Until now, the pinnacle of AMG hooning has usually been relatively small, like the A45 AMG or the C204 Black Series. But we have a feeling that the E63 S will be the sweet spot in the range for the next decade, much like the RS6 is for Audi.
Good things come in small packages? Not here, as we played the drinking game with Steve Sutcliffe saying "two tons" and we can't walk straight anymore. But as heavy as the new E63, it carries itself with the poise of a slightly chunky pole dancer... and it knows tricks.
If you're planning to buy this car or simply have a test drive lined up in the coming months, you have to watch the review because it explains how to engage the famous drift mode. To do so, you need to go into the AMG menu and engage the right mode, turn the traction control off and put the transmission in manual. Confirm by going UP on the paddle and voila!
"It's either fast, really fast, mentally fast or insane," Stevo says. That's the important part about the new AMG model, since it has downsized from a 5.5-liter V8 to a 4.0-liter one with more power than... nearly everything.
Despite now having all-wheel-drive as standard, there is plenty of feel coming through the front tires to the steering wheel, a clear one-up on the BMW M5, at least the old one. Despite being savagely fast, the E63 S is also extremely comfortable, something that's to be expected of every Mercedes model, though not easily achieved.
Regarding flaws, we learn of a couple that might have us talking for the next few years: too much tire noise when you want it to feel calm and relaxed, plus the 9-speed gearbox not being able to shift fast enough.
This applies both on the road and on the track, where Steve says the E63 doesn't really belong. So perhaps Mercedes intentionally left some room for the Black Edition, or perhaps customers just don't care.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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