BY MIKE AUSTIN
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-hp V-8,” Mays would say in his booming voice, “rockets you from 0 to 60 mph 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 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
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $88,000
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 379 cu in, 6208
Power (SAE net): 518 bhp @ 6800 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 465 lb-ft @ 5200 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 7-speed automatic with manumatic shifting
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 113.2 in Length: 192.6 in Width: 75.9 in Height: 56.8 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 4300 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 4.0 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.5 sec
Top speed/with Performance package (governor limited): 155/186 mph
FUEL ECONOMY (MFR’S EST):
EPA city/highway driving: 13/20 mpg
Previous E-class AMGs merely had stiffened versions of the standard suspension, but like its little brother, the C63 AMG, the new E63 gets a seriously reworked suspension compared with that of 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's, necessitating a change from air springs to conventional coils. Load-leveling air springs remain at the rear. In addition, the anti-roll bars and the subframe bushings have been beefed up. And if the standard E63 is too soft for you, 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 the 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 a 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 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 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.
Controlled efficiency mode (can’t we just call it comfort?) starts from a stop in second gear and acts much like a regular automatic, choosing the highest ratio whenever possible. Sport mode is slightly more aggressive and shifts with a little more force. We like sport plus most of all, however, since it holds gears and enacts rev-matching downshifts. Enabling sport plus or manual makes for the quickest shifts, which add a delightful crackle to the exhaust note. New to the E63 is a simplified shift lever with three positions: reverse, neutral, and drive. Park is activated by pressing a button, and manual shifts are actuated via the steering-wheel-mounted paddles.
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-hp V-8,” Mays would say in his booming voice, “rockets you from 0 to 60 mph 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 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
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $88,000
ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 379 cu in, 6208
Power (SAE net): 518 bhp @ 6800 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 465 lb-ft @ 5200 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 7-speed automatic with manumatic shifting
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 113.2 in Length: 192.6 in Width: 75.9 in Height: 56.8 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 4300 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 4.0 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.5 sec
Top speed/with Performance package (governor limited): 155/186 mph
FUEL ECONOMY (MFR’S EST):
EPA city/highway driving: 13/20 mpg
Previous E-class AMGs merely had stiffened versions of the standard suspension, but like its little brother, the C63 AMG, the new E63 gets a seriously reworked suspension compared with that of 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's, necessitating a change from air springs to conventional coils. Load-leveling air springs remain at the rear. In addition, the anti-roll bars and the subframe bushings have been beefed up. And if the standard E63 is too soft for you, 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 the 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 a 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 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 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.
Controlled efficiency mode (can’t we just call it comfort?) starts from a stop in second gear and acts much like a regular automatic, choosing the highest ratio whenever possible. Sport mode is slightly more aggressive and shifts with a little more force. We like sport plus most of all, however, since it holds gears and enacts rev-matching downshifts. Enabling sport plus or manual makes for the quickest shifts, which add a delightful crackle to the exhaust note. New to the E63 is a simplified shift lever with three positions: reverse, neutral, and drive. Park is activated by pressing a button, and manual shifts are actuated via the steering-wheel-mounted paddles.
