2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG Full Test and Video

Consider that the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG is nowhere near as quick as the 2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo and you might be disappointed. With four doors and a power figure beginning with the number five, the E63 should be capable of a toe-to-toe showdown with the sedan from Stuttgart, right? But it's not even close, because the Porsche is 0.7 second quicker in the quarter-mile and embarrasses the Benz to 60 mph by a merciless 1.1 seconds.

Porschephiles, however, would do well to rethink their number-loving zealotry for a moment. The Panamera is certainly impressive, but it will never cover itself in glory by means of a big, honkin' powerslide or even a measly burnout — ever. The Porsche, in all its stiff-collared precision, is to tire smoking what Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is to jokes about inflation.

The big Benz, however, is happy to oblige with both powerslides and burnouts. In fact, tire smoking is an AMG specialty, a dynamic ability in brilliant contrast to the otherwise civilized Mercedes-Benz ethos. Accordingly, the E63 will smoke its tires with enough grace to make you forget all about the whipping you'll take on the Internet's numerous bench-racing forums about the Panamera's edge in speed. Plus the E63 AMG is also about $45,000 less costly than the Porsche and it doesn't look like an overstuffed 911, both big perks in the ass-hauling-sedan-for-grown-ups market.

For these reasons and many more, the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG can never be called a disappointment.

What You Get
First of all you get the legacy of four-door speed that is part of the AMG birthright, something that can be traced through the previous-generation E63 AMG, the E55 AMG and the 500E-based E60 AMG before that and dates back all the way to the 1986 AMG Hammer — the machine that is largely responsible for this whole fast sedan thing in the first place. That the Mercedes is comfortable here is an understatement. That it's more comfortable than a Porsche? Well, that's obvious.

The defining component that ties all of the above sedans together is a big, honest V8 power plant under the hood. In the case of the current E63 it's the same AMG-built, DOHC 6.2-liter V8 used in the previous-generation E63. Here, however, a new alternator and low-friction coating for the cylinder walls help pump up power output from 507 horsepower to 518 hp at 6,800 rpm. Torque is rated at 465 pound-feet at 5,200 rpm.

The big change, however, is the elimination of the torque converter in the Benz's transmission. For 2010 the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG assumes use of the seven-speed automatic from the SL63, which features a conventional clutch pack in an oil bath to perform very smooth shifts in just 100 milliseconds, and it proves more responsive (not to mention more lightweight) than a traditional automatic with a torque converter.

Further updates have been made to the E63's suspension. In place of the air spring suspension at all four corners, the 2010 E63 has traditional coil springs up front and retains the air springs only in the rear. A track that is 2.2 inches wider accommodates both a wider tire and a redesigned hub carrier that provides more negative camber and thus more cornering grip.

It Works
All these changes transform the Mercedes E-Class. We found in the 2010 AMG E63 the same dynamic character that is rapidly seeping into every AMG product. This is a large sedan with genuinely stellar handling; it asks to be driven and is supremely engaging in the act. And it's far more than the above changes might lead you to believe.

The details include a quick 14:1 steering ratio, making the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG far livelier than its E-Class brethren. Some 11 sensors also monitor everything from steering angle to ride height. Three-stage damping control and a Sport mode that loosens the stability control's hold on the car's dynamics also go a long way into helping this sophisticated, carefully managed chassis get in sync with the intentions of its driver.

We felt it first on a narrow mountain road where we had also driven the previous-generation E63. Truthfully, any sort of E-Class is too big for this road. It's a place where Mazda's MX-5 is at home and anything larger than a Porsche 911 is an exercise in frustration. This was largely the case with the previous E63 AMG, which wasn't hard to control, but also wasn't fun. Now, however, we are having fun as the new E63 AMG seems to shrink around us, delivering precise, positively awesome steering matched with remarkable chassis control and, of course, oceans of power.

Big cars don't work like this. The only other exception is the Panamera, which is unnervingly fast on any road. But it's also sterile, and this Benz is not. With well-managed power delivery, a dead-flat cornering attitude and textbook rear-drive character, the 2010 E63 AMG is, well, fun. You can credit the AMG engineers, who clearly understand the chassis dynamics that are required when you're driving hard.

Makes the Numbers
Among the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG's many intelligently refocused components is the transmission, which is perfectly suited to the multifaceted role it must play in a car as fast yet comfortable as this one. There are four shift modes (C, S, S+ and Manual), which can be selected by a knob at the front of the center console. Each provides progressively quicker shifts and more aggressive throttle response. (Actually, S+ and Manual mode offer the same performance, but in Manual mode the driver must undertake the shifting duties via the shift paddles on the steering wheel.)

The transmission control knob also incorporates a position labeled RS, for "Race Start." It's the mode we used to record a 12.7-second pass through the quarter-mile at 112.4 mph. The mark of 60 mph arrives in 4.6 seconds from a standstill (4.3 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip).

We suspect that most E63 owners will only bother with the launch control routine as a "hey, watch this!" feature for interested passengers since it's fairly cumbersome to activate. With the appropriate stability and transmission modes selected, the driver must confirm "Race Start" mode by first tapping the upshift paddle and then flooring the throttle. The engine then revs to 4,000 rpm and it's a matter of releasing the brake pedal to set things in motion.

The clutch pack then feeds power to the rear wheels at an optimized rate. We were able to record a quarter-mile time only a few hundredths of a second slower than the launch control by simply wooding the throttle in the start-up default settings — including fully engaged traction control. In other words, there's not a lot of thinking required to achieve optimum performance from this car — something we've always appreciated about AMG sedans in general.

The tranny's manual mode will hold gears on command to the redline without producing any unplanned upshifts. Downshifts are accompanied by an accurate rev-matched blip of the throttle. And when you don't want to think about shifting, the seven-speed transmission will neatly transform itself into something that will deliver the creamy-smooth shifts demanded by guys who prefer land yachts, not performance sedans.

Stopping from 60 mph requires 114 feet and feels utterly effortless, a function of 14.2-inch rotors, six-piston calipers in front and four-piston calipers in the rear.

Big, Wonderful Rear-Wheel Drive
It was no surprise when our impressions of the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63's handling ability were verified by a run through the slalom test in 68.8 mph, a performance almost identical to the last BMW M5 we tested, which managed 68.9 mph.

Never before have we wanted so badly to leave crossed-up black marks around the skid pad as we did in the E63. Apply the throttle and dial in the steering at the same time and the E63 rotates around the eight barking cylinders under its hood as predictably as the Earth does around the sun. But because we're trained professionals we didn't do so until after we'd coaxed optimum grip from the car on the skid pad, some 0.90g. Not bad in a 4,341-pound sedan.

And this is without the optional AMG Performance package, which includes a stiffer suspension and a limited-slip differential.

Wrapping It Up
With the 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, Mercedes has thought of everything from self-dimming bi-xenon headlights to a soft yet supportive driver seat that has a massage feature. Unfortunately, everything also includes a blind-spot warning that's far too wary and conservative for traffic in a city as dense with traffic as Los Angeles, as we were continually assaulted by audible warnings during routine lane changes. Fortunately, it can be disabled.

Our test car includes $2,800 worth of carbon-fiber trim, a $1,070 panorama sunroof, $2,250 forged-aluminum 19-inch wheels, plus the $2,900 Driver Assist package, which includes adaptive cruise control, autonomous braking and the blind-spot warning feature. This car also has the $4,900 Premium package that bundles the COMAND system with voice activation and the fancy seat and headlamps mentioned earlier.

Tally it up with the $875 destination fee and unavoidable $1,700 gas-guzzler tax and this 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG comes to $102,245. For this sum you get enough space to comfortably move four large adults, enough handling ability to stun many smaller cars and enough power to move your soul.

And though the Porsche Panamera might be quicker, it isn't anywhere near as cool.

The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.