autoevolution
 

The Odd Couple: Mercedes-AMG E 63 S Wagon Versus Chevrolet Corvette Z06

The drag strip is no stranger to weird vehicles who normally would have no business being there. We've shown you a Hummer H1 and a communist-era Trabant before, but those are just two examples in a sea (well, at least a puddle) of drag racing misfits.
Mercedes-AMG E 63 S T-Modell vs. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 4 photos
Photo: YouTube screenshot
Mercedes-AMG E 63 S T-Modell vs. Chevrolet Corvette Z06Mercedes-AMG E 63 S T-Modell vs. Chevrolet Corvette Z06Mercedes-AMG E 63 S T-Modell vs. Chevrolet Corvette Z06
The Mercedes-AMG E 63 S Wagon (or T-Modell, as the Germans would call it) is by no means a complete outsider. The only way you could think that was by looking strictly at its body style, but even then you would notice the aggressive front bumper, its oversized air vents, the numerous exhausts and the very enjoyable tune coming out of them.

That's because the seemingly family car actually hides a 4.0-liter V8 twin-turbo engine delivering 612 horsepower. The car in this clip, however, is a 2014 model, which means it gets an even bigger engine, though the power output is slightly reduced. However, with 585 hp, you can hardly call the E 63 S a slouch, and that's before counting the modifications its owner operated on the wagon.

According to his own telling, the 5.5-liter V8 monster now has 670 hp, which puts it just 11 hp over its opponent for the day. But the Affalterbach machine has two more advantages on its side: first of all, it has an automatic transmission, as opposed to the Chevrolet Corvette Z06's manual seven, and second, it has all-wheel-drive.

The latter won't count as much since it's a rolling race, but the automatic should prove a big asset. After all, we've seen how much it helped the McLaren 570S in a previous race against the same Vette. But that British sports car had one other thing going for it, something that in this case is clearly in the American car's favor: aerodynamics.

All in all, it should be a close one. None of the two is exactly the kind of car you would think to associate with drag racing - one for its gearbox and the other for its ability to carry furniture - and yet they both put on a good show. And, as the analysis would suggest, the race is actually quite close.

If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Vlad Mitrache
Vlad Mitrache profile photo

"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories