Mercedes-AMG E63 S Races AMG GT R Tuned by Renntech, Proves AWD Is Awesome

Now, we've been quietly rooting for Mat Watson to win everything. About half the cars belong to Shmee150, including the AMG GT R. And it's hard to vote for the guy who, annoying, has everything.

But in the back of my mind, the AMG E63 S had no chance, since its body is way heavier and the Stage 1 tune from Renntech has destroyed any power advantage. This increases the output of the 4.0-liter V8 from 485 to 672 HP, compared to just 612 in the 2-ton E63 S estate.

Numbers like that favor a bespoke sports car, but the E63 S has a secret weapon, its AWD system. This 4Matic+ setup is tuned by AMG to put all the power down instantly, launching the E63 much faster than the GT R.

Mat's family car stretches a lead over the first few seconds of the race. We think that the Stage 1 tune might have hurt the performance of the yellow coupe, overpowering the rear tires and perhaps even creating some turbo lag.

The second race is of the rolling variety, and I still don't see the point. Both cars are in their comfort setting, but how does that relate to a real-world situation? Are you ever going to drive your E63 S like a lazy boy? And what about the fact that the GT R has two fewer gears?

Shmee wins the rolling race and the braking test that follows. But in my mind, the E63 S Estate deserves at least a moral victory for being so practical yet faster than a tuned sports car. That's like the Panamera Turbo is faster than a 911 GT2 RS.