Mercedes-AMG E 63 S review – The supercar killer

Progress. The automobile has done justice to that term over the past few years and no matter what, technology and engineering make the humble automobile, one of mankind’s proudest creations. The car you see here on these pages shows another facet of the progress cars has taken. The term ‘ Swiss Army Knife’ is loosely thrown around but is rather apt for this car. Meet the Mercedes-AMG E63 S, a performance sedan with a penchant for eating supercars. Raw.


In short, it is a performance sedan that gives supercars with diva-like tantrums a complex and begs the question, why do you need a supercar if not for more Instagram likes? It was not always like that though. AMGs were a bit of a handful in the earlier years. It was like having a crocodile as your pet- you have no idea when it will snap back at you. AMG’s used to be RWD, lairy and scary. Driving them fast would come with the risk of binning it since it was a loose cannon. Not this one.

The E63 S is a bonafide performance car which is dripping with tech and feel of a real corner craver. However, let me start with the engine which is an AMG masterpiece. It is a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine with more than 600 bhp and 850Nm. Read those figures again. Yup an E-Class fitted with a nuclear powerplant of an engine. Performance is, as you would expect, devastating. 0-100 km/h is less than 4 seconds.

The rate at which it gathers speed is crazy and your inputs cannot keep up. This is a big car, the E63 S, but when you put your foot down, all you see are big numbers flashing up. Amidst lots of sound and fury. Yes, that AMG sound. Putting it in the sportier modes, the music from this V8 is heavenly and the pops and crackles when you lift off is crazy. I did not listen to that fancy audio system even once, the V8 music was enough.

So far, so AMG. The real deal is the stability and confidence. the E63 S, as said earlier ticks the right boxes with the virtue of its complicated AWD system, the 9-speed auto, and the steering. The new E63 is AWD and that means it holds down those 600 horses well. That means you can lean on it through corners. That means you can enjoy pushing it without fear of crashing it. You pour it via corners and it finds grip and more grip while the steering is super delicate and just brilliant. Stunning brakes too!

Yet when you have your fun, you can calmly put it back to the quiet mode and amble back to your home. It is relatively quiet, the gearbox is smooth in traffic and there are no tantrums. It is actually easier to drive than the standard E-Class cause it is the short wheelbase model. The ride is firm but not backbreaking and the engine is not hesitant but smooth. You can use this 600 bhp car every day and that is the real genius. It is an E-Class but one that looks mean (esp those massive intakes and alloys plus stealth paint) and has an interior that is just even more special with the lashings of tasty carbon fiber trim, sports seats and what not.

Prices at Rs 1.5 cr plus, it is an absolute bargain. The combination of everyday practicality with the right amount of spice along with that superb engine, chassis, gearbox and AWD system makes it an all arounder of a performance car. It is a fast car that you can use all day and every day- even in India, AMG, take a bow.

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