During the last auto show season, Mercedes-Benz Cars chief Dieter Zetsche said the next 12 months would be the year of the ‘dream cars’ at the German automaker with several new and refreshed coupes and cabriolets due to be rolled out.

Now, I’m not here to suggest that the SLC (formerly the SLK) roadster can’t be an exciting car of one’s dreams, but I think the real dream car Zetsche was talking about is the AMG S 63 4MATIC Cabriolet.

And rightly so – from its sleek profile, to its plush interior and overabundance of amenities to its AMG performance and stratospheric price tag, the S 63 Cabriolet is the embodiment of a dream car.

With a base MSRP of $193,600, the S 63 Cabriolet is truly in rarified air. My tester even more so, as Mercedes-Benz Canada elected to pile on more than $8,000 worth of options.

In short, if exclusivity is your thing, this is your car. Through Oct. 31 Mercedes-Benz Canada has sold only 878 S-Class cars total. Individual numbers for each model aren’t available, but the S 63 Cabriolet likely accounts for less than five percent of that figure – you can probably count each Canadian sale with your fingers and toes.

The S 63 Cabriolet is true feast for the senses – it’s almost sensory overload, to be honest.

Power is derived from a hand-built AMG 5.5L biturbo V8 that produces 577 horsepower and 664 lb-ft. of torque and drives all four wheels through a 7-speed multi-clutch (MCT) automatic transmission.

Although not designed for track days, with that much power under your right foot the S 63 Cabriolet is blindingly fast if you mash the gas pedal: 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds with an estimated top speed of 300 km/h. It’s as fast as you want it to be, but the AMG-ness of this car isn’t the story – the sumptuous luxury is.

The S 63 Cabriolet is designed to cater to your every whim, whether you wish to change the ambient interior lighting or turn on the AIRSCARF to warm the back of your neck when the top is down, or see 3D renderings of your surroundings on the 12.3-inch navigation screen, this car is here to serve.

Just as a dream car should.

SPECIFICATIONS – 2017 Mercedes-AMG S 63 4MATIC Cabriolet

BASE PRICE / AS TESTED: $193,600 / $209,050
ENGINE: 5.5L biturbo V8
HORSEPOWER: 577 hp @ 5,500 rpm
TORQUE: 664 lb-ft. @ 2,250 – 3,750 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 2,185 kg
CONFIGURATION: front engine, all-wheel drive
TRANSMISSION: 7-speed multi-clutch (MCT) automatic
FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS (L/100 KM - CITY / HWY. / COMB.): 16.4 / 10.6 / 13.8
WARRANTY (MOS. / KM): 48 / 80,000
ALTERNATIVES: Audi R8 Spyder, BMW M6 Cabriolet, Jaguar F-Type SVR, Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS

Photography by Lee Bailie