ALTHOUGH the eagerly awaited Mercedes-AMG E63 sedan is still waiting in the wings for a Paris Motor Show unveiling in late September, the E63 Estate wagon version is undergoing final testing ahead of an anticipated world debut sometime in early 2017.
Vying for uber-executive express glory against the BMW M5, Audi’s RS6 Avant, and the upcoming Jaguar XF R, the Mercedes-Benz W213 E-Class flagship’s intent is clearly evident from the gaping front air ducts, wide tracks, hunkered stance, quad exhaust outlets, and massive wheels providing a peek of the huge red brake calipers lurking within.
Mercedes-AMG boss Tobias Moers admitted to Wheels back in March that the upcoming E63 S’s 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 will deliver over 440kW of power and “higher torque” than the existing model’s 800Nm to all four wheels via a trick new all-wheel drive system. Knowing this, the T213 E63 Estate’s performance and control are set to be supersonic in scope.
The AMG Performance 4MATIC AWD system will work in conjunction with a fresh nine-speed wet-clutch MCT – dubbed the AMG Speedshift 9G-tronic – for lightning-fast ratio changes that are also smoother than the previous 7G-tronic item.
Among many innovations, it will also have a drift mode, taking the E63 on a higher fun threshold than any mega-fast Benz wagon has managed before it.
“It will be the biggest step we have ever made from generation to generation,” Moers reportedly said.
While the when and how much remain unanswered questions, a mid-to-late 2017 landing in Australia seems likely. As for cost, with the previous T212 E63 AMG Estate retailing from $244,000 back in 2013, and the latest RS6 Performance Avant kicking off from $245,400, don’t expect any change from this cool quarter-of-a-million buck uber-wagon.
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