German Car Zone

Back in the late 1980s, before performance tuner AMG became an official branch of Mercedes-Benz, the Affalterbach-based personal trainer of three-pointed stars took an off-the-showroom 300E sedan, stuffed it full of massaged V-8 (first a 5.6 liter, later a 6.0) and a catalog's worth of track-tuned chassis bits, and dubbed the hugely fast and expensive result "The Hammer."

So if that was The Hammer, what do we call AMG's latest, far more powerful and formidable tool? Maybe "The Cannon?"
AMG is really on its game. Whereas the original tuning company was best known for building mostly one-dimensional sedans (fast in a straight line, clumsy and unbalanced in corners), the 21st Century AMG, now officially the hyper-performance division of Mercedes-Benz, has of late been cranking out full-bodied supercars with all rough edges smoothed away (i.e., the CLK63 Black Series, the SL63 AMG). With the arrival of the 2010 E63 AMG, based on the all-new E-class sedan, rivals like the BMW M5 and the Cadillac CTS-V may very likely scurry for cover.

AMG has always done engines right, but the new E63's -- also seen in the SL63 -- is perhaps the best ever. The hand-built, DOHC, 6.2-liter V-8 from the previous edition returns boasting 11 more horsepower (now 518 hp at 6800 rpm) yet also a 12-percent increase in fuel efficiency. All that naturally aspirated horsepressure is a wonderful thing on its own, but for 2010 it flows through Mercedes' Speedshift MCT 7-speed automatic. Dispensing with a conventional torque converter in favor of a "wet start-up clutch," the MCT can crack off shifts in just 100 milliseconds (in manual mode). Four shift modes are available, with Sport Plus perhaps the most impressive.

Like Porsche's dual-clutch PDK transmission, the MCT in Sport Plus upshifts and downshifts as if guided by your thoughts. Forget the shift paddles and simply leave the console lever in "D." Then brake hard from speed when approaching a corner and watch (and listen) as the MCT automatically blips the throttle and fires two machine-gun downshifts. Brilliant stuff. The transmission is best of both worlds, too, smooth and shock-free when executing shifts around town. The MCT's best act by far, though, is performing full-throttle upshifts. Stand on the gas, let the revs build to redline, and the lightning shift is accompanied by a "whap!" from the exhaust that sounds like an M-80 exploding in the trunk.……


2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG First Drive and Review - Mercedes E63 AMG sport sedan - Motor Trend

I hate reviews like this..with press photos..
arghhh!!!!

Yep, it is terrible… …especially because Motortrend normally offers some great photos…

Sounds like the liked it quite a bit.

WOW...bum-man! I haven't seen you in years...

Sounds like the E63 AMG is fun to drive. I wouldn't mind taking it on a test drive. I still prefer it in black to hide the boxy edges.

Short but informative on the improvements the new E63 has made over the previous model.

Heh. Same here, still holding that Benz flag high I see.

Its amazing how everyone is yowling about how certain types of cars are going disappear, but this class is chock full of cars now. CTS-V, E63, M5, XF-R, S6 (we don't get the RS6 in the U.S.) and arguably the Quattroporte and Panamera. Can't wait to see the comparos come in.


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Exactly! Mercedes-Benz on my mind all the time!


Yea, Merc1 I guess you might have to trade in the CLK and maybe get the new E-class or XF.

New and improved: The E63 is even more fantastic than before.

It’s a shame that infomercial pitchman Billy Mays passed away just as Mercedes-Benz is launching the performance version of the 2010 E-class, because he would have done an excellent job of touting the many uses for the New and Improved 2010 E63 AMG. “The 518-horsepower V-8,” Mays would say in his booming voice, “rockets you from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds, making quick work of sports cars with less than half the seating. And you can still use it every day to pick Junior up from school and to drop Grandma off at the library.” Not that the E63 is the sort of car that would be hawked via cable-TV ads, but it does promise a “You won’t believe your eyes!” combination of performance and usability. There are no easy payments, however, despite the fact that when the E63 goes on sale in October, pricing should fall below that of its predecessor. Expect to pay just under $88,000 to start.

Highly Evolved from the Standard E-class

Previous E-class AMGs were merely stiffened versions of the standard suspension, but like its little brother, the C63 AMG, the new E63 gets a seriously reworked suspension compared to the standard car on which it’s based. The 2010 version gets an entirely new front axle with a 2.2-inch wider track. Spring rates are twice as stiff as the regular car, necessitating a change from air springs to conventional coils; load-leveling air springs remain at the rear. In addition, the anti-roll bars and subframe bushings have been beefed up. And if the standard E63 is too soft, a Performance package stiffens up the front anti-roll bar and the tuning on the standard adaptive dampers, adds lightweight 19-inch forged alloy wheels, and raises the electronically governed top speed from 155 mph to 186. With both the 18- and 19-inch wheels the tire width is 255 in front and 285 in rear. The steering ratio, at 14.0:1, is 22 percent quicker than in the regular E-class and uses a direct, rather than variable, rack.

Under the hood is the venerable 32-valve 6.2-liter V-8 (the 63 in the car’s name and the 6.3 badges on its front fenders pay homage to an older engine with a true 6.3-liter displacement). Here it makes 518 hp, an increase of 11 over the old E63, mostly due to freer-flowing exhaust. Torque remains the same at 465 lb-ft. New to this car is a clutch-activated (no, there’s no clutch pedal, but we’ll get to that part in a sec) alternator, which allows the engine to charge the electrical system only during coasting to save on fuel. Overall, the E63 is 12 percent more fuel-efficient in the European combined fuel-economy cycle.

The engine is paired to a seven-speed automatic, but it’s coupled to the engine via a wet-plate clutch instead of a traditional torque converter. First seen on the SL63 AMG, this arrangement allows for a more direct connection between the engine and the gears and results in quicker shift response. As in the SL63, there are multiple settings: C (for Controlled Efficiency), Sport, Sport Plus, Manual, and Race Mode launch control.


Full Story: Car and Driver - 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG - First Drive Review



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