MERCEDES BENZ S CLASS CABRIO

Mercedes-Benz has built a two-door version of its range-topping S-class for more than three decades, but it hasn’t offered a convertible variant since 1971. Sun-seeking swells could roll down palm-lined boulevards in a two-seat Mercedes SL or, for a time, an SLS AMG, but the four-seat convertible options at Mercedes-Benz topped out with the E-class. When it introduced the latest S-class coupe, Mercedes decided to re-enter the high-luxury (think six-figure) four-place convertible arena, and thus we have the 2017 S-class cabriolet.
This reborn S-class cabriolet is available in three models, which mirror those of the coupe: the 449-hp S550 with a 4.7-liter twin-turbo V-8, the AMG S63 with its 577-hp twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8, and the AMG S65 featuring a twin-turbo V-12 making 621 horsepower as well as 738 lb-ft of torque. The S550 coupe comes standard with all-wheel drive but the S550 cabriolet is rear-wheel drive, the thinking being that it’s likely to sell predominantly in warm-weather climates. The S63 cabriolet retains all-wheel drive just like the coupe, mostly to aid in putting the engine’s tremendous torque to the ground. And while the S65 seemingly could use all-wheel drive for the same reason, it’s rear-drive only, as is its fixed-roof sibling.

RENTAL PRICE

• Daily: $695
• Weekly: $4,620