The latest AMG-infused Mercedes is the perfect car for doing the school run if your children’s seat of learning happens to be located on the Nurburgring.
That’s because it combines a maximum load capacity of 1820 litres when the rear seats are folded down with a 4-liter twin turbocharged V8 engine at the front. And with a maximum output of 612hp, when that powerplant’s full forces channelled to all four wheels, this load-lugger will rocket from standstill to 100km/h in 3.5 seconds. That’s faster than any current variant of the Jaguar F-Type coupé, even the flagship SVR model.
And because the car is so vast and roomy, it means that if you do want to go drag racing you can bring the whole family and their luggage along for the ride.
“The new AMG E 63 Estate combines our brand’s hallmark driving dynamics with high everyday practicality. It is not for nothing that the model has been a permanent fixture in the AMG portfolio for 40 years. The powerful engine and the intelligent all-wheel drive underpin our claim to always be at the forefront of development when it comes to performance,” said Mercedes-AMG chairman, Tobias Moers.
Taking a sleek coupé and turning up the power is a relatively easy exercise, but the E 63 S 4MATIC+ Estate is 4.9m long, 1.85m wide and stands 1.475m tall. So to ensure that it stays stuck to the road when the terrain gets twisty it really needs the all-wheel drive system, which for the first time can met out torque to individual axles.
Then there’s the multi-chamber air suspension that will stop the car rocking like a boat when turning into a corner at speed, but will still offer a genuinely comfortable, family friendly ride when cruising.
Other firsts for the new car include a limited slip differential at the rear, a newly developed nine-speed gearbox and, for the first time in a sports estate car of this size, dynamic engine mounts that harden or soften the car’s connection to its powerplant based on whether speed or comfort is what’s most desired.
The E 63 S 4MATIC+ Estate will make its global, real-world debut at the Geneva motor show on March 7.
