Frankfurt 2009: Mercedes Benz E63 AMG Estate

Fast wagons are cool. I don't want to hear any whining, it's the truth and you know it.  With that out of the way, the pool of truly fast wagons has just grown by one, and I have to say I'm pretty smitten.

The E63 wagon isn't a new concept - in fact, they've been selling E63 AMG's in the US the last few years - but this is AMG version of the new E-class wagon.  So while the engine doesn't change (much), the body of the blitzen Benz is all new, and man is it good looking.  With a nod to Autoblog for these images, wouldn't you say this is one of the meanest looking wagons ever made?

The engine is still AMG's bespoke 6.2L 32v quad-cam V8, in this application producing 525bhp or 11bhp more than the previous E63.  Torque output is an equally impressive 464 lb-ft of torque, which means that E63 will still be able to lay fat patches of rubber on demand.  And you know what, with a maximum cargo capacity of 1950L (695 seats up), the E63 AMG Estate can haul in two entirely seperate interpretations of the term.

The new E63 has slightly more power and is slight heavier than the old one.  That means slightly worse fuel economy, right?  Err... no.  The new E63 is actually about 12% more fuel efficient than the old one, with 12.8L/100km (combined numbers).  Most of the gain comes from the switch to a 7-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT automatic transmission.  This is a trick piece of kit, which debuted in the SL63 AMG - it's like a traditional planetary gearset automatic (not like a VW style DSG) but instead of a viscous torque converter setup, it utilizes a wet clutch, which speeds shifts up a massive amount, as well as losing less energy to driveline inefficiency.

It all adds up:  the E63 AMG Estate can blast from 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds (which I think is a fairly conservative factory figure) and onto an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h (155mph).  The E63 keeps the emissions under 300g/km (just barely), but were you expecting a Prius?

I don't expect the E63 AMG Estate to be a big seller -  you have to admit it's quite the niche vehicle - but I'm just happy that cars like this (and the RS6 Avant, and the M5 Touring) exist in the first place.  I mean, I'll never be able to afford one, but at least someone will be able to do huge burnouts in their 525bhp station wagon.  Color me jealous.