2023 Mercedes-Benz E63 Reviews

Mercedes-AMG has been filling up its range with (very) hot hatches and compact SUVs. But now it's turned to its attention to the bruising E 63 S, with with some aero-focused styling tweaks, Merc's latest 'Widescreen' digital cockpit, as well as the MBUX multimedia system, and a tricky new multi-function sports steering wheel.

What appears to be a pointless exercise in gratuitous drifts is actually a lesson learned in car physics and how under-prepared most Aussies would be for low-traction driving.

The faster you go, the less comfortable things become. Any race car will prove this theory, and the current C 63 S AMG also backs it up with its, shall we say, 'performance-focused' package.  As you'd expect, its mighty E 63 S bigger brother is faster again. But surely it can't afford to be less comfy than its

John Carey road tests and reviews the 2017 Mercedes-AMG E63 S at its international launch in Portugal.

When Mercedes invited us to the Race the Runway charity event at Edinburgh Airport, we lept at the chance.

The Mercedes E-Class is a prestigious medium-large car that’s been reinvented in recent years. Once a conservative model, it has become pretty stylish as the Germans aim for a wider range of buyers.

High performance sedans from Germany have a new leader with the arrival of the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S – a stealth weapon that packs a massive punch in a subtly-aggressive sedan body.

In Europe, the E63AMG S gets all wheel drive -- ensuring the mountain of power and torque percolating from its bi-turbo, petrol V8 engine is held in check

Australians love an underdog whether it’s on the sporting field or in Hollywood. But when it comes to cars we have few opportunities to strut our stuff. The arrival of the new HSV GTS -- the fastest and most powerful production car ever designed, engineered and built in Australia -- is our best chance yet at hitting the big time. And not a moment too soon.As reported earlier the new HSV GTS is a fitting exclamation point for the Australian car industry. The 2017 ‘Commodore’ will likely be a globally-developed hum-drum front-drive sedan that’s about as Australian as a Toyota Camry.We’ve been blown away by the performance and refinement of the new supercharged HSV GTS but what we really wanted to know is how it compares on a global stage. With all due respect to the highly capable Ford Falcon GT -- in particular the limited edition R-Spec version released last year -- the new HSV GTS has moved beyond the decades-old Ford v Holden comparisons.Both local hero cars may have supercharged V8s but the hot Holden and all its technology (forward crash alert, heads-up display, blind-zone warning, self-parking and cross traffic alert when reversing) means it really is in another league these days.There really is only one rival, the twin-turbocharged Mercedes-Benz E63 S-AMG. It’s a bit of a tongue twister but the ‘S’ is important. It’s not just any E63 but the updated 2014 model with an optional Sports pack (standard in Australia) that delivers the same power as the HSV GTS (430kW) but an epic 800Nm of torque from its twin turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 (instead of the HSV’s also-considerable 740Nm from its supercharged 6.2-litre V8).With those numbers the Mercedes absolutely flattens the fast sedans from Audi and BMW; by comparison they look plain pedestrian. That only leaves the small matter of a rather large price difference, a pair of keys and an open road to explore. PERFORMANCEDon’t worry we won’t keep you in suspense. The HSV GTS is a fraction slower to the speed limit than the Mercedes-Benz E63 S-AMG. But the Mercedes’ 0.3-second advantage costs $150,000 -- or $50,000 for every 0.1 of a second if we use the manufacturer claims as the benchmark. HSV says the GTS can reach 100km/h in 4.4 seconds, Mercedes says its car in “launch mode” can achieve the same feat in 4.1 seconds. We didn’t get near either time in either car.We squeezed a 4.7-second time out of the manual HSV GTS and a 4.5-second time out of the automatic Mercedes-Benz. So a $75,000 difference per 0.1-second then. Both cars struggled to get grip off the line despite wearing identical Continental tyres (20-inch diameter on the HSV, 19-inch on the beastly Benz). They both used electronic wizardry to try to ration their power as gently as possible but it turns out you just can’t keep good engines down. And power really is nothing without control.A sidenote, we actually got a better time out of the GTS by launching it ourselves rather than in HSV’s launch mode (press a button, step off the clutch and hope for the best; we got repeatable 4.8-second times if you’re curious).We’re assured the automatic HSV GTS is slightly quicker than the manual version and we believe it, especially as the manual needs to grab second gear just before it eclipses the 100 mark. Can you feel the acceleration difference between the two? Can you #@*% what. The Mercedes’s twin turbo 5.5-litre V8 has much more oomph from lower revs and the adrenaline boost lasts longer.What the 0 to 100km/h times don't show is how the Mercedes in much more toey, more ready to launch at any moment from whatever speed you're doing with just the slightest dab of the throttle. Its in-gear acceleration is significantly quicker than the HSV.The only minor letdown with the Benz is the gearbox. Mercedes’ seven-speed multi-clutch auto can be a little sluggish between gears when it’s not being floored (even with four shift modes to choose from). The HSV is no slouch but the Mercedes-Benz E63 S-AMG snots it in the right conditions. The power is, quite simply, more readily available.PRICEWould a Mercedes customer ever consider a Commodore? Don’t scoff until you’ve sat in the new Holden. The HSV GTS has a much more upmarket feel to it. Sure, few potential buyers of either of these cars are going to cross-shop them. The only downside is that, inside, the GTS looks exactly the same as the HSV Clubsport R8. In the GTS you’re paying for an engine, a heavy-duty differential, a gaping front bumper, big yellow brakes and three years of engineering work. If you can comfortably afford a Mercedes-Benz E63 S-AMG then there really is no need to consider anything else -- from Germany or Australia. But if you simply can’t bring yourself to part with a quarter of a million dollars on a car that, unlike property, will ultimately go down in value, then the HSV GTS may be for you. It may even hold a little more value in the long run given that it’ll mark the end of an era in Australian muscle cars.In isolation the new HSV GTS seems expensive but when you consider it in this company the numbers start to add up. You could buy a manual and an automatic GTS and still have change from the purchase price of the Mercedes-Benz.The HSV GTS starts at $92,990 plus on-road costs. The price of the Mercedes-Benz has crept up $9500 to $249,900 but comes with the lot, including an AMG diff and the power upgrade (from 410kW/720Nm to 430kW/800Nm) that other countries must pay a hefty premium for.HANDLINGBoth of these cars can easily handle the daily grind or a race track. The HSV GTS rides on suspension technology shared with Ferrari; tiny magnetic particles adjust the amount of damping in milliseconds. The result is the most comfortable HSV to date despite riding on massive 20-inch wheels and tyres. The press of a button makes it switch from being suited to track work or city cruising.The Mercedes-Benz is just as comfortable and adjustable but without as many gadgets. The slightly lighter and lower body of the E63 means it doesn’t lean as much in corners as does the big Commodore. The Mercedes just feels lower and more agile.The biggest surprise, however, was the difference in braking performance. The HSV GTS has the biggest brakes ever fitted to an Australian production car (390mm discs up front, clamped by six-piston calipers, just in case such detail comes in handy on a trivia night) and they feel utterly superb.The brakes, sourced from AP Racing but wearing a HSV label, have a level of precision that makes the mighty GTS feel as lithe as one of those tiny hand-built club cars with frames that appear to be made out of old tube steel offcuts.The Benz has smaller brakes (360mm discs and six-piston calipers up front) but has slightly less weight to pull up. As hard as this is to believe, however, especially for Euro-philes, the Benz brakes feel quite basic in comparison, lacking the bite and precision of millimetre perfect adjustment of the HSV.VERDICTPatriotic pride and price differences aside the Mercedes-Benz E63 S-AMG is a knockout winner -- not least of which is because it highlights the many strengths of the homegrown HSV GTS. This is the closest an Australian car has ever been to matching the world’s best sports sedan, which is all the more remarkable given the $150,000 price difference. If this were a World Cup soccer match, the score would be Germany 2, Australia 1. That we landed one in the net against a bigger team with a vastly bigger budget is a victory in its own.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling  HSV GTSPrice: $92,990 plus on-road costsEngine: Supercharged 6.2-litre V8Power: 430kW and 740NmTransmission: Six-speed manual or six-speed torque converter auto ($2500 option)Weight: 1881kg (manual), 1892.5kg (auto)Safety: Six airbags, five-star ANCAP rating0 to 100km/h: 4.4 seconds (claimed), 4.7 seconds (as tested)Consumption: 15.7L/100km (auto), 15.3 L/100km (manual)Warranty: 3 years, 100,000kmService intervals: 15,000km or 9 monthsSpare tyre: Full size (above boot floor)Mercedes-Benz E63 S-AMGPrice: $249,900 plus on-road costsEngine: Twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8Power: 430kW and 800NmTransmission: Seven-speed multi-clutch autoWeight: 1845kgSafety: Eight airbags, five-star Euro-NCAP rating0 to 100km/h: 4.1 seconds (claimed), 4.5 seconds (as tested)Consumption: 10L/100kmWarranty: 3 years, unlimited kmService intervals: 20,000km / 12 monthsSpare tyre: inflator kit

The evolution of Mercedes-Benz E-Class AMG started years ago and has progressed to the latest and greatest E 63 AMG S model -- now with a colossal 430kW/800Nm from its twin turbo (bi-turbo) petrol V8 engine. It's sufficient to push the 1900kg plus four door luxury projectile from 0-100kmh in about 4.0 seconds and blatt on without let-up to its arbitrarily set terminal velocity.AMG has fully fettled the beast and installed a swag of special components designed to deliver the goods when it comes to sporty driving. The brakes are huge multi-piston units, the suspension has adjustable damping, the steering is super responsive and even the transmission offers four modes as well as race start - all courtesy of AMG.But the heart of the E 63 is its 5.5-litre, direct injection V8 with twin variable geometry turbos, variable cam timing and other engineering trickery to help deliver awesome performance and impressive fuel economy along with ‘green' credentials all at the same time.Where the previous model was offered with a Sports Package for extra power and kit at extra cost, the latest is only available in ‘S' spec - with all the go fast bits included. The price is $249,900.Included is the locking diff' that the E 63 deserves but which few optioned previously. It has a big influence on how this monumentally powerful rear drive sedan puts its power to the ground and why it behaves so well under pressure. All wheel drive E 63s are available overseas but not here. Something else pretty special is the seven-speed dual clutch transmission with paddle shift and four modes.The interior is at luxury car level and includes premium audio, full media connectivity, Nappa leather, sports wheel and a 360 degree safety camera. ‘Intelligent' LED headlights complete with selective aiming aid night driving. Driver assist kit includes nearly the full suite of Benz ‘help' as well as active park assist for parallel and nose to kerb parking.This amount of power is rare in a road car with V8 Supercars cranking out not much more in the way of kilowatts -- and certainly not as much torque. But you can't compare this car with a ‘coarse' V8 racer, the E 63 is a much more refined beast  - a veritable iron fist in a silk glove as it offers superlative levels of luxury in a stylish and practical package.We had a bit of a crack in the latest E 63 at Sandown race track where the largish Benz happily carved up the tight bits and blasted down the straights like a real race car. We were too chicken to go the whole hog and switch everything to off or full manual control on the track but even with one notch to go, the E 63 still delivers the required drive feel sought by enthusiast drivers complete with a measured amount of rear wheel slip and tail-out oversteer. Acceleration is brutal.The sound burbling out the back is good but nowhere near as stirring as the earlier, naturally-aspirated 6.2-litre V8 (still in the C 63). The look inside is understated and classy, much like the exterior treatment.