Vehicle Description
MSRP $116965.00 4-mattic P03 AMG Premium Package. 319 AMG Advanced
Lighting Package. 445 Warmth and Comfort Package 20 inch AMG Wheels
After driving the latest E63, it seems nave to have been worried
about the effects of the reduced, 4.0-liter displacement. Power
builds instantly and it consistently builds all the way to the
7000-rpm redline. A nine-speed planetary-gear automatic, introduced
in the E300 last fall, is strengthened to cope with the engines 627
lb-ft of torque. In place of the conventional E-classs torque
converter is AMGs wet multiplate clutch, which delivers fairly
smooth starts from a stop and allows for aggressive launch-control
starts. Shifts are snapped off with increasing urgency as you cycle
from Comfort mode to Sport to Sport+ and finally to Race. Even with
nine speeds to shuffle through, the transmission never acts busy or
out of sorts. Multigear downshifts happen quickly, and theres none
of the incessant shifting that plagues other nine-speed automatics.
Top gear is tall for better fuel economy and quietness, reducing
engine revs to below 2000 rpm at 80 mph. Its a little odd that
theres a column shifter in a car with this much power, but we cant
say we miss having a shifter between the seats. Wed feel
differently if it were a manual shifter, though. Mercedes-Benz
claims a believable zero-to-60-mph time of 3.3 seconds for the S
and 3.4 seconds for the base version. Launch-control actuation has
been greatly simplified. Instead of the convoluted ritual of the
past (select Race, pull both paddles, place foot on brake, wait for
the display to signal the car is ready, confirm with the right
paddle, floor the accelerator while simultaneously releasing the
brake), launch control now is available in Sport, Sport+, and Race
modes. Theres no need to pull the paddlessimply enable launch
control, push the brake with your left foot, and floor the
accelerator. Revs are held at up to 4000 rpm and can be lowered
using the paddles on the steering wheel. Release the brake, and the
E63 shoots forward as the all-wheel-drive system scrambles to get
the torque to the ground. All-wheel drive is a welcome ally for the
boosted V-8. Unlike its predecessor, which had a fixed torque
split, the new E63s torque split can vary on the fly with up to 100
percent directed rearward. This is enabled by a new clutch pack in
the transfer case that constantly engages and disengages clutches
that distribute torque. In back, an electronically controlled
locking differential shared with the C63 varies the lockup to
minimize inside wheelslip in corners and, according to AMG, helps
drivers approach and drive at the E63s limits. The new system
allows Mercedes-AMG to add a Drift mode that will send 100 percent
of the engines torque to the rear, making it a rear-drive car. On
the road, the E63 S has the same dual personality as an E300. As
youd expect, the AMGs shifts toward the sporty end of the spectrum,
but when youre trundling around with the car set in Comfort, its
quiet, the ride isnt jarring, and the engine can run on four
cylinders. Even in its most relaxed setting, the steering is heavy,
but it gets much heavier in the more serious settings. Feedback
through the steering wheel is good, yet theres enough typical
Mercedes-Benz creaminess to make the car read as supremely refined
when youre not driving it hard. Switching to Sport and beyond not
only stiffens the three-chamber air springs, firms up the adaptive
dampers, quickens shifts, and increases steering effort; it also
causes the audio systems speakers to amplify the engines noise. Its
cheating, but its cheating for our teamand, more important, it
doesnt sound fake. Thats the V-8 playing through the speakers. From
the outside, the Sport exhaust barks with the same anger as AMGs
old naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8 when under load. When
cruising along on the highway, where 100 mph feels more like 60,
the engine sound is subdued and never tiresome. ENGINE TYPE:
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block
and heads, direct fuel injection Displacement: 243 cu in, 3982 cc
Power: 563/603 hp @ 6500/6500 rpm Torque: 553/627 lb-ft @ 2250/2500
rpm TRANSMISSION: 9-speed automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 115.7 in Length: 196.6 in Width: 75.1 in
Height: 57.5 in Passenger volume: 98 cu ft Cargo volume: 19 cu ft
Curb weight ( C/D est): 4500 lb PERFORMANCE ( C/D EST): Zero to 60
mph: 3.2-3.3 sec Zero to 100 mph: 7.8-8.0 sec Standing -mile:
11.5-11.6 sec Top speed: 155-186 mph FUEL ECONOMY ( C/D EST): EPA
city/highway driving: 17/23 mpg