Thursday, April 8, 2010

ON THE ROAD: MERCEDES-BENZ E 63 AMG


    First Things, Does It Beat The Old E 55 AMG?
    Er, I can’t answer that with a high degree of certainty. Our figures say 5.3 seconds 0 – 100km/h, and that with launch control. I tested the E 55 AMG way back in 2004 and got a time of 5.15 seconds for the 0 – 100km/h sprint under different conditions (lower temperature, lighter fuel load, lower altitude of around 1300m vs 1400m for the E 63 AMG). All that said, the new car is the best AMG E-Class ever built.

    Really?
    Yes. While the E 55 AMG set the benchmark in performance for the segment by beating its contemporary BMW M5 (294kW) and the first Audi RS 6 (331kW), handling that car was a major puzzle. It was like driving a bicycle with a V8 engine. Yes, straight line performance was unmatched by a mile, but cornering and tractability were unheard of. Refreshingly the new E 63 AMG is a vast improvement. So even though figures speak volumes, there’s more to it than meets the 0 – 100km/h sprint.

    But How?
    The exterior look for instance, is very different from the normal E-Class. It features a new front grille, extra air intakes, the trademark 6.3 AMG on the sides, side skirts, a new rear bumper, four trapezoidal tailpipes and a sport diffuser. While most of these aerodynamic changes are necessary for enhanced performance, they also serve to dress up the gentleman. In normal driving conditions only the deep murmur of that naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 reminds you of what’s under the bonnet. Prod the accelerator a little and, depending on where the gear lever is pointed (Sport, M, etc), the response is instant and massively authoritative. Rather keep it in full automatic mode and change its characteristics with the toggle instead; those compact paddles behind the steering, lovely as they are, just don’t speak directly to the gearbox. By the time changes have been made underneath, the finger has long been trying to access the next cog.

    I drove it at the Kayalami Race track when it was launched and was impressed with its sturdy steering force and easy-to-handle feedback. Although not the sharpest tool in the shed, it has been quite notably improved from the previous car and certainly over the mad E 55 AMG.

    And Inside?
    Inside too. Again the air of subtlety is overwhelming, with only bits and pieces being obvious AMG items, such as the small badges, a sports steering wheel, a new gear lever and AMG speedometer dials. Luxury features like electro-hugging sports seats that keep you in place under cornering are still there. So are things like satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and a powerful sound system. All these and more are expected, and delivered by a car costing upwards of a million stackaroos. Merc has tried to strike a harmonious relationship between comfort and sporty, and I do admit that they’ve done it. You can drive the E 63 AMG quite ruggedly but also quite serenely, depending on your temper and/ ability. Because of this ability it never really feels its true size.

    Can It Beat Its Rivals?
    I’d probably say it cuts the middle ground in terms of performance and cosiness. While the RS 6 is much more brutal when the mood strikes it, and the XFR is the best of both worlds, the new E 63 AMG runs without breaking too much sweat. It feels like that high school kid who teachers always said could do better, but he clearly wasn’t interested in doing better. He wanted to be among the best, but not necessarily do to everything needed to be the best.



    QUICK STATS
    MERCEDES-BENZ E 63 AMG
    ENGINE: 6.2-litre V8 (6208 cc)
    POWER: 386kW at 6800rpm; 630Nm at 5200rpm
    0 – 100KM/H: 5.3 seconds
    GEARBOX: 7-speed automatic
    TOP SPEED: 250km/h
    FUEL AVERAGE: 15.6 l/100km
    FUEL RANGE: 513km (combined)
    CO2 e: 399 g/km
    PRICE STANDARD: R1 169 000

    NATURAL RIVALS: Audi RS 6, Jaguar XFR, Cadillac CTS-V, Chrysler 300 C SRT8


    *PRICE RIVALS: Audi S8, Jaguar XKR, Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 Carrera S
     
    BABE-MAGNETIC FACTOR: Very High


    *A price rival falls within R20 000 or so of the subject’s price on either side of its price spectrum for cars over R350 000, R10 000 for cars of between R250 000 and R350 000 and R5 000 for cars below R250 000.

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