New York 2009: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG

The new E-class AMG has finally arrived, and it's pretty much as was to be expected. Large V8 under the hood, sharp body kit, tweaked suspension and transmission, and the rest of the usual AMG tweaks fill out the package.  AMG claims the new chassis is more communicative and that this is the best AMG E-class yet.  I suppose it should be;  Let's take a closer look.

The engine is AMG's acclaimed 6.2L V8 with dual overhead camshafts and a four-valve-per-cylinder layout.  Power has gone up 11 bhp from the previous edition's 507 to a more respectable 518 - thank goodness.  Torque remains the same at an entirely adequate 465 lb-ft.  Minor changes to the engine include a redesign of the cooling system and new computer programming.

Big news for this new AMG E is the inclusion of AMG's MCT SpeedShift 7-speed automatic.  This unconventional transmission replaces the traditional torque converter with a multi-plate wet clutchpack.  This change means faster responses, less power loss from the transmission, faster shifts and really hardcore rev-matching abilities on the downshift.  Just imagine how this thing sounds popping off a 3rd-2nd downshift coming hot into a corner...

With 518 horsepower and 7 trickier-than-thou gears, the E63 blasts to 60 mph  in an alarming 4.4 seconds.  For reference, that's about a half-second faster than the original Lamborghini Diablo, which is by all accounts a fairly quick car.  Then again, the Merc's got more power - simply mental!  Another byproduct of the new transmission is that fuel consumption has decreased by 11 percent.  Oh, and Merc allows a top speed of 186 mph in the E63 - not too shabby for a family sedan!

Also new to the E-class is AMG Ride Control.  This system uses traditional steel springs over a strut in the front, but air suspension in the rear.  The system has active electronic damper control to keep things in check, and three driving modes to tailor the car's behavior to your tastes - Comfort, Sport, and Sport+.  The front suspension has been thoroughly reworked for more stability and quicker input response.  The track itself is wider, the stabilizer bar is larger and the control arms are new, as are the bushings and stiffer bearings.

The ESP (Electronic Stability Program) has three different positions, "On" "Sport" and "Off."  As you'd expect, the "Sport" mode will still save your bacon if you mess things up horribly, but the threshold of intervention is higher, letting you have a little more wiggle room on the track.  The steering ratio has also been dropped to 14.0:1, a 22% reduction over the standard steering rack ratio for quicker responses.

Aesthetically, it's exactly what you'd expect - a sharper looking, aggressive W212 chassis Benz.  The car gets the full AMG body kit treatment, with huge air intakes and the ever-so-popular LED running lights, AMG side skirts and rear apron, and some gorgeous 19" AMG split five-spoke wheels with 255 and 285 width tires front and rear, respectively.

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG goes on sale in the US in November 2009.  Maybe I can save up enough by then?