Reviews 2017 Mercedes-AMG E 63 4MATIC+ and E 63 S 4MATIC+ Reviews
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Wolfgang
Kraftwagen König
^ From Car and Driver. 
Stealthy Business Line Exterior Package to be Offered for Euro-Spec 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG
AMG’s new Business Line exterior treatment will take this 2014 E63 AMG and make it look more like a plebeian E350.
In America and Asia, car owners typically want to flaunt what they’ve got. It’s a bit of a different story in Europe: The public is sensitive to inequality, and it’s considered to be in poor taste to drive a vehicle that draws too much attention to itself. This explains the utter failure of traditional luxury cars on the Continent. (Sales of the BMW 7-series and the Mercedes S-class are a fraction of what they were decades ago.) It’s more acceptable to arrive in a mid-size sedan, preferably without range- or lineup-topping badging. Affluent car owners don’t just shun the luxury segment, they also prefer to keep their vehicle’s performance under wraps, too.
This mindset doesn’t do any favors for Mercedes-Benz or its new E-class. Affalterbach’s take on Benz’s new mainstream sedan, the E63 AMG—in which we’ve already ridden with AMG’s development chief—is so aggressively styled that there is no way to mask its status at the top of the automotive food chain. This 550- or 577-hp monster can easily be distinguished from its less powerful siblings thanks to massive air intakes, darkened wheels, and enormous quad exhaust outlets. It’s the antithesis of automotive modesty; in Europe, and particularly in Germany, this is precisely the sort of thing that’s frowned upon.
No doubt in an effort to protect the social fabric in Germany, AMG will provide a convenient solution to this predicament—a solution that does not involve a performance downgrade. Instead, we are told by AMG CEO Ola Källenius, the company soon will offer a Business Line option. This is a package that must be ordered through AMG’s Performance Studio, bringing the styling of the E63 AMG in line with the more pedestrian level of a standard E-class and doing away with the quad exhaust. The option won’t be offered in the U.S. as Källenius says the desire to tone down exterior appearances is an “almost exclusively German phenomenon.”
Stealthy Business Line Exterior Package to be Offered for Euro-Spec 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG
AMG’s new Business Line exterior treatment will take this 2014 E63 AMG and make it look more like a plebeian E350.
In America and Asia, car owners typically want to flaunt what they’ve got. It’s a bit of a different story in Europe: The public is sensitive to inequality, and it’s considered to be in poor taste to drive a vehicle that draws too much attention to itself. This explains the utter failure of traditional luxury cars on the Continent. (Sales of the BMW 7-series and the Mercedes S-class are a fraction of what they were decades ago.) It’s more acceptable to arrive in a mid-size sedan, preferably without range- or lineup-topping badging. Affluent car owners don’t just shun the luxury segment, they also prefer to keep their vehicle’s performance under wraps, too.
This mindset doesn’t do any favors for Mercedes-Benz or its new E-class. Affalterbach’s take on Benz’s new mainstream sedan, the E63 AMG—in which we’ve already ridden with AMG’s development chief—is so aggressively styled that there is no way to mask its status at the top of the automotive food chain. This 550- or 577-hp monster can easily be distinguished from its less powerful siblings thanks to massive air intakes, darkened wheels, and enormous quad exhaust outlets. It’s the antithesis of automotive modesty; in Europe, and particularly in Germany, this is precisely the sort of thing that’s frowned upon.
No doubt in an effort to protect the social fabric in Germany, AMG will provide a convenient solution to this predicament—a solution that does not involve a performance downgrade. Instead, we are told by AMG CEO Ola Källenius, the company soon will offer a Business Line option. This is a package that must be ordered through AMG’s Performance Studio, bringing the styling of the E63 AMG in line with the more pedestrian level of a standard E-class and doing away with the quad exhaust. The option won’t be offered in the U.S. as Källenius says the desire to tone down exterior appearances is an “almost exclusively German phenomenon.”
Mick Briesgau
Tire Trailblazer
Yes, something like that, the exhaust unit however may stay
hoffmeister_fan
Kraftwagen König
If I were in the market for one, this would interest me very much. I guess my mentality aligns more with the Germans than the Americans when it comes to luxury hot-rods.
BMW3GT
Autobahn Adventurer
WAND
Oversteer Expert
Sick !
As I said, I don't be surprised if it goes faster than claimed ( 3 sec or below to 100kmh. )
3 sec to 100km, 10 sec to 200kmh.
Man this performance is sick for limousine.
It is close to 991 Turbo S !
It's definitive a super-saloon.
This guy has great reviews but his accent is hilarious, such strong German, Das is the new Mercedes E63 H M Gee ich bin oops sorry folks this is the English show!
Make you wonber what kind of power the M177 is really putting out in this car. The M157 I'm the previous
E63 was dyno tested at around 636hp-676hp before losses at the wheel by motortrend.
BMW3GT
Autobahn Adventurer
That was a "Spätzle"-Edition Review of the new E63 ;-)
Suprised this one has not been posted.
(Not posting pics because we already know what it looks like.)
BUYER'S GUIDE
2018 MERCEDES-AMG E63 S 4MATIC+ FIRST DRIVE: AMG BUILDS A BIGGER HAMMER
Long Live the Hammer
Jonny Lieberman Words, Manufacturer PhotosDecember 6, 2016
You activate Drift mode in the new 603-horsepower Mercedes-AMG E63 S 4Matic+ by tapping the dynamic toggle switch to Race mode, turning all the electronic no-fun nets off, placing the transmission in manual mode, and finally pulling both paddle shifters toward you. Supposedly, a prompt then appears and asks if you really and truly, no jokingly want to electromechanically decouple the driveshaft that powers the front differential. I say “supposedly” because Drift mode was disabled in all three of the latest descendants of the original Hammer I drove on the launch of the new AMG E63 around Faro, Portugal.
I should clarify—I drove them on the street. The two examples of the bruising sedan I played with on Portimão’s superlative Autodromo Algarve International Circuit did in fact have Drift mode intact, just like American customer versions will have when the W213 E63 S goes on sale sometime in the summer of 2017 as a 2018 model. The thing is, the red misty mental space of a racetrack seemed like the wrong place to experiment with a feature AMG wouldn’t even let us attempt in public. Why no Drift mode? AMG needed to get around 100 journalists from all over the world testing the cars within a couple of weeks. They couldn’t lose any cars. Do I like the excuse? No. Do I understand it? Sure. How is the new E63, then, sans Drift mode?
I’ll start with the engine because like with all AMGs, that’s the heart of the matter. American buyers won’t be offered the 563-horsepower, 553-lb-ft of torque non-S kiddie version; instead, every U.S.-spec E63 model will be the fully mental 603-horsepower, 627-lb-ft of torque S variant with AMG’s now-ubiquitous 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, known internally as the M177. For E63 duty, both power and torque are up in part because the comically named “hot inner V” turbos are now twin-scroll turbochargers. In addition to the twin-scrollers, the engine packs new pistons, a new intake manifold, new intercoolers, and updated software. AMG also throws a bone to fuel efficiency; it’s the first time a variant of this engine is available with cylinder deactivation. In Comfort mode only, of course.
A new nine-speed transmission known as the AMG Speedshift MCT is bolted to the potent V-8. Fans of the previous E63 will note that the old transmission was a seven-speed MCT. That MCT stands for multiclutch technology even though there’s actually only one traditional clutch. There is, however, a wet clutch that replaces the torque converter. AMG claims that the new nine-speed gearbox is a touch lighter than the seven-speed one it replaces. The transmission sends power to two output shafts, as all E63s are all-wheel drive. The last E63 we got was also AWD, but it had a fixed torque split with 33 percent to front axle and 67 percent to the rear. The new E63’s torque split is continuously variable depending on what the car needs, hence the somewhat clumsy descriptor, 4Matic+. To illustrate this, we saw a video of an E63 lapping the Algarve circuit with a graphic showing the front-to-rear torque split. Through corners where traction was needed, the torque split was 50/50. By the end of the front straight, 100 percent of the power was being fed to the rear wheels. The front wheels never get more than 50 percent of the power.
I only got to experience the E63 S 4Matic+, which may become the sales leader in the U.S. From here on out, we’ll only be thinking about the S version. The evaluation cars were shod in sticky Pirelli P Zero rubber, 265/35R20 front, 295/30R20 rear. Track is also wider on both axles compared to the standard E-Class. Launch control is Porsche-simple: Push the brake pedal to the floor in Sport, Sport+, or Race modes, bury the throttle, and release the brake. The car is off like a projectile from a main gun. AMG is quoting 0–60 mph in 3.3 seconds for the E63 S (3.4 for the slower version), and their estimate is conservative. The last-generation E63 S we tested in 2014 produced 577 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, made 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, and ran to the end of a quarter mile from a dead stop in 11.6 seconds at 121.8 mph. It also weighed 4,511 pounds. AMG says that the new car weighs about the same (I’d guess another 100 or so pounds heavier), but the seat of my pants is telling me that the extra power, grip, pop from the new transmission, and smart AWD system will allow the new car to shatter the old E63’s records.
With the technical briefing part of the review aside, we can get to the meat of it: How does the new E63 drive? In a word, monstrously. For the past year, I’ve been running around Los Angeles in a Dodge Hellcat: 707 horsepower, 650 lb-ft of torque, 4,530 pounds, and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Funnily enough, it’s based on an old E-Class, the W210, which is one of the few good results of the ill-conceived DaimlerChrysler merger of equals. The E63 feels as if it could snap the Hellcat in half. The forward thrust of the M177 coupled with bullwhip-crack shifts from the nine-speed and the tarmac-hugging grip of the AWD rockets you forward in a way rarely felt in the sedan world. The Audi S8 and the Insane/Ludacris mode dual-motor Teslas come to mind. But this might feel more brutal than all of them. Public roads seem like child’s play. This car just eats them alive. Even in the wet. The E63 very well might be the ultimate in alpha dog executive transportation.
Then they let us loose on the track. Well, not exactly loose. We followed instructors around the undulating, 2.9-mile-long circuit. Each pro driver was in an AMG GT S, which although down on power—just 503 hp—were 800 pounds lighter than our E63. I can tell you that up to 155 mph the E63 runs dead even with the GT S down the big front straight. No easy feat, as the zaftig coupe runs 11.4-second quarter miles. I can also tell you that I was getting traction control warning lights all the way past 140 mph. In other words, as the E63 became more and more rear-wheel-drive biased, it was trying to spin its back tires.
The one problem area for the E63 is high-speed braking, specifically composure while slowing down. It’s true that getting into the ABS from 155 mph in a downhill braking zone is no easy task for any vehicle, but I felt the E63 squirmed around too much for me to be comfortable. Part of the problem was that the air suspension was most likely at the end of its travel, and the track dipped. The massive carbon-ceramic brakes themselves up to the herculean task of lassoing all that runaway bulk. We were running three-lap sessions, and the fade was minimal. I did manage to cook the brake fluid a bit, but I never lost stopping power—just a bit of pedal feel. In the other two big braking zones, the E63 felt tied down and composed, but admittedly we weren’t travelling anywhere near as rapidly as we were into the first turn.
Cornering was interesting. Obviously, the E63 is not only heavy for a track car but also front heavy. When I strictly followed the line laid down in front of me by the instructors, understeer became an issue. However, if I flicked the rear of the car a touch sideways before fully committing to a corner, I could get away with less steering input and therefore get to the power sooner because the front wheels were closer to pointing straight than turned. That technique involved a lot of work and was definitely not the quickest way around a racetrack. However, it did help to eliminate front-end push, and it was fun to boot. Try to avoid tight corners if you can. Flowing sweepers are no problem. Although it’s definitely not a track car—and AMG admitted as much—the E63 S’ capabilities mean it can somewhat hang with proper sports cars. That’s pretty impressive for a big sedan if you ask me.
That last sentence might be the best way to sum up the Mercedes-AMG E63 S 4Matic+. The E63 is going to do well come comparison test season. No one knows anything about BMW’s upcoming G30-based M5, so taking it off the table, you’re left with the 597-hp Audi RS 7 and 640-hp Cadillac CTS-V. Comparing the Audi to the Caddy, the AWD RS7 is the straight-line king, whereas the CTS-V is a track savant. The E63 seems to me, with its variable AWD, to be able to take the fight to both and probably even win. Time will tell, but until then, rest comfortably in the knowledge that the new E63 does nothing to tarnish the legend of both the mighty sedans that came before or AMG itself. Long live the Hammer.
-->> http://www.motortrend.com/cars/merc...mercedes-amg-e63-s-4matic-first-drive-review/
(Not posting pics because we already know what it looks like.)
BUYER'S GUIDE
2018 MERCEDES-AMG E63 S 4MATIC+ FIRST DRIVE: AMG BUILDS A BIGGER HAMMER
Long Live the Hammer
Jonny Lieberman Words, Manufacturer PhotosDecember 6, 2016
You activate Drift mode in the new 603-horsepower Mercedes-AMG E63 S 4Matic+ by tapping the dynamic toggle switch to Race mode, turning all the electronic no-fun nets off, placing the transmission in manual mode, and finally pulling both paddle shifters toward you. Supposedly, a prompt then appears and asks if you really and truly, no jokingly want to electromechanically decouple the driveshaft that powers the front differential. I say “supposedly” because Drift mode was disabled in all three of the latest descendants of the original Hammer I drove on the launch of the new AMG E63 around Faro, Portugal.
I should clarify—I drove them on the street. The two examples of the bruising sedan I played with on Portimão’s superlative Autodromo Algarve International Circuit did in fact have Drift mode intact, just like American customer versions will have when the W213 E63 S goes on sale sometime in the summer of 2017 as a 2018 model. The thing is, the red misty mental space of a racetrack seemed like the wrong place to experiment with a feature AMG wouldn’t even let us attempt in public. Why no Drift mode? AMG needed to get around 100 journalists from all over the world testing the cars within a couple of weeks. They couldn’t lose any cars. Do I like the excuse? No. Do I understand it? Sure. How is the new E63, then, sans Drift mode?
I’ll start with the engine because like with all AMGs, that’s the heart of the matter. American buyers won’t be offered the 563-horsepower, 553-lb-ft of torque non-S kiddie version; instead, every U.S.-spec E63 model will be the fully mental 603-horsepower, 627-lb-ft of torque S variant with AMG’s now-ubiquitous 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, known internally as the M177. For E63 duty, both power and torque are up in part because the comically named “hot inner V” turbos are now twin-scroll turbochargers. In addition to the twin-scrollers, the engine packs new pistons, a new intake manifold, new intercoolers, and updated software. AMG also throws a bone to fuel efficiency; it’s the first time a variant of this engine is available with cylinder deactivation. In Comfort mode only, of course.
A new nine-speed transmission known as the AMG Speedshift MCT is bolted to the potent V-8. Fans of the previous E63 will note that the old transmission was a seven-speed MCT. That MCT stands for multiclutch technology even though there’s actually only one traditional clutch. There is, however, a wet clutch that replaces the torque converter. AMG claims that the new nine-speed gearbox is a touch lighter than the seven-speed one it replaces. The transmission sends power to two output shafts, as all E63s are all-wheel drive. The last E63 we got was also AWD, but it had a fixed torque split with 33 percent to front axle and 67 percent to the rear. The new E63’s torque split is continuously variable depending on what the car needs, hence the somewhat clumsy descriptor, 4Matic+. To illustrate this, we saw a video of an E63 lapping the Algarve circuit with a graphic showing the front-to-rear torque split. Through corners where traction was needed, the torque split was 50/50. By the end of the front straight, 100 percent of the power was being fed to the rear wheels. The front wheels never get more than 50 percent of the power.
I only got to experience the E63 S 4Matic+, which may become the sales leader in the U.S. From here on out, we’ll only be thinking about the S version. The evaluation cars were shod in sticky Pirelli P Zero rubber, 265/35R20 front, 295/30R20 rear. Track is also wider on both axles compared to the standard E-Class. Launch control is Porsche-simple: Push the brake pedal to the floor in Sport, Sport+, or Race modes, bury the throttle, and release the brake. The car is off like a projectile from a main gun. AMG is quoting 0–60 mph in 3.3 seconds for the E63 S (3.4 for the slower version), and their estimate is conservative. The last-generation E63 S we tested in 2014 produced 577 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, made 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, and ran to the end of a quarter mile from a dead stop in 11.6 seconds at 121.8 mph. It also weighed 4,511 pounds. AMG says that the new car weighs about the same (I’d guess another 100 or so pounds heavier), but the seat of my pants is telling me that the extra power, grip, pop from the new transmission, and smart AWD system will allow the new car to shatter the old E63’s records.
With the technical briefing part of the review aside, we can get to the meat of it: How does the new E63 drive? In a word, monstrously. For the past year, I’ve been running around Los Angeles in a Dodge Hellcat: 707 horsepower, 650 lb-ft of torque, 4,530 pounds, and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Funnily enough, it’s based on an old E-Class, the W210, which is one of the few good results of the ill-conceived DaimlerChrysler merger of equals. The E63 feels as if it could snap the Hellcat in half. The forward thrust of the M177 coupled with bullwhip-crack shifts from the nine-speed and the tarmac-hugging grip of the AWD rockets you forward in a way rarely felt in the sedan world. The Audi S8 and the Insane/Ludacris mode dual-motor Teslas come to mind. But this might feel more brutal than all of them. Public roads seem like child’s play. This car just eats them alive. Even in the wet. The E63 very well might be the ultimate in alpha dog executive transportation.
Then they let us loose on the track. Well, not exactly loose. We followed instructors around the undulating, 2.9-mile-long circuit. Each pro driver was in an AMG GT S, which although down on power—just 503 hp—were 800 pounds lighter than our E63. I can tell you that up to 155 mph the E63 runs dead even with the GT S down the big front straight. No easy feat, as the zaftig coupe runs 11.4-second quarter miles. I can also tell you that I was getting traction control warning lights all the way past 140 mph. In other words, as the E63 became more and more rear-wheel-drive biased, it was trying to spin its back tires.
The one problem area for the E63 is high-speed braking, specifically composure while slowing down. It’s true that getting into the ABS from 155 mph in a downhill braking zone is no easy task for any vehicle, but I felt the E63 squirmed around too much for me to be comfortable. Part of the problem was that the air suspension was most likely at the end of its travel, and the track dipped. The massive carbon-ceramic brakes themselves up to the herculean task of lassoing all that runaway bulk. We were running three-lap sessions, and the fade was minimal. I did manage to cook the brake fluid a bit, but I never lost stopping power—just a bit of pedal feel. In the other two big braking zones, the E63 felt tied down and composed, but admittedly we weren’t travelling anywhere near as rapidly as we were into the first turn.
Cornering was interesting. Obviously, the E63 is not only heavy for a track car but also front heavy. When I strictly followed the line laid down in front of me by the instructors, understeer became an issue. However, if I flicked the rear of the car a touch sideways before fully committing to a corner, I could get away with less steering input and therefore get to the power sooner because the front wheels were closer to pointing straight than turned. That technique involved a lot of work and was definitely not the quickest way around a racetrack. However, it did help to eliminate front-end push, and it was fun to boot. Try to avoid tight corners if you can. Flowing sweepers are no problem. Although it’s definitely not a track car—and AMG admitted as much—the E63 S’ capabilities mean it can somewhat hang with proper sports cars. That’s pretty impressive for a big sedan if you ask me.
That last sentence might be the best way to sum up the Mercedes-AMG E63 S 4Matic+. The E63 is going to do well come comparison test season. No one knows anything about BMW’s upcoming G30-based M5, so taking it off the table, you’re left with the 597-hp Audi RS 7 and 640-hp Cadillac CTS-V. Comparing the Audi to the Caddy, the AWD RS7 is the straight-line king, whereas the CTS-V is a track savant. The E63 seems to me, with its variable AWD, to be able to take the fight to both and probably even win. Time will tell, but until then, rest comfortably in the knowledge that the new E63 does nothing to tarnish the legend of both the mighty sedans that came before or AMG itself. Long live the Hammer.
-->> http://www.motortrend.com/cars/merc...mercedes-amg-e63-s-4matic-first-drive-review/
First Drive: 2018 Mercedes-AMG E63 S 4Matic+
Affalterbach builds a four-door supercar
By: Basem Wasef | Photography by: Manufacturer December 9, 2016
Just when the four-door supercar clichés were getting stale, Affalterbach’s latest five-seat übersled nudges so dangerously close to midlife crisis-worthy, scissor-winged, unpronounceable exotic-car territory that there may be more than a trace of truth to the hyperbole after all. Spanking 60 mph in a claimed 3.3 seconds with a 603 horsepower twin-turbo V-8, the 2018 Mercedes-AMG E63 S easily bests its predecessors, not to mention many respectable sports cars that lack kid-friendly rear seats and a grocery-hauling trunk. Have we mentioned this is a glorious time to be a four-door fan?
The specs are swole and the motor is madness, but the key to the E63’s paradoxical extremes lie somewhere between its V-8 and its four Pirelli-wrapped wheels. Incorporating Mercedes-Benz’s first fully variable all-wheel drive system, the 4Matic moniker is now followed by a small “+” and a big change in how power gets delivered to the ground. Using an electromechanical coupling the size of a bocce ball, the multi-clutch pack connects the always-linked rear axle to the front axle. Encounter a dynamically unfriendly condition — say, an icy patch at the car’s leading edge — and the system transfers up to 100 percent of torque to the front. Miss the good ol’ days of tire smoking hoonery? There’s a not-so-secret setting that should get your tail-happy heart pumping: Drift mode.
Only a bit of procedural protocol is involved. Select Race mode, switch the 9-speed gearbox into manual, hold the ESP button until stability control is turned off, grab both paddles, and accept the prompt by tapping the right paddle, and you can re-live the days when a 603 horsepower luxury sedan still felt unmistakably, obscenely excessive.
The last time we had our first taste of an all-new E63 on a track, we chased AMG honcho Tobias Moers in an SLS Black Series at Circuit Paul Ricard in southern France. This time, our task is to trail DTM racing legend Bernd Schneider in a GT S at the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal.
My, what a difference four years makes. Select the most effective engine/gearbox/suspension setup — Race mode, ESP in Sport Handling — and the twin-turbo V-8 emits a reassuringly burbly idle. The boys in Affalterbach have done well by coaxing acoustic character without resorting to artificially enhanced sounds. The new mill benefits from upgraded pistons, optimized airflow, and the first use of twin-scroll turbochargers, which enhance throttle response and engine output. On straight-line stretches of Circuit Algarve, the E63 hangs with the feisty GT S, the sedan’s power-to-weight equation essentially nullifying the several hundred pound difference between the two. Though the new E63 tips the scales with just a few more pounds than its predecessor, the gap remains slim thanks to a body-in-white that’s 115 pounds lighter, aided by an aluminum hood and fenders and a carbon fiber spare tire carrier.
Toss the E63 into a corner just behind a GT S and the differences in wheelbase, center of gravity, and curb weight offer stark reminders you’re driving a sedan: as the GT S threads through the apex, the E-Class works to hustle its mass. Though perceptible, the disadvantages are significantly fewer than how its predecessor struggled against the SLS a generation ago. Back then, the sedan’s safety systems awkwardly triggered emergency braking when following the lead vehicle too closely and the car felt bigger, heavier, and sloppier in corners. On more than one occasion, the SLS easily attained a significant enough lead to leave the E-Class in the dust. Now, the GT S still pulls away in the corners, but the E feels significantly more planted and controlled, its center and rear e-diffs laying down power and helping it emerge from bends more surefootedly.
The robust power also helps when exiting corners, the V-8 charging ahead with furious acceleration as the nine-speed multiclutch gearbox bangs off quick, sharp shifts. The system’s logic is smart and responsive enough in Sport + mode that the computer almost always seems to be in the correct gear and the optimal rpm. Switch to manual mode, and the paddle shifts feel noticeably quicker than the previous model. When I became acclimated to the nuances of Algarve’s corners (and push came to shove), the E63 trailed the GT S closer, with Schneider turning up the heat by countersteering through corners and pitching the agile two-seater sideways.
Tracking out of the final, large-scale right hand sweeper, the E63 remains stable as it drifts over the rumble strip and charges towards the straightaway. It’s along this lengthy stretch that the powerplant proves its brawn. With the GT S just a couple car lengths ahead, the E63 pulls hard and keeps pace with the GT S until reaching an indicated 155 mph toward the back end of the straight — at which point I finally summon the carbon ceramic brakes for a spell of rapid deceleration. There’s a bit of suspension unsettling along the bumpy bits of the track, with the tail loosening from the left pedal stomping. But the prevailing demeanor is one of athleticism and confidence, largely due to the all-wheel drive system’s traction, the significantly tighter chassis, and the seamless fluidity of the save-your-bacon electronics.
Beyond the steroidal realm of racetrack, the E-Class’s updated interior feels more masculine and premium in AMG trim, especially in our tester’s carbon and black leather-trimmed spec. The optional sport seats fit my 5’11”, 185-pound frame snugly, even in their most generous setting, and are surprisingly stiff, even by sports car standards.
Here in the hushed world of stop signs and mile markers, the differences in drive modes make themselves more readily apparent than when muddled by the roar of the track. Startup in Sport mode, and the V-8 hums to life. Fire it up in Sport +, and the exhaust crackles crisply, sending perceptible vibrations through the armrests and seatback when shifting at speed.
Drive time on winding roads through Portugal’s lush hill country puts the E63’s capabilities in stark, real world context. Without a $130,000 sports car leading the way, the E63 claws with surprising grip as it negotiates the rain-slicked asphalt on these tight roads, despite its generous footprint. As with lesser E-class variants, the suspension doesn’t handle potholes as graciously as we’d like; an S-Class this ain’t. But there is outstanding responsiveness from the front wishbone/rear multilink setup, offering excellent body control in corners and noticeably stiffer damping in sportier settings.
The V-8 uses the same cylinder-deactivation system also found on the SLK55, but you’re unlikely to see the tiny cylinder-and-con-rod graphic pop up if you drive the E63 the way it was intended to be driven. Steering, suspension, drivetrain, and stability control settings can be individually adjusted, but the preset modes — Comfort, Sport, Sport +, and Race — are well calibrated for a broad variety of conditions. Press both pedals in Race mode and release the brake, and the E63 surges from a standstill with stunning instantaneity. Touches of torque steer can be felt under heavy throttle/low traction conditions, but the quirk is a small price to pay for the breadth of the E63’s performance envelope. Steering feel is generally intuitive and predictable, and the variable ratio electromechanical system intervenes unobtrusively, quickening response at lows speeds and enhancing stability at higher speeds. While variable ratio steering has yielded mixed results in shorter wheelbase cars (see: Lamborghini Huracan), the E-Class chassis feels well-suited to the technology thanks to its longer wheelbase and intuitively engineered application.
The Mercedes-AMG E-Class made a quantum leap when it gained all-wheel drive in 2013, enabling it to lay its considerable power down to the road and minimize wheelspin in the interest of forward momentum. The new E63 takes those gains and adds more finesse, greater control, and even more power, enabling it to leapfrog its antecedent and push it closer to a segment usually reserved for focused two-seat sports cars.
Which begs the question: is all-wheel drive a cheat, or an authentic performance enhancer? When asked how the sedan performed against the AMG GT S on the prior rain-drenched day at the racetrack, Schneider says, “The E63 was quicker. It wasn’t even close.
--->> http://www.automobilemag.com/news/2018-mercedes-amg-e63s-4matic-first-drive-review/
Definitely one of the best reviews!
Affalterbach builds a four-door supercar
By: Basem Wasef | Photography by: Manufacturer December 9, 2016
Just when the four-door supercar clichés were getting stale, Affalterbach’s latest five-seat übersled nudges so dangerously close to midlife crisis-worthy, scissor-winged, unpronounceable exotic-car territory that there may be more than a trace of truth to the hyperbole after all. Spanking 60 mph in a claimed 3.3 seconds with a 603 horsepower twin-turbo V-8, the 2018 Mercedes-AMG E63 S easily bests its predecessors, not to mention many respectable sports cars that lack kid-friendly rear seats and a grocery-hauling trunk. Have we mentioned this is a glorious time to be a four-door fan?
The specs are swole and the motor is madness, but the key to the E63’s paradoxical extremes lie somewhere between its V-8 and its four Pirelli-wrapped wheels. Incorporating Mercedes-Benz’s first fully variable all-wheel drive system, the 4Matic moniker is now followed by a small “+” and a big change in how power gets delivered to the ground. Using an electromechanical coupling the size of a bocce ball, the multi-clutch pack connects the always-linked rear axle to the front axle. Encounter a dynamically unfriendly condition — say, an icy patch at the car’s leading edge — and the system transfers up to 100 percent of torque to the front. Miss the good ol’ days of tire smoking hoonery? There’s a not-so-secret setting that should get your tail-happy heart pumping: Drift mode.
Only a bit of procedural protocol is involved. Select Race mode, switch the 9-speed gearbox into manual, hold the ESP button until stability control is turned off, grab both paddles, and accept the prompt by tapping the right paddle, and you can re-live the days when a 603 horsepower luxury sedan still felt unmistakably, obscenely excessive.
The last time we had our first taste of an all-new E63 on a track, we chased AMG honcho Tobias Moers in an SLS Black Series at Circuit Paul Ricard in southern France. This time, our task is to trail DTM racing legend Bernd Schneider in a GT S at the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal.
My, what a difference four years makes. Select the most effective engine/gearbox/suspension setup — Race mode, ESP in Sport Handling — and the twin-turbo V-8 emits a reassuringly burbly idle. The boys in Affalterbach have done well by coaxing acoustic character without resorting to artificially enhanced sounds. The new mill benefits from upgraded pistons, optimized airflow, and the first use of twin-scroll turbochargers, which enhance throttle response and engine output. On straight-line stretches of Circuit Algarve, the E63 hangs with the feisty GT S, the sedan’s power-to-weight equation essentially nullifying the several hundred pound difference between the two. Though the new E63 tips the scales with just a few more pounds than its predecessor, the gap remains slim thanks to a body-in-white that’s 115 pounds lighter, aided by an aluminum hood and fenders and a carbon fiber spare tire carrier.
Toss the E63 into a corner just behind a GT S and the differences in wheelbase, center of gravity, and curb weight offer stark reminders you’re driving a sedan: as the GT S threads through the apex, the E-Class works to hustle its mass. Though perceptible, the disadvantages are significantly fewer than how its predecessor struggled against the SLS a generation ago. Back then, the sedan’s safety systems awkwardly triggered emergency braking when following the lead vehicle too closely and the car felt bigger, heavier, and sloppier in corners. On more than one occasion, the SLS easily attained a significant enough lead to leave the E-Class in the dust. Now, the GT S still pulls away in the corners, but the E feels significantly more planted and controlled, its center and rear e-diffs laying down power and helping it emerge from bends more surefootedly.
The robust power also helps when exiting corners, the V-8 charging ahead with furious acceleration as the nine-speed multiclutch gearbox bangs off quick, sharp shifts. The system’s logic is smart and responsive enough in Sport + mode that the computer almost always seems to be in the correct gear and the optimal rpm. Switch to manual mode, and the paddle shifts feel noticeably quicker than the previous model. When I became acclimated to the nuances of Algarve’s corners (and push came to shove), the E63 trailed the GT S closer, with Schneider turning up the heat by countersteering through corners and pitching the agile two-seater sideways.
Tracking out of the final, large-scale right hand sweeper, the E63 remains stable as it drifts over the rumble strip and charges towards the straightaway. It’s along this lengthy stretch that the powerplant proves its brawn. With the GT S just a couple car lengths ahead, the E63 pulls hard and keeps pace with the GT S until reaching an indicated 155 mph toward the back end of the straight — at which point I finally summon the carbon ceramic brakes for a spell of rapid deceleration. There’s a bit of suspension unsettling along the bumpy bits of the track, with the tail loosening from the left pedal stomping. But the prevailing demeanor is one of athleticism and confidence, largely due to the all-wheel drive system’s traction, the significantly tighter chassis, and the seamless fluidity of the save-your-bacon electronics.
Beyond the steroidal realm of racetrack, the E-Class’s updated interior feels more masculine and premium in AMG trim, especially in our tester’s carbon and black leather-trimmed spec. The optional sport seats fit my 5’11”, 185-pound frame snugly, even in their most generous setting, and are surprisingly stiff, even by sports car standards.
Here in the hushed world of stop signs and mile markers, the differences in drive modes make themselves more readily apparent than when muddled by the roar of the track. Startup in Sport mode, and the V-8 hums to life. Fire it up in Sport +, and the exhaust crackles crisply, sending perceptible vibrations through the armrests and seatback when shifting at speed.
Drive time on winding roads through Portugal’s lush hill country puts the E63’s capabilities in stark, real world context. Without a $130,000 sports car leading the way, the E63 claws with surprising grip as it negotiates the rain-slicked asphalt on these tight roads, despite its generous footprint. As with lesser E-class variants, the suspension doesn’t handle potholes as graciously as we’d like; an S-Class this ain’t. But there is outstanding responsiveness from the front wishbone/rear multilink setup, offering excellent body control in corners and noticeably stiffer damping in sportier settings.
The V-8 uses the same cylinder-deactivation system also found on the SLK55, but you’re unlikely to see the tiny cylinder-and-con-rod graphic pop up if you drive the E63 the way it was intended to be driven. Steering, suspension, drivetrain, and stability control settings can be individually adjusted, but the preset modes — Comfort, Sport, Sport +, and Race — are well calibrated for a broad variety of conditions. Press both pedals in Race mode and release the brake, and the E63 surges from a standstill with stunning instantaneity. Touches of torque steer can be felt under heavy throttle/low traction conditions, but the quirk is a small price to pay for the breadth of the E63’s performance envelope. Steering feel is generally intuitive and predictable, and the variable ratio electromechanical system intervenes unobtrusively, quickening response at lows speeds and enhancing stability at higher speeds. While variable ratio steering has yielded mixed results in shorter wheelbase cars (see: Lamborghini Huracan), the E-Class chassis feels well-suited to the technology thanks to its longer wheelbase and intuitively engineered application.
The Mercedes-AMG E-Class made a quantum leap when it gained all-wheel drive in 2013, enabling it to lay its considerable power down to the road and minimize wheelspin in the interest of forward momentum. The new E63 takes those gains and adds more finesse, greater control, and even more power, enabling it to leapfrog its antecedent and push it closer to a segment usually reserved for focused two-seat sports cars.
Which begs the question: is all-wheel drive a cheat, or an authentic performance enhancer? When asked how the sedan performed against the AMG GT S on the prior rain-drenched day at the racetrack, Schneider says, “The E63 was quicker. It wasn’t even close.
--->> http://www.automobilemag.com/news/2018-mercedes-amg-e63s-4matic-first-drive-review/
Definitely one of the best reviews!
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Mercedes-AMG
Mercedes-AMG GmbH, commonly known as AMG (Aufrecht, Melcher, Großaspach),
is the high-performance subsidiary of Mercedes-Benz AG. AMG independently
hires engineers and contracts with manufacturers to customize Mercedes-Benz
AMG vehicles. The company has its headquarters in Affalterbach,
Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Official website: Mercedes-AMG
Official website: Mercedes-AMG
