Surrounded by mundane monotonous, if we wanted a business class sedan that was as understated as a Golden Retriever, the Germans were sure to fill the slot and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class always seemed to be high on the list. But now that an all-new S-Class has emerged, the E-Class is starting to take a turn from its ordinary confinements.

Unlike the S-Class however, Mercedes opted to keep the spirit of the E-Class alive through its roots of alternative lifestyles with both the Cabriolet and Coupe marching forward as well as bringing back an old familiar face of the E-Class Wagon along with an all-new version classified as the All-Terrain. Integrating the latest S-Class design into the E-Class brings a about a stately point of view. The styling represents a bold flavor that is somehow still elegant and charming.  But don’t let the chiseled jaw and swooning traits fool you, this particular E-Class is not the Prince Charming from some Disney flick.

Wrapped up in one badass matte blue paint job, this E 63 is the Hells Angels of the performance sedan market. Given to the hands of Mercedes performance enhancing AMG division, the E 63 being the Holy Grail makes over 600-horsepower from a fire-breathing twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 engine. Tying its rapid-quick dual-clutch nine-speed automatic with its 627 lb-ft of torque, our organs soon fail to keep pace with the eminence quickness as it accelerates to 60-mph in under 3.0-seconds. Soon however, our lungs quickly relocate themselves from the unruly stopping power of the $8950 AMG Carbon Ceramic Braking – although I’m pretty sure I have a permanent seatbelt tattoo across my chest.

Despite having ridiculous amount of horsepower and the ability to swallow anybody’s pride that dares to cross the path of an E 63 AMG and its 186-mph top speed, its most surprising feature is its civilized mannerisms. This is the everyday sports car that can be driven as aggressively as its driver possess but also at the everyday speeds of the daily mantra. Thanks to its adaptive dynamic Comfort, Sport, Sport +, Race and Individual drive modes, the E 63 can transform from a track day scoundrel into a posh new haven. With adaptive dampers and advance air springs, it does an incredible job consuming most of the daily rough stuff, even on our equipped 20-inch AMG wheels wrapped in super-stiff high-performance summer tires.

The best way to look at the individual drive modes here is probably more in line to how daring its driver feels. Let’s face it, unless we were a racecar driver, we’ll truly never know the limits of the E63 AMG. With Sport mode geared towards the beginner style driver, it will firm up the suspension, add some gargle to the exhaust and beef up the throttle responsiveness for that edgier quickness from off the light. Sport + may suit the more advanced styled driver that increases the damping on the suspension for better handling and agility. Race mode however hits the heart of the professional driver, allowing you to control the adaptive dampers and traction control system separately for the more in tuned driving precision. Of course however, if you’re too picky, there is the individual mode where all the settings can be customized.  

For the most part AMG and Mercedes have made driving the E 63 relatively easy. For instance, launch control can be easily activated by simply enabling one of the drive modes and placing a foot on the brake and a foot on the gas (like other normal brands.) Even navigating the different AMG Performance menus is fairly simplistic and allocates a more dialed in approach to experience how much performance your Mercedes is extracting. One thing however we couldn’t figure out is the alleged “drift mode” our E 63 was to be equipped with. So we called our computer wizard that’s officially deemed more talk than action as he even couldn’t figure out how to activate this so called “drift mode.” Perhaps Mercedes wants its drivers to be fully aware and knowledgeable of their actions and hid somewhere deep in the menus. 

Whether we’re racing through our own home-made driving course or scoffing off to another business meeting the E 63 feels exceptional. There is a lively balance of comfort and poise energy. The steering is extraordinarily noble with impressive road awareness and cornering responsiveness. The nine-speed automatic is ultra-smooth with very little, to no hesitation in between transitions and even the start-stop engine shut off is astonishingly suave.

Since the E 63 and the rest of the E-Class models are cycling through its mid-life refresh, most of the interior remains carried over with a sharp appealing, spacious cabin. As if we just stepped into a Las Vegans Penthouse, our interior was lined with black suede and yellow stitching that emphasized this wasn’t just and ordinary Mercedes. Upgrading some of the little details to be more in line to some of Mercedes latest technology, the Navigation system has been equipped with its augmented real-time camera display and nifty feature that leaves you calling  your Mercedes by her first name “Hey Mercedes.” Careful though, unlike Siri, Mercedes is always listening and responds like an excited puppy.

New to the E 63 however is its specially designed AMG-exclusive steering wheel that looks like something out of Star Trek. The two spoke design is fitting for the advance performance sedan and features all touch sensitive buttons that work surprisingly well. This steering wheel also features the AMG controllable settings through the two interactive knobs should you not be bothered to adjust them on the infotainment screen or center touch pad control area.

Sadly, rumor has it that, sedans such as this E 63 with its monstrous V-8 enging won’t be around much longer. With technology loitering into the electric and turbocharged ways, Mercedes may be moving in the direction of performance hybrid making cars like this E 63 a future classic in the making. So enjoy this Mercedes-AMG E 63 S while there’s still time.

VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS

Vehicle: 2021 Mercedes-AMG E 63 W4 S
Base Price: $107,500
As-Tested Price: $135,790

PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 4.0-liter Twin-Turbocharged V-8
HP | Torque: 603-HP |627 lb-ft of Torque
Transmission: AMG Speed-Shift 9-Speed Automatic
Drivetrain: AMG Performance 4MATIC All-Wheel Drive
MPG: Not Listed
As-Tested MPG: 15.8-MPG COMBINED)
Fuel Range: 260 miles
0-60 MPH: ±3.0 seconds