Judging by the multitude of drag racing videos that most of us have seen over the years, we might be left under the impression that we need a high-end exotic in order to dominate the strip. Either that or an ultra-modified vehicle, preferably with more power than the original Bugatti Veyron.
However, one doesn’t have to win the lottery to own a very fast ride, as there are countless waiting for a new owner on the used car market. The previous generation Mercedes-AMG E 63 S is but one, and successfully combines all the luxury amenities you’ll ever need with a sonorous V8, chassis upgrades over the regular E-Class, beefier brakes, and more.
Provided that you’ve specialized in fast takeoffs, and can jump the start whenever faced with the imminent danger of losing, like the black example depicted on film down below did against a full-blown supercar, then you will simply rule the strip. The E 63 S in question met numerous extremely fast machines on that day, and if we were to concentrate on a single race, then that would be the one where it tried its luck against the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.
The American high-rider holds the upper ground in terms of power and engine displacement. That’s because it rocks a supercharged 6.2-liter V8, with no less than 707 hp and 645 lb-ft (875 Nm) of torque available on tap. The AMG E 63 S, on the other hand, packs the omnipresent twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8, which is capable of pumping out 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet (850 Nm).
From naught to 62 mph (0-100 kph), the balance slightly tilts in favor of the German executive super sedan, which needs 3.4 seconds, two tenths of a second quicker than the Jeep. So, which one do you think was faster? Now head on down to see if you were right, and if you cannot spot it, then the image gallery reveals which driver hit the brake first.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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