2018 Mercedes-AMG S63 4MATIC Gallery

You know where you are in an S-Class. This is the 2018 Mercedes-AMG S63 4MATIC, and it can't decide if it wants to be a rocket ship, a luxury sedan, or a meditation spa. From the outside you might struggle to tell the difference between this and its predecessor, but under the hood there's a new, handmade 4.0-liter V8 biturbo. That's good for 603 HP, and 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds.

Inside, Mercedes cabin quality is beyond reproach. Quilted leather, Alcantara, and lashings of brushed metal make the S43 an eminently pleasant place to be, even if many of the more cosseting features cost extra. Worth the upgrade is Mercedes' newest assistive driving technologies. While you can't yet hand over full chauffeur duties to the car, the combination of adaptive cruise and lane-keeping is the most polished I've seen from the automaker yet.

You might find being passenger is more relaxing, anyway. For 2018 the S63 introduces Energizing Comfort, a series of programs like "Joy" and "Refresh" which combine seat massage, LED lighting effects, custom soundtracks, and even scents. Mercedes says the idea is to turn the car into an "ultimate mobile oasis of wellbeing." Far-fetched maybe, but don't laugh. The S-Class has a track record of influencing not only Mercedes' cars but the auto industry in general.