Mercedes-Benz has made this a big week for the E-Class range in the build-up to the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. As this E-Class family portrait shows, after Mercedes-Benz unveiled the 2013 E-Class Coupé and Cabriolet models earlier in the week, the big daddy has arrived to lead the family and now we get the first official picture of the updated E63 AMG super-saloon.
Set to debut in Detroit, the new model garners a much more aggressive front end than we see on the current E63 AMG and this new look is teamed with new, two-tier headlights and the cleaner, simpler, single-bar front grille. Although not visible from this picture of course, we can also expect minor interior revisions, such as the instrument cluster, air vents and trim inlays.
Performance specifications have just been released ahead of the E63 AMG’s unveiling in Detroit. The new model features the same Bi-turbo 5.5-litre AMG V8 engine, which thanks to a power upgrade, develops 410 kW and 720 Nm of torque. We thought Mercedes-Benz were going to confirm the availability of an optional 4Matic all-wheel system if smoking tail-slides wasn’t your thing.
As it turns out however, in certain markets and here with particular reference to the American market, the E63 AMG powerhouse will in fact come standard with AMG’s 4Matic all-wheel drive system. That is 100 % correct. The Mercedes-Benz AMG most famous for big tail-slides won’t be available with rear-wheel drive for customers in, arguably, AMG’s most important market. No news is known on the status of South African bound E63 AMGs.
AMG does however say that the 4Matic system isn’t the same as other Mercedes-Benz systems, but is instead a lighter and more performance-oriented setup. The E63 AMG therefore represents a significant step towards an all-wheel drive range; ironically, in response to the ludicrous amounts of power and torque each of AMG’s own models comes out with these days.
The E63 AMG lineup also gains the addition of a new range-topping ‘S-Model’. This top-dog model outputs the full 430 kW the Bi-Turbo engine is capable of and that aligns with 800 Nm of torque. Here is where the story takes a turn for the better in regards to having all-wheel drive to man-handle all that power onto the road. The AMG Speedshift seven-speed automatic transmission has launch control, as it did before, but Mercedes-Benz say the quickest model, the E63 AMG 4Matic S-Model Sedan, will now get to 100 km/h in just 3.6 seconds.
For an all-wheel drive saloon car that should weigh in excess of 2 000 kg, that acceleration time is no mean feat. To put that into perspective, that’s faster than a Ferrari F430. Our first reaction was to recoil at the sound of an all-wheel drive only E63 AMG. Now we’re not so sure. Trust Mercedes-Benz to always keep us on our toes.
