit:           750€
Transmission:                Automatic
Seats:                              5
Engine:                            5-liter, petrol
0-60mph in:                    4,5 sec
MSRP:                             120k
Horse Power:                 449

What truly separates the S550’s driver’s seat from its passenger seats, though, is the ability to play maestro to the twin-turbocharged 4.7-liter V-8’s 449-hp orchestra. Backing up that engine is a new nine-speed automatic transmission that replaces last year’s seven-speed unit; it serves up shifts that are as smooth as good scotch. Press the accelerator and the 5025-pound Benz takes off like a bottle rocket. The two-and-a-half-ton, 206.5-inch-long, all-wheel-drive sedan scorched our test track as it launched from zero to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and crossed the century mark after 10.7 seconds. Another 2.2 seconds later, the S-class completed the quarter-mile at 110 mph. These figures put the S550 4MATIC on pace with the last BMW 750i xDrive we tested, but a 450-hp Audi A8L 4.0T Sport dusted both rivals at the track, no doubt aided by its lower 4672-pound curb weight.