Mercedes Benz S65 AMG Vs. Bentley Mulsanne

Confession. The most frightened I have ever been in any vehicle was in a Mercedes Benz S65 AMG, going in a straight line, no less.

I’ve been in faster cars, I’ve been in more dangerous situations in which I had no control whatsoever, but the sheer raw power of that twelve cylinder bi-turbo beast shattered my preconceived notions and offered a lesson in respect that I will never forget. To be strapped into what looks like an aggressively sporty limousine and then pressed into the seat like a rocket ship pilot upon takeoff was not just more than I expected. It simply didn’t make sense. It didn’t register in my mind that it was even possible to move so much metal so quickly with an internal combustible engine.

Okay, I get it. AMG builds fast, nimble Mercedes Benz automobiles, but this thing was huge! And it shot off the line like a dragster! How does one make sense of that? That said, it was also one of the most exhilarating experiences I can remember, and it rekindled the love for Mercedes Benz (and AMG) that I had in the 1980s when I first discovered the AMG Hammer and the MB powered Isdera Imperator 108i.

I was a Bentley fan in the ’80s too, but they never built anything like this. The Bentley Mulsanne is nothing less than a palace on wheels, with enough power under the bonnet to move all three tons of its mass from a dead stop to sixty miles per hour in less time than it takes to read this sentence. Go ahead. Read it again quickly. The Mulsanne is already doing sixty. It’s doing a hundred by now. Just give up. This fancy tank will keep accelerating all the way to 184 mph (maybe faster).

As far as I can tell, the biggest problem with the Mulsanne is deciding whether to slide into the driver’s seat and light up the tires or lounge in the back while your chauffeur does the driving.

But now for the really difficult question. Which one do you take home? Both offer lounge-like comfort and luxury, supercar performance, and a price tag that would fetch you a nice home in a gated neighborhood. On second thought, that’s a silly question. Odds are good that if you can afford one of these cars, you can afford both of them.

http://youtu.be/4PckC81-a0w

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