Bruce

"it relishes handing stock Corvettes their lunch at the local drags"



By Andrew Bornhop
Photos by Marc Urbano
July 2007

Straight line figures (MPH)
0-60: 4.1 seconds
0-100: 9.5 seconds
1/4 Mile: 12.4 @ 114.8

Data Chart:

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This is a story about a car — the sleek, fast, expensive and rare Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Wagon. Yet it’s just as much about an engine — an AMG-designed and -built 6.2-liter V-8 that defines this hunkered-down E-Class wagon, transforming it into a blisteringly fast BMW M5 fighter.

We’re not kidding. The 507-bhp E63 Wagon is that quick, hitting 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, a time that matches the almighty M5 and outpaces the Z51 Chevrolet Corvette we tested in January. And in the quarter mile, where you might expect the V-10-powered Bimmer to pull away, this station wagon stays apace with the paddle-shifted Bavarian sports sedan, blasting through the line in 12.4 sec., albeit with a 1-mph-slower trap speed.

Fun stuff, for which we have Rainer Laukemann to thank.

Don’t know Rainer? He’s the AMG technician who hand-built the 90-degree V-8 in our particular Capri Blue E63 Wagon test car. We know this, because he signed the plaque on top of the powerplant, which masterfully blends large displacement (6208 cc) with an ability to rev (7200-rpm redline). Compared with the supercharged 3-valve-per-cylinder 5.4-liter V-8 in the E55 AMG wagon we tested in December of 2005, this new 4-valve powerplant puts out more bhp (507 bhp at 6800 rpm versus 469 at 6100) and a bit less torque (465 lb.-ft. at 5200 rpm versus 516 at 2650). Although the torque peaks at relatively high rpm, the powerband is plenty broad, with 369 lb.-ft. on tap at only 2000 rpm.



The aluminum-block engine, with a rigidity-enhancing bedplate, is a marvel. Benefiting from AMG’s expertise with race engines, this closed-deck V-8 has a high 11.3:1 compression ratio, a forged counterweighted crankshaft spinning in five main bearings, cracked-steel connecting rods and cast lightweight pistons cooled from below by oil-spray nozzles. The bore is large in relation to the stroke, helping the powerplant rev, and the cylinders are coated via a unique process involving a molten metallic spray (using a pair of wires, high current and an atomizing gas) that forms an extremely low friction surface that’s twice as hard as a conventional cast-iron cylinder liner.

Also slick is the E63’s two-path magnesium intake manifold, which broadens the powerband by lengthening the air path for improved low-rpm torque and shortening it for better high-rpm power. This manifold, together with variable valve timing on both chain-driven camshafts — plus straight-shot vertical intake and exhaust ports — assures excellent cylinder filling for maximum power production. An oil cooler keeps oil temp in check, and the Bosch ME 9.7 engine management does some fascinating stuff, including keeping the coolant at 80 degrees Celsius in partial-load conditions to minimize internal friction and maximize fuel economy. Yet when the engine is under more load, the ECU changes the coolant temperature in milliseconds to 100 degrees Celsius, for better cooling.



That’s high tech, as is the E63’s AMG Speedshift 7-speed automatic gearbox, which features aluminum shift paddles behind the steering wheel that are cool to the touch and operate with a precise feel. Three shift modes are on call: Comfort, Sport and Manual. In Comfort and Sport, the E63 takes off in 2nd gear, so abundant is the torque, and the shifts are so smooth that they are easier heard than felt, occurring at higher rpm in Sport. In Manual, the E63 starts off in 1st and will smoke its rear tires at will (ASR traction control off, of course) and bounce off the 7000-rpm rev limiter if the driver isn’t quick enough with the right upshift paddle. This wagon feels especially sporty in Manual — it might have something to do with that heavy push in the back — but drivers can tellthat the E63 has an automatic being shifted manually, not a manual with paddle shifters as found in a Ferrari or Maserati, or a DSG gearbox in a VW or an Audi. Moreover, the Mercedes 7-speed doesn’t blip the throttle to smooth downshifts, something you might expect in a $93,660 automobile.

That’s a big hit, but this a special car. AMG-tuned Airmatic suspension gives the E63 an aggressively low stance, enhanced by staggered tires — 245/40ZR-18s front, 265/35ZR-18s back — that fill the wheel wells nicely. The suspension tuning is 20 to 30 percent stiffer (and with larger anti-roll bars) than that of the E550 Wagon. Comfort mode is best for everyday use, but Sport is by no means too stiff, both delivering a well-snubbed ride. Braking duties are handled more than adequately by the vented and drilled 14.2-in. front rotors, which are acted upon by fixed 6-piston calipers. The 13.0-in. rears have 4-piston calipers, and even though the E63 (like the previous E55) features electronic control of the brake hydraulics, great strides have been made in making the brakes feel more natural and less grabby.

If you peer underneath the back of the E63 AMG wagon, past the quad exhaust outlets, you’ll see a heavily finned differential with high 2.65:1 final-drive gearing that makes one wonder what the car could do if it weren’t electronically limited to 155 mph. And although there appears to be a well for a spare tire, our E63 has the optional $995 rear-facing third-row seat for two, which means the car gets a fix-it kit instead. Of note, the E550 Wagon with the optional rear bench has room for a spare, simply because its tires are smaller.

Getting into an E63 AMG Wagon involves a step down into a very low seat. The view forward is excellent, what with the car’s low cowl and thin A-pillars. Looking into the rearview mirror, you’ll see the Alcantara headliner stretching all the way rearward, doing a great job of impersonating suede. And speaking of leather, the E63 has lots of it, gathered attractively on the door panels and covering the AMG sport seats, which have larger side bolsters covered in softer hides. The seats remain firm in the M-B tradition, but are far more supportive than stock, with enough width for larger drivers. Head room is also generous, even with the E63’s standard sunroof. In back, the E63 Wagon’s luggage area — useful only when the rearmost seat is folded flat into the floor — is attractively lined with carpet, and it has a motorized cover that automatically puts your valuables out of sight when the power liftgate is closed.



On the road — if you can force yourself to think about something other than the prodigious power — E63 drivers will find the typical slow-ratio Mercedes steering, but with just the right amount of assist and feedback to make the driver an integral part of the equation. And although the car is entirely at home in everyday commuting, the E63 comes alive on twisty back roads, where from the driver’s seat it suddenly becomes a sports sedan that just happens to have a wagon body. In this situation, for all but the best drivers, traction and stability control really are your best friends, as the E63 Wagon begins feeling smaller and more agile the faster it’s driven.

Inside, the AMG gauge package features a 200-mph speedometer flanked by an analog clock and tachometer. COMAND, Mercedes’ multifunction controller and DVD navigation system (replete with a 184-page manual), is getting better, but most of us still wish it were more intuitive, or that M-B engineers would spend some time in a Toyota or a Honda to see how others have managed with better success.

Nevertheless, the E63 AMG Wagon is one seriously fine ride. It’s rare; not all Mercedes dealers in the U.S. will even get one, meaning you’ll likely have to order one without test driving it. So take it from us: You’ll dig it, just like we did. Loaded with the latest safety equipment, the E63 AMG Wagon works just fine schlepping the kids to and from school during the week. Yet on weekends, it relishes handing stock Corvettes their lunch at the local drags.

’Tis a pity, but the P30 Performance Package, a $9000 option that includes a limited-slip differential and a speed limiter that kicks in at 186 mph instead of 155, is available only on the E63 AMG sedan. We suspect several E63 AMG Wagon owners will find a way around that problem....

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Splenditenes

Thats chilling performance coming from a 4600lbs vehicle.
Even the skidpad number looks good .84, impressive!!

Btw, that P30 performance-package should be standard on the E63
sedan, (LSD with a 186mph top speed, wow!) this should be an option on the wagon.

Kowalski

0 to 60 in 4.1 seconds it's not fast just for an Estate car; it's fast full stop.

It could be faster from 0 to 100 though... but frankly I'm nitpicking here.

I can only doff my cap to the boffins at Mercedes AMG.

The Artist

damn this is one smokin wagon..until the RS6 avant comes along..this is the shit..
it looks the part as well as does the part..

superb..

ree

...and look at the design of the E63!! Especially in black it looks absolutely amazing... ...one of the fastest buggies in the world.

atuv

^Exactly it looks magnificent in black and my god what an engine ..

cawimmer430

All I can say is: THIS IS INSANE!

4.1 seconds? Why not throw in the family dog in the trunk to make faces at those Ferrari's, Porsche's and Corvettes you're smoking.

martinbo

More to the point: WHAT an Engine! How it didn't score higher in IEOTY is a mystery to me. A nice write-up that explains the technical details of the engine in a nice, concise manner.

To think: the C63 AMG will get a slightly detuned version of this engine. Fab.

ZicZachZo

I wish MB wagons were more popular here in the US. Wagons are beauts. Wish we Americans bought more of them!

Va Va Voom

Brill car but if i was gona get a fast estate i would wait untill the rs6 comes out...then compare them....