Executives throughout the UK have a new dream car to drool over on their office wall and this is it: the freshly reworked Mercedes-AMG E 63 4MATIC+.
It is the most powerful E-Class yet and it will set a new standard for performance saloons when it goes on sale early 2017.
Tobias Moers, chairman of Mercedes-AMG’s management board, says the car represents “the biggest step forward we’ve ever taken from one generation to the next”, so what’s so special about it?
Well, considering it’s a four-door five-seat saloon, it’s as quick as Jaguar’s 568bhp F-Type SVR.
That’s down to the 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8 under the bonnet that can whip up 563bhp of power and 750Nm of torque. It’s frighteningly quick, racing to 62mph from a standstill in just 3.5 seconds, with speed limited to 155mph.
As if that wasn’t rapid enough, there is also a higher performance S version with 604bhp that completes the benchmark sprint in 3.4 seconds, while the red needle goes to 186mph with the AMG Driver package added.
Both variants of the E 63 use a nine-speed automatic transmission and come as all-wheel-drive as a rule. However, a dedicated ‘drift mode’ (inspired by the Focus RS perhaps?) shoves all the torque to the back wheels for pure track-day thrills.
There’s more to it than just thrashing about at sickening speeds though. The E 63’s engine features an automatic cylinder deactivation function, which means that when it’s not going hell for leather, some of the engine’s cylinders are switched off in the interest of fuel efficiency and extending mile range.
Compared to the regular E-Class, the E 63 is 17mm wider with the wheel arches making up the greater track width and the larger wheels on the front axle. This lends it a more powerful and aggressive stance while other external changes see the addition of a new radiator grille and coupe-style inset bonnet.
The cabin contains all the same luxury and high-tech equipment as the standard E-Class, but the AMG-branded steering wheel has a flat bottom and electroplated shift paddles.
Orders will be accepted from January 2017, with deliveries beginning around the middle of the year. Prices are expected to stay in the region of previous E 63, around £75,000, with the S set to ring in at £82,000.
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