Mercedes-Benz will set a new standard for go-faster four-door performance when the latest AMG version of its E-Class sedan arrives in New Zealand around August next year.
The E 63 and E 63 S have been revealed days out from their official launch at the Los Angeles motor show. Both models get AMG’s 4Matic+ all-wheel-drive system, which for the first time offers fully variable drive between the front and rear wheels.
E 63 4Matic+ itself is the most powerful series production sedan AMG has built, its twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine delivering 420kW/740Nm and a 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds.
E 63 S 4Matic+ goes one better, using extra boost pressure and a power tweak here and there to generate 450kW/840Nm and get from 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds. Both cars come with a governed top speed of 250km/h, although the optional AMG Driver’s Package extends it to a claimed 300km/h.
The 4.0-litre V8 made its debut in the AMG GT sports car. It replaces the older, twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 used in the outgoing E 63 and comes equipped with AMG Cylinder Management for added fuel savings on part throttle loads.
In the city, for example, four cylinders are deactivated between 1000rpm-3250rpm when Comfort mode is selected. Another fuel saving feature is the ‘coast’ function in Comfort mode. On the open road and a trailing throttle it decouples the engine from the gearbox at speeds of between 60km/h and 160km/h.
E 63 gets four driving modes – Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus, Individual. The E 63 S adds Race mode. There’s a ‘drift’ mode, too, although Mercedes-AMG says it takes a couple of steps: deactivate the stability control system (ESP), put the gearbox into manual, and the E 63 drives only its rear wheels.
Gearbox is a nine-speed Speedshift MCT (Multi Clutch Technology) automatic with steering wheel-mounted paddles. The E 63 4Matic+ gets a mechnical differential lock, the E 63 S 4Matic+ a faster acting electronic one.
The E 63 rides on 20-inch wheels shod with 265/35 tyres up front and 295/30 at the rear. Suspension is the company’s Air Body Control system, specially tuned for the car’s track widths. Mercedes-AMG says the tuning gives the E 63 greater camber control than the outgoing car.
Brakes differ between the two cars. The E 63 4Matic+ gets 360mm discs with six-pot calipers up front and single pot down the back. The E 63 S 4Matic+ gets larger 390mm front discs. The optional ceramic carbon discs measure 402mm at the front and 360mm at the rear.
The exterior styling of the E 63 is suitably aggressive with trademark grille, flared wheelarches and, for the first time on a AMG sedan, a coupe-style inset bonnet. Inside, there is carbon-fibre trim across the dashboard and a mix of cross-stitched leather.