2012 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG

This is a reworked version of the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG packing upgraded features and a completely new engine--with added performance.

Out goes the familiar, naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 engine that has powered the E63 AMG since 2009. In comes the same twin-turbocharged, 5.5-liter V8 mill found in the CLS63, the S63 and the CL63 AMG.

In standard guise, the blown unit kicks out 518 hp, or the same as the old engine, although peak power is now developed earlier in the range, at 5,250 rpm. Torque grows to 516 lb-ft at just 1,700 rpm, or 3,500 rpm earlier than before.

Place a tick in the box marked “performance package,” and AMG adds an upgraded engine-management system. It introduces more turbocharger-boost pressure, among other measures, in a move that raises output to 550 hp at 5,250 rpm, while raising torque an additional 74 lb-ft to 590 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm.

The new engine is mated to a revised version of AMG's MCT (multiclutch transmission), which sends drive to the rear wheels. The seven-speed unit forgoes the torque converter of Mercedes' standard seven-speed 7G-Tronic automatic, replacing it with an automatically operated wet start-up clutch.

The revised gearbox, produced in-house at a Mercedes factory near Stuttgart in Germany, continues to offer “S” (sport), “S+” (sport-plus) and “M” (manual) modes--the latter of which holds the driver's selected gear at the redline instead of automatically changing up a cog. There's also an “RS” (race start) mode for rapid starts.

But in place of the previous comfort mode, there's now what AMG calls “C” for controlled efficiency. It introduces a number of fuel-saving features, including automatic stop/start and an electronics package that sees the E63 launch in second gear in a bid to maximize economy.

Another significant change is the switch from a traditional hydraulically operated steering system to the same electromechanical arrangement used by the CLS63.

Along with the mechanical upgrades, the E63 also boasts slight exterior revisions and a series of new interior features, including the same three-spoke steering wheel used in the CLS63, plus revised instrument graphics.


What is it like to drive?

The E63 was already among the fastest production sedans on sale in the U.S. market. With the switch to AMG's latest engine, it not only gains a solid dose of added torque, but a further dimension in performance, with improved off-the-line acceleration, greater in-gear shove, more refined cruising traits and--as far as turbocharged powerplants go--a terrific baritone blare at full tilt.

The performance of the engine is clearly more accessible than that of the old naturally aspirated unit, which needed to be worked harder before delivering its best. The defining characteristic is the enormous flexibility that is created as the two turbochargers--one operating on each bank of cylinders--begin to spool up from not much beyond the 800-rpm idle.

With all of that torque concentrated so low in the range, you're pretty much on top of it the moment you step away from the line. From there on, the performance builds in one linear surge all the way to redline. There's no apparent turbo lag, and at pretty much any revs, in any gear, there is vast thrust. Speed builds quickly and, owing to the smoothness of the delivery, rather deceptively.

The only problem, it seems, is keeping within the posted limits, which is why Mercedes chose to launch the new E63 not only on public roads, but also let us run it around the Paul Ricard circuit in France.

To experience the full force of the E63's new engine, you need to call up sport-plus. Do so, and you discover the reworked transmission picks off gears with greater speed and precision than before, thanks to improvements in the mechanical clutch and changes to the Speedshift software package controlling it. Despite the firm and decisive action in sport-plus mode, the modified automatic unit is never quite as convincing or as fast-shifting as the six-speed dual-clutch unit AMG uses in the SLS coupe.

Mercedes claims the standard E63 sedan, which weighs the same as its predecessor, hits 62 mph from standstill in 4.3 seconds, or an even sharper 4.2 seconds when optioned up with the performance package.

It also provides AMG with bragging rights over BMW's M division, whose recently revealed fifth-generation M5 gets a turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 with 552 hp and is claimed to run to 62 mph in 4.4 seconds. Top speed, as with all AMG models, is limited to 155 mph, although the performance-package option--which also gets the buyer a day of high-speed driver training--bumps top speed to 186 mph.

Given the heroic performance, the new E63 is reasonably economical, too. Official figures suggest it'll return 24 mpg (U.S.) in a mixture of city and highway driving. In the real world, though, the figure is closer to 20 mpg. Go for broke, and it quickly dips well below that mark.

The extension in performance extends to the dynamic properties of the new E63. But don't expect a big change in character over the old model. Improvements made to the chassis, which continues to use a 56-millimeter wider front track than standard E-class models, are all subtle in nature, though they combine to make it a more rounded car.

The new electromechanical steering, the same setup used on the CLS63 AMG with a 14.0:1 ratio, delivers an added degree of sharpness upon turn-in but ultimately lacks the sort of same sort of feedback delivered by the old hydraulic arrangement. The electronic assistance alters both in combination with speed and the stiffness of the variable dampers in three distinct stages: comfort, sport and sport-plus.

There's less tire roar on coarse surfaces and vertical movements over transverse ridges are better controlled than before, something that should make the new E63 a more relaxing proposition over longer distances than before.

As an indication of the new car's added performance potential AMG's new model manager, Christoph Jung, says preproduction prototype versions of the new E63 have shaved 10 seconds off the lap time the old model established at the Nürburgring, bringing it to less than eight minutes for the first time. That's impressive for a car that car carry five adults and offers a nominal 19.1 cubic feet of luggage capacity.


Do I want one?

Those in the market for a rapid sedan will no doubt be tempted by the reworked E63. The changes AMG brought to its latest model make it a better everyday proposition while extending its haughty performance potential and providing it with impressive fuel economy when driven at posted limits.

North American pricing is yet to be announced. But going on information announced in Germany, it's not likely to change much. The order book for the new car opened on April 20, but deliveries aren't expected to start until September.

With the Jaguar XFR having just received a midlife refresh, the Cadillac CTS-V continuing to enjoy success and the introduction of the BMW M5 just around the corner, the stage is set for an intriguing battle for four-door performance-car supremacy.