2012 Mercedes E63 AMG

Mercedes-Benz used the 2011 New York Auto Show to reveal the updated 2012MY E63 AMG, which now features the new 5.5-liter V8 biturbo engine instead of the old naturally-aspirated 6.2-liter unit. The new powerplant, already known from the CLS63 AMG, delivers 525 horsepower as standard, with an additional 32 ponies for a total of 557HP with the AMG Performance package. In base form, the 5.5-liter unit produces 7 more horsepower than the previous 6.2-liter engine.

The new V8 engine has a peak torque of 700 Nm (516.3 lb-ft) available between 1750 and 5000 rpm, with the AMG Performance kit adding another 100 Nm (73.7 lb-ft) of torque. Needless to say, the AMG-badged E-Class is super fast reaching the 100km/h mark in 4.3 seconds (4.4 s for the Estate) with its top speed restricted to 250 km/h (155 mph). The AMG Performance models shave 0.1 seconds of the 0 to 100 km/h time, while posting the same average fuel consumption.

Enthusiasts will appreciate the 3-stage ESP system with Sport mode, as well as the AMG Ride Control sports suspension, which now has a wider front track (by 56 mm) that increases grip in high speed corners.

Equally impressive is the improvement in fuel economy. The new E63 AMG sedan posts an average fuel consumption of 9.8 liters/100 km (24 mpg US), while the Estate version settles for 10 liters/100 km (23.5 mpg US). This represents an increase of 22 percent in fuel-efficiency compared with its predecessor, as the new car uses 2.8 liters less per 100 kilometers. CO2 emissions stand at 230 g/km for the sedan and 234 g/km for the estate.

Among the fuel-saving measures Mercedes quotes is the newly developed electromechanical AMG sports steering system, which only uses power when the car is steered, and the efficient AMG Speedshift MCT 7-speed sports transmission fitted with a stop/start system.

Visually, the E63 AMG with the new M157 engine has new light-alloy wheels and the “V8 Biturbo” badge on the front wings. Inside, the car gets the flat-top and -bottom steering wheel from the CLS63 AMG, a new E-Select shift lever with embossed AMG badge and a 3-D TFT color display in the center of the speedometer.

The market launch is scheduled for September 2011, with prices in Germany to remain unchanged at €105,971 ($154,540) for the E63 AMG sedan and € 108,409 ($158,100) for the Estate. The AMG Performance package adds an extra €8,306.20 ($12,100) to the base price.

GALLERY