German Car Zone

No, it's almost perfect. The same car in black is what I call PERFECT

I've seen a few in black and I must say- it is the car to have.

Mercedes E63 AMG (2009) CAR review

The new E63 is Merc’s AMG-powered middleweight and follows a tried and tested plan: big V8 + sober saloon = autobahn domination. Well that’s the theory, and this is the reality.
So this week it’s the E-class’ turn to have a go with the 6.2-litre V8?

Yes, Mercedes likes to spread the bhp love around and so it’s no surprise that the shortly after the release of the regular E-class, we’re now being offered this: the AMG-fettled E63, a circa £69k businessman’s hot rod.

It’s running the same naturally aspirated engine that all non-V12 AMGs have used since Merc ditched the old supercharged 5.5-litre V8. It pumps out 518bhp and 464lb ft of torque – around 10bhp up on the old E63 and enough to push the 1840kg E-class to 62mph in 4.5sec. And it’s slightly greener this time, recording 22mpg, a 2mpg improvement, while CO2 emissions drop from a terrible 341g/km to a faintly less terrible 295g/km.
Forget the figures, tell me about the E63's noise!

It’s indecent, a proper solid, metallic V8 throb. Twist the key to start it and you get a good flare of revs before it settles down to a meaty idle. Nice, but at low speeds it sounds like a typical low-revving V8 with some free-flow pipes on it. This engine really revs, and when you extend it towards 6500rpm and hear the hard bark filtering through into the cabin, that’s when you it really know that this is no ordinary Benz.…

Mercedes E63 AMG (2009) CAR review | Road Testing Reviews | Car Magazine Online

Speedshift for Smart Speed

Beware. A lot of potent rolling stock has escaped from the Mercedes-Benz AMG skunkworks in Affalterbach, Germany, in the last year or so. This 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG is just the latest in a line of Benzes with big motors.

One of our operatives spent a long weekend at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG, a sublimely quick machine that enabled our 'Ring rookie to rustle trackside leaves through the green hell on the way to some seriously quick laps.

Then there's the 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series Coupe, an even more intense and exclusive version of that car, with a fixed roof, a raging twin-turbo V12 engine and outrageous racing-style bodywork.

And let's not forget the 2009 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, a potent and even driftable little hot rod with an intoxicating engine note and a lust for donuts. Those of us without trust funds occasionally toy with lease-payment calculations.

But maybe you're an adult and you're looking for something a little more grown-up.

Trust E

The E-Class platform is the one upon which AMG's stateside soul rests because it furnished the basis of AMG's original, defining product — the 1986 AMG Hammer, a Mercedes-Benz 300E with a 355-horsepower 5.6-liter V8 stuffed under the hood. And that makes the introduction of an all-new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG a very big deal in the minds of AMG enthusiasts in America.

It's quite remarkable how quickly this new E63 made its appearance. AMG, a former stand-alone tuning company, is now so fully integrated into the Mercedes-Benz development process that the launch of the '10 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG follows that of the 2010 E550 by a scant three months.

But even though AMG has come a long way from its shop in the shadow of the old mill in Affalterbach, its mission statement for the E63 AMG is the same as that of the original Hammer. That is, to take a fully equipped business sedan and turn it into a high-performance sports car. For this 2010 edition of the Hammer concept, AMG has added new features that preserve more of the former while still emphasizing the latter.

Familiar Power Story

The performance enhancements aren't immediately obvious when you pop the hood, as the same high-revving, DOHC 6.2-liter V8 designed and built by AMG powers the new E-Class. Subtle tweaks to the engine management software and the exhaust system bump output from 507 horsepower up to 518 hp at 6,200 rpm, while torque holds station at 465 pound-feet at 5,800 rpm, as before.

And as before, the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG hauls ass. The exhaust note tells you that it means business, though you don't get quite the cheap thrills you get from the C63 AMG's exhaust. But the E63 is supposed to be a bit more of a business sedan that hauls ass, so it seems like a good fit.

Amazingly, this big V8 is also 12 percent less thirsty, meaning the EPA combined rating is expected to rise from the 15 mpg of the 2009 E63 to about 17 mpg or so. This is partially due to invisible stuff like an intelligent alternator that works hard under deceleration and freewheels during acceleration, as well as a new low-friction coating on the cylinder walls.

The Secret Lies in the Speedshift

The real advances here in both performance and fuel economy have been made in the seven-speed Speedshift automatic transmission. First seen in the AMG version of the SL, this unique autobox does away with a power-sapping torque converter and substitutes a wet, multiplate clutch pack that is computer controlled for smooth, yet precise gearchanges.

Rapid and precise shifts are therefore no sweat, and this Mercedes-Benz Speedshift automatic feels as good as or better than the best automated manuals when you're flicking the shift paddles on the steering wheel in the high-performance Sport or Sport+ modes. Quick rev-matched downshifts are flawlessly executed (shift action occurs in 100 milliseconds, very quick even when compared with the 25 milliseconds of automated manuals), and the launch control mode (!) will boost the E63 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, according to AMG.

The fuel savings come with the transmission in Controlled Efficiency mode ("C" on the adjustment knob). Here the Speedshift is speedy in a different way, heading for the highest gear ASAP, with every change executed as seamlessly as a conventional automatic. "C" could easily stand for "Commute," too.

The Plus Side of Negativity


The AMG engineers have attempted to create an even more sophisticated combination of comfortable ride and responsive handling, and here the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG benefits from the sort of comprehensive suspension changes we initially saw on the C63 AMG.

For one, the E63's front track is 2.2 inches wider, while the wheel camber is now -1.7 degrees, giving the front end both a wider base and a more favorable tire footprint during hard cornering. New front hub carriers and longer aluminum lower links for the dual-pivot strut suspension do the trick.

A similar elongation of the rear suspension's lower links produces camber of -2.2 degrees in the rear. Both ends of the car get stiffer stabilizer bars as well.

The 2009 E63 AMG and the 2010 E-Class both use air springs for the suspension, but the 2010 E63 AMG reverts to steel springs in front (the rear retains air) for more direct steering response. There are steering geometry changes to reduce roll-induced understeer, and the standard steering rack of the E-Class with its 17:1 ratio has been replaced by a unit with a quicker 14:1 ratio.

Indeed the new E63 feels eager, yet exhibits a high degree of steering precision, whether cornering on narrow lanes or hammering down the autobahn. And the hydraulic-assisted power steering is communicative without producing effort levels that are either overly heavy or mysteriously light.

A Bigger Envelope

This year's E63 also gets a more sophisticated set of AMG ride control dampers. Last year's car had three distinct fixed settings: Comfort, Sport and Sport+. Those same levels return, but they now represent ranges within which damping levels are continuously adjusted by a central computer that monitors 11 chassis sensors.

It pays off in the form of a more sophisticated ride that's better able to cope with a wide range of surfaces. In fact, we were pleased with ride comfort even though our test car wore the optional 19-inch forged wheels with 255/35R19 tires in front and 285/30R19 tires in the rear, while the standard 18s carry 255/40R18 tires in front and 285/35R18 rubber in the rear.

Hard-core enthusiasts can opt for even more aggressive damping by opting for the Performance Pack. The 19-inch rubber comes standard and you get a limited-slip differential to help put the power down on the track. Our last C63 AMG test car had this setup, but we found the ride to be too brutal on civilian roads and freeways.

The E63's more intelligent adaptive dampers mitigate this somewhat, but there's still a price to pay in comfort if you go this route. Rule of thumb: The most comfortable Performance Pack setting here mimics the Sport setting on the 2009 E63 AMG. Know your roads and know yourself before you decide.

AMG Wrapper

We know people who have seen the new E-Class Mercedes and bitched about the way it looks too squared off. It takes time for some folks to adjust to a new design. We get that.

No adjustment period is necessary with the E63 AMG, as the creased styling that new Mercedes-Benz design chief Gordon Wagener has brought to the corporate Mercedes-Benz lineup says "tough" way better than the last E-Class, which looked like an aging bar of Irish Spring to us. And that wider front track for the AMG version produces wider, meaner front fenders. They're about three-quarters of an inch wider per side, and the huge tires fill them right up.

The E63 also has a more aggressive front airdam with unique LED daytime running lights. There are extended rocker sills under the doors, while quad exhaust tips poke out of a revised rear bumper cover. In short, the AMG treatment works on the new E-Class.

Inside the cabin, the E63 can be had with all the electronic toys you can get on any other E-Class. But the AMG Drive Unit is something you'll only find here. This array of four knobs is positioned within easy reach so the driver can set the transmission, suspension, stability control and AMG drive modes.

Still to Come

Final equipment lists and pricing aren't yet final for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, and our hosts didn't crack under the pressure of our persistent badgering about estimated pricing. The car goes on sale in October and we guess the price will be about $90,000.

Yes, that's a lot of coin, but the recent string of good products means there are a growing number of AMG fans in certain parts of the USA, and many have been waiting eagerly for this new iteration of the AMG Hammer.

Is the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG as good as other recent AMG efforts? All signs point to yes, but we'll not let this question rest until we put one through our usual paces on home turf. Is it as good as or better than a BMW M5? How does it compare to the 2010 Jaguar XFR? Interesting things lie ahead.


2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG First Drive on Inside Line


M

The range-topper of the new E-Class has a lot going for it and we just jumped out of the driver’s seat, so we ought to know.

—Stuttgart, Germany

Boy, has the E-Class Mercedes ever come a long way from being the world’s taxi cab. This latest W212 four-door E-Class is a proper executive sedan filled to the gills with technology, luxury, and style. What is already an edgier base model E-Class goes to the edgy-looking extreme here in the 518 horsepower, E63 AMG and you either mind that or you don’t. We do feel the edge is a little overstated, but it’s certainly not heinously so.


This tune of the M156 6208cc big-bore V-8 engine, built from scratch by AMG, is pulled straight from the SL63 AMG that has preceded it. Not only do horsepower and torque numbers look the same between the SL63 and the E63, but the E63 also benefits from the seven-speed AMG Speedshift MCT sports transmission. Besides taking these good parts from the SL, the E-Class also gets a similar front axle overhaul as first tried and loved on the C63 AMG.
Between the surer footing and steering in front and the fresh wet-clutch tranny sans power-sapping torque converter, this E63 comports itself in aggressive ways that we would never have thought possible just a couple of years ago. The 14.2-inch compound lead brake rotors ventilated and perforated all around do great stopping services—so we’d stay away from the optional carbon ceramic discs (15.8-inch in front). That is, unless you were wanting to track-drive the E63 with the Sports Package and delimited motor going as high as 186 miles per hour, supported by a more rigid sports suspension calibration.

If the new E63 AMG were to follow European pricing patterns, this new four-door rocket ship should cost around $98,000 when it hits our shores in mid-November—over twice the asking price for the E350 base North American model. We trust this won’t happen, however, since it would be a badly timed price jump over the current E63’s $88,575 MSRP.
Whereas the C63 has been by far the best selling AMG car worldwide over the past 18 months or so, AMG spokespeople are certain that the E63 will take over the leader’s spot in short order. We do like the C63 an awful lot though and it looks better as a complete package design-wise, naturally also driving better with its smaller dimensions and less weight. But typical Mercedes customers with cash will always want bigger and a tick softer feeling than, say, the typical BMW aficionado, so we’re pretty sure the AMG experts are right.


Given that the acceleration from zero to 62 mph is estimated at 4.5 seconds with the new transmission, that’d put a 60 mph dash on our continent at 4.4 seconds or better, working out overall to one-tenth of a second faster than the outgoing W211 E 63 AMG with the previous version of the seven-speed transmission. Which makes the E 63 AMG just plain fast everyday. Steering is more responsive as well due to 33 percent greater steering column stiffness and a 22 percent tighter ratio of 14:1. Couple these bits with the 2.2-inch wider front track and you’ve got yourself a handler.
This fresh transmission has the center console rheostat knob that shows C, S, S+, M and then RS. Whereas the C no longer stands for Comfort but Controlled Efficiency nowadays, the RS is the Race Start setting. These modes effect only the transmission and throttle, with all suspension changes in the AMG Ride Control (Comfort, Sport and Sport+) having their own console button. It all works swell, but the perceived differences in the standard hydraulic suspension’s three levels are not that great and AMG ought to look a bit at the Volkswagen Active Chassis Control or Audi/Ferrari/Corvette/Cadillac’s magnetorheologic two-mode system.
What’s new and good with the MCT 7 transmission is that on downshifts we get automatic rev-matching as on the SL63, but we also now get a subtle form of cylinder deactivation on upshifts to keep the shifts seamless and quicker. This involves both fuel injection and the ignition process being choked off down to just two cylinders at that upward shift moment. The strategy works wonders is all we know and even hotting it around on the Swabian hills and dales in Manual or Sport+ we felt like shifting kings and missed nary a beat into and out of and between the hundreds of curves. Our optional five-spoke forged 19-inch wheels were just the ticket on these days’ bone-dry and clean roads, too. All of this matched with the new Sebring performance exhaust just put the cherry on top as our driving energy was echoed through the hills with the four new chromed tips.
So, this former global taxi now has a class leading performance version that retains a couple of soft edges for old times’ sake. Nothing old about the added sophistication nor about the interface with all that tech in the luxury cabin.

Source: Next Autos

And they said that rear looked Korean!

Looks super sexy..

Stuttgart, Germany – As I was accelerating towards 250 km/h on the autobahn last week in the new Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, I wondered what would happen when I reached its 250 km/h electronic speed limiter. Would it sound an alarm? Would the engine power be cut off abruptly or smoothly? Would I feel a loss of control? Would I feel cheated?

Unfortunately, I never found out: just as I reached 240 km/h, a “slow-moving” Opel appeared in front of me doing about 180 km/h – and took his time getting out of my way. Yes, even the autobahn has its left-lane bandits!

Germany’s high-speed freeways are definitely more crowded these days - if you want to go really fast, you have to pick the right time of day – or if you’re really brave and have good headlights – go in the middle of the night.

My fearless passenger and co-driver, Rob Rothwell, managed to snap a shot of the E63’s speedometer at 228 km/h with the tachometer hovering around 4,300 r.p.m. (I was too scared to take my eyes off the road to read the speedometer). It’s clear that with a redline of 7,200 r.p.m., the E63’s actual top speed would be well over 250 km/h. In fact, in Germany, AMG offers an optional “Driver’s Package” on the new 2010 E63 with a 300 km/h speed limiter, suggesting that the top speed is over 300 km/h! The package includes a mandatory high-speed driver training course at the AMG Driving Academy in Germany. Das ist gut!

You could argue, with some conviction, that these numbers are meaningless (not to mention illegal) in Canada. But you could also argue that any mid-size sedan capable of travelling, accelerating, and braking at autobahn speeds will offer vastly superior handling, braking, and stability at legal North American highway speeds. And that the reason German performance sedans have such a good reputation for vehicle dynamics, high speed stability, and safety is the absence of speed limits on (portions of) Germany’s autobahns.

Still, in a world now focused on reducing carbon dioxide emissions, excessive fuel consumption, and harmful exhaust emissions, a 518 horsepower mid-size sedan with a 6.2-litre V8 engine, a zero to 100 km/h time of 4.5 seconds, and average (NEDC-spec) fuel economy of 12.6 L/100 km (22 mpg Imperial) isn’t exactly a poster child for social responsibility.

Aware of this, Mercedes-Benz AMG spokespersons at the E63’s introduction made a special effort to emphasize that the new 2010 E63 AMG offers 12% better fuel economy than the previous model which had basically the same engine, and is the most fuel-efficient 500+hp sedan in its class. The gains in fuel efficiency were made possible by new cylinder wall coatings that reduce piston friction, more accurate delivery of fuel, and a revised alternator. As well, improved aerodynamics and a new seven-speed wet clutch transmission with lower rotational inertia than the previous 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic contribute to the improved fuel economy.

But with a suggested retail price expected to be in the $120,000 range (the 2009 E63 MSRP was $121,100), fuel economy is not likely to be a big concern for E63 buyers. And you could argue that with such a limited number of AMG models on the road, their contribution to global warming will be marginal. But I wouldn’t bother trying to convince David Suzuki of this.……

CanadianDriver First Drives First Drive: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG

^Sorry but this car is just drop dead BADASS!

No need to be sorry It's pretty badass indeed, can't wait to finally see it in the metal..

I still have to get used to the exhaust though. It sometimes looks like they are not alligned properly or something, but that most definitely is because of the squarish shape.....

What an amazing car and the new exhaust look amazing!!