The facelift W212 discussion thread is
HERE please use that for non AMG discussions
[YOUTUBE]pvvXTwaY8Q4[/YOUTUBE]
Yes, Yes, Yes - E63 AMG 4matic
Mercedes-Benz is going to introduce the refreshed 2014 E-Class this January at the Detroit Show. That of course means a new E63 AMG is coming, both sedan and wagon. We love cars of that nature. We also noticed a couple of things when we tested the wildly excellent Audi S8 last month. One is that its 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V-8 made around 575 horsepower (we stuck it on a dyno) and not 520 hp, as Audi claims. The other is that AWD makes a whole lot of sense in a near-600-hp sedan. And the S8 wasn't the first time we noticed the performance advantage AWD has over RWD in two-ton-plus sedans. When we pitted the AWD Porsche Panamera GTS against the RWD BMW M5, there was only a 0.1-second difference in the 0-60 time, despite near identical vehicle weights and the M5's 130 horsepower advantage over the Porsche. Moreover, the GTS was able to keep up with the M5 on twisty roads because of its traction advantage. We're obviously not the only folks noticing this trend, as AMG CEO Ola Kaellenius invited yours truly down to get a preview of the new E63 AMG 4Matic. Yup, for the first time ever, a non-SUV AMG product will come complete with AWD. And I got a day in the passenger seat.
"We didn't just use Mercedes' all-wheel-drive system. That wouldn't work for AMG." So said Ola a few days earlier at a sit down in our office. "Yeah," chimed in Tobias Moers, the refreshingly blunt head of AMG Vehicle Development. "We completely reengineered 4Matic to make it work for us." The biggest difference between regular 4Matic and the AMG version is a permanent torque split. In the Mercedes version, the standard split is 45/55 front/rear. However, if conditions change, torque can be moved to the wheels that are losing grip, from 30/70 to 70/30. Not so with the AMG version. Torque is cut 33/67 front to back, and that's how it stays. There are two main reasons why this is. One is that AMG is first and foremost a performance company. The second -- and this ties into the first -- is that by removing all three of the electronically locking clutches and reducing the size of the rear half-shafts, the AWD E63's weight only goes up by 44 pounds, according to AMG. A pretty impressive achievement if true -- we'll weigh it as soon as we can and let you know. The last E63 sedan we weighed checked in at 4347 pounds, meaning the AWD version could be as "light" as 4391 pounds, or about the same as the RWD M5 (4406 pounds) if AMG is right. Also, Ola and Tobias did little more than smile at me when I asked, but I think we can infer that the next S63 and S65 will be AWD as well.
I was given the rare opportunity for a ridealong in two of the three camouflaged pre-production 2014 E63 AMG 4Matic mules that currently exist. In fact, after myself and a few other auto-journo types were done, AMG crated 'em both up and shipped them off to Spain for further testing. Interestingly, the two cars were dressed differently. They were initially camo'd identically, but because one car would be running around an autocross course AMG set up on the former Marine base El Toro (where we film our World's Greatest Drag Race videos), Tobias ripped off the panels hiding the front fascia because they were blocking the radiator and the twin intercoolers. As you'll read in a bit, the car needed them. Much to the chagrin of the AMG PR folks, this partially revealed the new, much sportier-looking AMG corporate nose. The big news is a curved front splitter they're calling the A-Wing. (Let's hope Disney, which just bought "Star Wars," doesn't sue!) In the photos it's taped up black, but I strongly suspect that underneath it's chromed. The A-Wing is but a small part of AMG's new design language that we'll first see fully implemented when the new C-Class launches in about 18 months. Rumor has it that flics will be standard!
We set off towards the track from the unbelievably posh Montage Hotel in Laguna Beach in the silver, less disguised E63. AMG went so far as to camouflage the interior with a series of black, neoprene-like shrouds. About 20 seconds into our journey, Tobias tore off the piece covering the navigation screen. "It used to be beige," he spit, obviously annoyed at the halfhearted effort to conceal the refreshed E-Class's innards. "Now it's gray." Tobias was referring to the background color of the COMAND system. Benz must have shelled out for a more expensive video card, because the graphics in the test mule looked much sharper than in current Mercedes models. As for the rest of the interior, I didn't look too closely (the metal vents are pretty sweet), but the unhidden steering wheel looks much more "sportive."
As we roll up to the staging area, Tobias finds a nice secluded strip of runway to show me the refreshed E63's launch control. He twists the knob from C through S and S+ to Race Launch (just like in the range-topping SLS Gullwing), stands on the brake and the throttle, and dumps the brake. Yup. AWD makes an already extremely quick car feel even quicker. Consider this: The last E63 sedan we tested -- a 2012 model -- hit 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. Tobias tells me that the new car will do 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. "Well, it does 100 kilometers an hour in 3.5 seconds. So, we removed a tenth." If 3.4 seconds is indeed accurate, the new E63 will be the quickest four-door vehicle in the world. Currently, the Porsche Panamera Turbo, Panamera Turbo S, and Audi S8 are all tied up at 3.5 seconds to 60 mph. And if that 0-60 time holds true, the next E63 should easily run the quarter-mile in the elevens. Based on the two blasts I experienced, it's hard to say. The mule felt quick, for sure. But it also happened to be sprinkling, and the runway we were on was not only slick, but in particularly poor shape. Obviously, as soon as they give us a production version we'll test the bejesus out of it. With AWD and launch control, you can expect a pretty sensational number. Especially because the E63 will be packing more wallop.
We must first discuss how AMG used to do it, and still does it for the time being. The current E63 comes with a 518 hp 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8 that produces 516 lb-ft of torque. However, you can opt for the Performance Package, which nets you 550 hp and a ridiculous 590 lb-ft of twisting force. I can't get into the specifics (AMG made me promise to keep a bunch of stuff secret -- sorry) but you can forget about this two-pronged approach. Starting with this car, the M157 engine will produce 575 horsepower and an unspecified for now (though with AMG you can always assume more) amount of torque. That's right, the horsepower wars are dead like Frankenstein. The familiar seven-speed, wet-clutch planetary transmission remains. The cars I rode in didn't have it, but U.S.-spec E63s will have a rear limited-slip differential. Tobias claims the suspension hasn't been altered too much, but obviously the AWD components necessitated some fiddling -- a steering knuckle here, a refined damping rate there, etc. However, the front wheels receive 1.9 degrees of camber. Carbon ceramic brakes are still -- of course -- an option, and the silver mule had 'em. It also had fancy new Pirellis on the same size wheels as before 255/35R19 front, 285/30R19 rear. I should note that the horrible surfaces at El Toro (and the drifting) chewed them right up. I wouldn't be surprised if the production car showed up with some different meats.
Yeah, drifting. To borrow a phrase from O.J. Simpson, if I drove it, I could tell you that on initial turn in, the AWD E63 feels tail-happy. Remember that with the 2:1 fixed torque split, more than 400 lb-ft of torque (probably) is being shot to the rear wheels. More than enough to send its butt sliding. To reel the back end in, a yank of opposite lock and an increase in throttle are all it takes to get the front end to bite. At least, that's what Tobias seemed to be up to from my perch in the passenger seat. I'd also like to be able to definitively tell you that new E63 feels more aggressive, more nimble, more sporting. Sure seemed that way, but obviously I can't say for sure. If I drove it, I'm fairly sure I would have been impressed. What did greatly impress me is how well this Tobias cat can drive. All heads of development should be so gifted. And if you need proof of Tobias' driving prowess transferring to products, look no further than the C63 Black Series, a car he developed and the second-place finisher at our 2012 Best Driver's Car.
What I can say with certainty is this: A vacuum has opened atop the segment once dominated by the BMW M5. Since the M5 is now essentially a super-fast long-haul cruiser (as opposed to a precision sports car in executive sedan clothing), the segment crown is up for grabs. And the competition is fierce. Right now, the best is either the Porsche Panamera ($$$$) or the Cadillac CTS-V ($$). But let's not forget about the Tesla Model S, the just-announced 550-hp Jaguar XFR-S or the not-really-announced (however, the head of Quattro GmbH told me it's coming, so I'm calling it fair game) but significantly more than 520-hp Audi RS7. Truthfully, the 420 hp S6 and S7 are both pretty incredible machines as is. And then of course there's this new AWD E63, and the CLS63 AMG that will be released simultaneously. Which one will be the champ? Can't say. But I can tell you that it will be one comparison test I wouldn't miss for all the horsepower in Swabia. Especially since we'll be driving it.
That front is amazing... apart from in a small crash/dent in which it looks like it wont do anything.
