mercedes-benz e63 AMG – The Thrill of Driving

The three letters AMG are legendary not only in Mercedes circles, but more generally in the world of car aficionados. I told the story of Messrs. Aufrecht and Melcher from Grossaspach on this blog back in 2021, including that AMG these day is fully owned by Mercedes, who in my view has diluted the heritage of the company at an increasing pace, fitting AMG logos on so many models and engine types that you quickly lose count. Unfortunately they’re not the only ones, as down in Munich, the “M” inflation at BMW is just as noticeable.

Long-term readers may also remember that I was the very happy owner of a W212 MB E63 AMG estate a few years ago – with hindsight, probably the best car I ever owned. The W212 didn’t have the legendary, 6.2 litre, naturally aspirated V8 of its predecessor, the W211, but the bi-turbo, 4.4 litre V8 was still a fantastic engine, and contrary to the W211, it got the power down on the road thanks to four-wheel drive, a pretty decisive argument for me, living in an Alpine country (and probably elsewhere as well if you want to keep you tire budget under control).

*The W212 E63 AMG wagon – to this day, one of the best cars ever built, in my modest view*

The W213 succeeded the W212 in 2017 and in the AMG E63 version featured a slightly smaller, 4-litre V8 that I haven’t driven but only heard good things about. That engine also made it into the smaller C63 (as well as into other models), but contrary to the E-class, the smaller sibling was rear-wheel drive only. Had that not been the case, given our needs for space have diminished with the children moving out, I would most probably have parked one in my garage by now.

What all these models have in common is that they were “real” AMG cars. As such, the chief engine engineer’s signature is found on the engine block and the whole car has been thoroughly reworked by the AMG team at Mercedes, rather than only the turbo pressure being turned up on a four-cylinder (as we’ll see later…) and various AMG logos being fitted. And of course, under that signed engine block, there’s eight cylinders, because ultimately, a V8 is a large part of the true AMG experience. And that makes the decisions taken by Mercedes on the new C63 AMG, launched in 2023, totally incomprehensible.

*The new C63 is a pretty car, best enjoyed when parked…*

The development of the new C63 obviously started a few years ago when the whole car world was set on downsizing and electrification faster than you can say “where will all the rare materials needed come from?”. Mercedes was at the time very much at the forefront of these developments with the ambition to be fully electric by 2030, something they’ve stepped away from today. In that spirit, you have to believe that it was too early to fully electrify the C63 – but surely no one would mind a bit of downsizing, right?

As it turns out, the answer to that is a resounding yes. Because the reception the new C63 has received is no doubt the worst any AMG car has ever had, and probably the worst of any other Mercedes model as well. What the engine builders over in Stuttgart have done is to basically take half of the old V8, i.e. make it a 2-litre 4-cylinder, out of which they’ve managed to squeeze 469 hp, thanks to the biggest turbocharger this side of the moon. They’ve then combined that engine with a 150 Kw electric motor on the rear axle, for a total power output of 671 hp and around 1050 Nm of torque. And yes, this time the C63 is indeed all-wheel drive…

*Mercedes even wanted to highlight the four cylinders by placing plastic lids on the engine block*…

Those numbers are obviously complete bonkers, and there’s no doubt the engine is an engineering masterpiece. Until quite recently, that kind of power required a far larger volume, and achieving a seamless collaboration between such a high-pitched engine and quite a powerful electrical motor is no small feat. I take my hat off to the engineers that pulled this off, but at the same time, I’d be very hesitant to pick up such a complicated construction three-four years down the line when it’s out of warranty, as the list of things that could go wrong is a long one.

Unfortunately though, things don’t even need to go wrong for the engine to cause disappointment on a scale rarely seen. Sure, there’s enough power, but somehow Mercedes was so deep into electrification dreams that they confused the massive power output of EV’s with character. Of which all AMG V8’s have had plenty, and the 2-litre four-pot has none. It sounds terrible, doesn’t deploy power anywhere close to how a V8 would, and also makes you hit the limiter rather frequently because they hybrid construction delivers power too fast for you to react.

There’s other problems too. Most decent hybrids these days will manage at least 60-70 km on electricity alone, if not more. The C63 will at best do 10 km, because although its electric motor is strong, it only has a 6 KwH battery. Still, that doesn’t prevent it being around 200 kg heavier than its competitors. In addition, there was apparently no better way to integrate the battery than to create not one, but two bumps in the luggage compartment, heavily reducing both its volume and its practicality. Then, there’s the price, where the C63 starts at around EUR/USD 20.000 more than both the Audi RS4 and the BMW M3 Touring, its most natural competitors.

*Not one but two space-stealing bumps – was this really the best you could do?*

It’s thus no big surprise to learn that the C63 isn’t selling. Exact numbers are hard to come by, but it seems it’s bad enough for there to be internal discussions at Mercedes about pulling the car from the line-up. I don’t think that will happen, but you can bet what you have dear that the next C63 won’t have a four pot under the hood, and given the updated E63 hasn’t been presented yet, you could well imagine discussions going on here as to what to do with it. Because if this story needed to get any crazier, the variant below the C/E 63 is the 53, currently a hybrid as well with around 600 hp combined, however with the petrol unit being a six-cylinder engine. Go figure.

Back in 2016, Porsche tried to pull a similar stunt with the Boxster, replacing the flat six with a four-cylinder engine, all in the name of downsizing. That car got similar reviews to the current C63 and it took no more than three years for the flat six to make a return. My bet is that it’ll take less than three years this time around, and maybe this time, this can be a lesson for Mercedes for the future: either you build true AMG cars or you don’t. And if you understand who the buyers of those cars are, you would know better than to mess with that V8!

If you don’t want run the risk of serious depression, you need to be selective when watching the news these days. Between the war in Ukraine, rampant inflation, lock-downs in China and other de-globalization effects (and in addition to that a full energy crisis in Europe), it’s not a wild guess that the coming years may well be more difficult than the last ones. Is it maybe time to downscale, and reduce the number of cars in the garage? Thinking about it, I started playing with the idea that you would have to stick to one car and one car only for the rest of your life. What would you choose? I realize many would probably answer with an EV these days, but for this exercise, let’s forget about those and stick to the good old combustion ones. A sports car would be nice but not really in line with down-sizing, and also not very practical. Coupes are nice to drive but not very good for your present or future kids and all their stuff. SUV’s is obviously the way most of us have gone in the last years, but they’re not really a thrill to drive, unnecessarily heavy, and loading them is quite tiresome given the height.

If you think about it, I’m sure you’ll reach the same conclusion as me. The one car that will serve you well for the rest of your life is – drumroll – a German power station wagon and more precisely, an Audi RS6 Avant or a Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG. They will carry all your children and their gear when they’re young, and all the furniture when you’re re-designing your house after they moved out. Their four-wheel drive systems will ensure you reach your favorite winter destination while beating most supercars (at least those a few years old) on the highway. But they can also take your stepmother to the grocery store without her noticing anything special, and she’ll be able to load the groceries herself in the back. The RS6 and E63 are thus pretty unbeatable and have obviously been head to head competitors for many years.

*Purpo*seful and muscular with tremendous presence!

Regular readers of this blog might rightfully be a bit surprised at this point for two reasons: firstly the fact that up until three years ago I owned an E63 so why on earth did I sell it? And secondly, wasn’t I the one who complained about how bad the (then) new E-class was? You’d be right on both points and I’m not sure my defence will convince you, but in terms of my E63, if there’s one car I wish I hadn’t sold it’s indeed that one and if I had a second chance, I might well have decided differently. Trading it in for an XC90 was perhaps sensible, but if so, proving how boring sensible can be.

On the second point it’s indeed true that I’m still far from convinced by the current E-class but luckily, a downsizing budget is more compatible with a somewhat older car, which in this case would mean the Merc (W212) E63 AMG and the Audi (C7) RS6 Avant, built from 2013 until 2016 and 2018 respectively (meaning for Merc, the face-lifted version of the W212). These were the last not-fully digital versions and they can now be had at between 1/3 and 1/4 of their price as new, meaning around EUR 50-60.000. For what is arguably the world’s greatest car concept, that’s no less than a tremendous bargain and one that is hard to resist, whatever the world does next!

*An elegant line, appreciated by those “who know”…*

As a short background, the W212 MB E63 AMG in its face-lifted version was introduced in 2013 and unlike its predecessor, it had four-wheel drive as standard, which is very useful in getting the power from the 5.5 litre, double-turbo V8 with 557 hp in the regular version, or 585 hp in the “S” version, to the tarmac. The additional power was more noticeable in the torque which increased from 720 Nm to 800 Nm. The corresponding C7 RS6 was built between 2013 and 2018 and was the third version of the RS. Its 4-litre, double-turbo V8 produced 560 hp as standard or 605 hp in the version called “Performance” in most European markets, with corresponding torque numbers of 700/750 Nm. It goes without saying that it also came with four-wheel drive as standard – how could it be any different from the home of Quattro?

The engines and drive trains are thus very similar, as are acceleration and top speed numbers with drag races normally ending slightly in favor of the Merc. The difference is however negligible, but it’s far more common that Audis have been tuned to even more power than E63’s, and it’s not uncommon to see RS6’s with over 700 hp. What is more surprising given Merc’s reputation is that the E63 is the hooligan of the two, very happy to drift as much as you desire but only if you so desire. This is very different to Audi’s more controlled behavior – it drives like it’s on rails whether you want it or not. Then again, if you’ve tuned it beyond 700 hp, that’s perhaps a good thing…

*A fault-free interior – perhaps slightly dull?*

In terms of styling this is of course a matter of personal taste, but I think most people would agree on the Audi having more presence than the Merc which is more of a sleeper. I would also say that the Audi looks sportier, the Merc more elegant. The same is carried over to the interior where most would probably agree on Audi’s being more modern, which of course has to do with the W212 having been introduced already in 2009 and the face-lifted version taking over most of the original car’s interior in 2013.

In terms of quality and feel however, the Merc has a solidity to it which I find difficult to replicate (and which the current E-class is light years away from). It very much leaves you with the impression of being the last “real” E-class. The E63 is also the roomier car, both cabin- and booth-wise, with up to 200 litres more space in total. If you still rely on onboard infotainment you’ll prefer Audi’s larger screen and more modern system, and it’s also far easier to find an RS6 with the B&O sound system. Mercedes also offers that as an option, but it’s far less common. That’s a shame, since it’s a fantastic system, far superior to the cheaper systems in both cars.

If you’re still with me and haven’t made up your mind just yet, there’s two other things to note before you do so: firstly, the RS6 is much more often to be seen than the E63. The latter is quite rare and content with being only noticed by those “who know”. If you don’t want to see the same car on every street corner, or indeed if you want to be noticed less than you are in an RS6, that’s worth considering. Secondly, comparable RS6’s are generally more expensive than E63’s by somewhere between EUR 10-20.000. Good sub-100.000 kms E63’s will start around EUR 50.000, corresponding RS6’s at around EUR 60.000.

Whichever one you choose, do so carefully. A 700 hp RS6 with unclear history and imported from Germany is not necessarily the one you want, neither the car that rides on 23-inch wheels with nothing between rubber and the wheelarch. This is far more common with RS6’s than with E63’s, so beware. As always, original cars from countries with high fines for speeding, and elderly owner and a complete service history are the best and worth a few thousand more. Think about the equipment that is important to you and although this may make the search longer, don’t compromise but rather wait until the right car comes along, because it will. And if that happens to be a bright red RS6, who cares? Firstly it’s one of the few cars in this class that looks good in red, secondly you’ll probably never want to sell it anyway and thirdly, if you do, the secondary value will take much less of a hit than if it had been a new car 3-4 times more expensive. As for myself, if downsizing really kicks in and my beloved cars had to go to focus on one, then I would buy an E63 again. But just to make sure, I would test drive that RS6 once more before doing so!

The Thrill of Driving

Tag: mercedes-benz e63 AMG

Lost in downsizing

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