New Mercedes-AMG E 63 S Hits 186 MPH Like It's Nothing on the Autobahn

The thing we like the most about the new E 63 is the interior. It borrows most of the goodies from the new S-Class and packages them in carbon fiber trim. A major highlight is that steering wheel, with buttons integrated into thin black spokes and tiny drive mode displays.

There was nothing wrong with the way the old model looked, so Mercedes didn't go wild in the exterior department. But look closely and you will notice the new headlights, wider brake lights, and an angry-looking AMG grille.

As we've already stated, the E 63 S has the same power output. More specifically, the 4.0-liter twin-turbo makes 603 hp (612 PS) going to all wheels via a revised 9-speed Speedshift transmission, which features a wet start-off clutch instead of a torque converter.

You can still get it with the 563 hp base engine, but the S model is the focus of this autobahn high-speed performance test. First to be timed is the 0 to 62 mph (100 kph) sprint, which takes just under the officially claimed 3.4 seconds.

After that, we learn that going from 62 to 124 mph (100 to 200 kph) takes 7.7 seconds. Reviewer Automann-TV says this makes the E 63 S quicker than the Audi RS6, which is totally expected. Even the RS7 might lose in this kind of sprint. Something tells us they're not going to make them like this for much longer in Germany.

And finally, we enjoy seeing the 600+ hp sedan put to 300 kph (186 mph) with ease. That kind of highway speed would get you on national TV in America but is completely legal in some parts of Germany. Heck, it even looks relatively safe.