Mercedes-Benz Upgrades E63 AMG, Perana Z-One To Make U.S Debut at Concorso Italiano

Mercedes-Benz rolled out its new E-Class earlier than BMW did with the 5-Series, so it has a bit of an advantage over BMW for the time being with regards to performance models.

While the M5 based on the last-generation 5-Series just went out of production, Mercedes is already updating the E63 AMG. It starts with a bump in horsepower, by 11 to 525. This is while reducing the engine's fuel consumption by 12 percent, says Mercedes.

Inside, the E63 gets upgraded with equipment that was previously optional. The dash and door panels are now covered in Artico leather, and the center console gets piano black wood finish.

Nice! With 525 horsepower We'd imagine insurance on this thing would be sky high…not that buyers of this car are going to be looking up car insurance quotes anyway. For now, it appears only the interior upgrades are confirmed for the United States.

Coachbuilding is experiencing a revival, thanks to modern techniques. Zagato is one of the traditional companies making a comeback in the new era. When the Perana Z-One debuted at the Geneva Auto Show last year, there was no word on it coming to the United States.

Now its arrival has been confirmed, set to be handled by Superperformance, with 99 models allocated for our shores. Perhaps most impressive is its price tag, said to be under $100,000.

Now we know that isn't chump change (we certainly can't afford it), but it sure seems like a pretty good deal to us for such an exclusive car with this kind of performance.

There will be two engine options, a 436-horsepower LS3 or the 505-hp LS7 from the Z06. The first glimpse of the Perana Z-One on our shores will come next month at the 2010 Concorso Italiano.