What happens when Mercedes-Benz's AMG division gets a hold of a car? Essentially, it rips it apart and injects more steroids into it than the entire MLB roster combined. Yeah, I said it.
AMG builds car for the types that are not squeamish. You know, the kind of people that have absolutely no problem taking a 90 degree turn at high speed. Sideways.
There is something about this "skunkworks" -- God, I hate that term -- program that is not so focused on what it can do on the track as much as providing what I believe is one of the greatest shows on Earth.
Step aside, P.T. Barnum, you are about to be schooled.
2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Photo Gallery
Let's think here for a moment. I think we can confidently agree that most Mercedes-Benz customers strive for something a bit more luxurious and on the cushy side of the car spectrum. The buyer wants that legendary build quality. Have no clue what I am talking about? Shut the door of a Mercedes G-Wagon. But, as we know the extreme enthusiast is a dwindling majority, the consumer will likely not put the car on the track. They want something that will give them a chuckle on the commute home from work but has enough comfort to bang around the big city's potholes.
This brings us neatly to our car for the week, the E63 AMG. And my, what a specimen we have here. Probably one of the toughest jobs of a mid-size executive sedan that has been juicin' is that it is trying to accomplish two goals: have ridiculous performance and remain luxurious enough to provide limo-like comfort. The problem with that is you cannot have both. So, you get some really peculiar results. It is like a witch has been toiling around her cauldron trying to figure out the exact measurements for her potion.
For this concoction, Mercedes has played the stealth card. If you take a good, hard look at the AMG sedan, I am willing to wager that you will not find a profound difference between this and a standard E-Class with the sport package. That's because there are not many.
Sure, the front valence has been reworked for cooling purposes, the front track is just over two inches wider, it boasts large 19-inch wheels and a big-brake kit. Additionally, the AMG also has a subtle lip spoiler and the infamous quad-tipped exhaust to finish it off. Overall though, it is not overkill. Take a look at the pictures below to compare the E63 with a standard E-Class sedan wearing the sport options.
2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Photo Gallery
And although some have mentioned its styling to be a bit Asian-influenced, well, duh. I think you will find that element in a variety of manufacturers as of late. Everyone is trying to appease to the growing Asian market.
Getting behind the wheel is sort of a downer though. This is because the interior on the E63 is a bit of a let down. While it was not as readily apparent on the E350 and E550s I have piloted, the AMG's interior feels like a huge step down for a Mercedes-Benz.
I shut the door and the entire plastic door skin seems to vibrate. Looking and feeling the center console's trim bits seems to reveal materials that seem as if they aren't durable like a 300,000 mile Benz of the good ol' days. I grab the shifter knob t put the 63 into gear and it squeaks, not with delight. It is like the noise you get when you pick up a really cheap, plastic mobile phone. Coming from the former owner of a Nokia 8600 Luna, it is appalling.
Do not get me wrong, while I understand this car's interior is lifted from the standard E-Class, I expect the upgraded trimmings to reflect the $85,750 base price a bit better than this.
When you get in and out of an S-Class, CL-Class, SL-Class, CLS-Class car, it is just like this suit of armor. For example, the best contemporary door close/opening can be found on a CLS550. It is this solid and confident THUNK that you don't find so much anymore.
2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Photo Gallery
Then there are the little annoyances, like the Night View Assist PLUS. It works really well in the S-Class because it plants the screen in the speedometer, which is essentially a large laptop screen. In the E-Class, not the case because it is featured in the navigation screen, which is on top of the center stack. AND it does not angle towards the driver as in the S-class. So, it becomes more of a distraction than an aid.
Thankfully, the driving experience makes up for this pitfall.
Equipped with a 6.2L, naturally aspirated V8 motor, the E63 AMG produces 518-horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. And although you would expect this bad boy to weigh in a lot heavier than the E550, you would be wrong. The AMG is 24 pounds heavier than a rear-wheel drive E550 but it is also 87 pounds lighter than a E550 4MATIC. Not bad! If you decide to do some tire squealing to each red light after a long day of dealing with clients, zero to 60 is achieved in a claimed 4.4 seconds. This is the same time as the SL63 AMG!
2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Photo Gallery
When you cold start this puppy, it is like you have awakened the neighbor's rottweiler; it is fierce. And if you thought that was a grunt just wait until it gets warmed up. I will never forget being behind the car at the 2010 E-Class press launch. Mercedes brought the AMG as a surprise and I was one of the unfortunate souls caught behind the vehicle when it was started and revved.
Needless to say, I jumped about six inches off the ground.
The sound from this epic machine is a mixture between a growl and a whip cracking on aggressive upshifts.
Which brings up a great point, the transmission. Paired with the high-performance AMG motor is a seven-speed SPEEDSHIFT MCT transmission. If that is like me telling you something in German, let me spell it out. MCT stands for multi-clutch technology. Instead of employing the use of a traditional torque converter, Benz has thrown that away and opts for a wet start-up clutch.
2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Photo Gallery
Additionally, the gearbox has four modes, "C", "S", "S+" and "M." "RS" stands for Race Start and is essentially launch control. This means that the transmission is versatile and can go from shifting in refined fashion to neck snapping, 100 millisecond shifts in "S+" and "M" modes.
2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Photo Gallery
This is the first indication that this car is a lot like Batman's villain, Twoface.
Although you can keep it in "C" and have it become obedient in the city, I chose to keep the car in "M" for a large duration of my time with the 63. Why would you buy an AMG to get efficiency out of it?
Ah, and as we have brought up efficiency, let's get this out of the way: I was only able to achieve 13 MPG with the car, granted, I was driving aggressive. On a road trip to Washington D.C. and back, I was able to obtain 18 MPG. Once again, I was not driving like a saint.
2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Photo Gallery
But why would you when the vehicle you are driving has the three letters of magic on its rear end; A-M-G.
The second indication that this vehicle is versatile can be seen with the other available customizable settings. Not only is there a three-mode suspension, there is also three modes to the Electronic Stability Program. For the suspension, you have "Comfort", "Sport", "Sport +." With ESP you have "ESP ON", "ESP SPORT" and "ESP OFF."
To keep the explanation simple, if you want to enjoy life in the cities and keep your teeth in tip-top shape, put the suspension in "Comfort" mode. Compared to the Cadillac CTS-V, the AMG E feels much more supple in this mode around the avenues of New York. It does not punish you. You can thank the rear air suspension for that. The V, on the other hand, goes from stiff to unbearably stiff when you turn on the magnetic wizardry.
If you are going down the highway at speed and want the car to perform in a tight little package, dial in "Sport +." Although I will point out that the difference between "Sport" and "Sport +" is incredibly small unless the pavement is the kind you find on the New Jersey Turnpike, which gives you this sensation of floating when you reach Newark Airport.
**NOTE: It is best to watch this video in 720p
The ESP SPORT mode can make you feel like a driving champ if you cannot achieve it comfortably with the ESP OFF. And, I wouldn't exactly endorse turning all of the systems off unless you have some serious street cred. Although the E63 AMG seems easy to drive, it is also just as easy to put it into a tree, or a wall or whatever else comes first.
In the corners is where I seem to get a bit disappointed, however. While the car performs excellent through long, sweeping turns, it seems to have more than desired body roll on tight turns. It is not as bad as say a CTS-V but I will say that the recently reviewed 2010 BMW X6M cornered in a tighter fashion. Which is saddening considering its higher center of gravity and weight penalty.
It's weird, the E63 doesn't weigh that much. Food for thought: the SL63 AMG and X6M weigh more and corner tighter.
2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Photo Gallery
Steering feel remains on the lighter side but it is no pushover by any means. When you pick up speed and enter a turn it is very smooth and precise. I would not call it predictable, however. Keeping this in mind, I found myself pushing it into corners to see how much grip the car has. And, it has a ton.
But steering feel and providing a track-ready ride does not seem to be its forte. Although I am sure AMG would like to preach that, it just seems to be an incredibly capable road-going vehicle that will provide laughter on the public roads for as long as your passengers can take it. I could not count how many times I found myself chuckling or giggling like a teenage girl who was just asked to her prom.
That's why I like this Mercedes-Benz. Call it a absurd or deride it as a "Posermobile," but this car is one of the most realistic out there. That's because it knows that it will likely never see the track and will be confined to the cities.
Oh yeah, and it managed to entertain me every single time I hopped into the driver's seat.
Between the exhaust that cracks like a whip, V8 orchestra under the hood and massaging front seat, it really is the greatest show on Earth.
A really comfortable one.
2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Photo Gallery
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