What's all this then?

This is the Mercedes-AMG E 43.

I'm sorry, but I think you're out by about 20 digits.

Hmmmm?

Don't you mean the E 63 AMG?

Nope. This is definitely the new E 43, due to be unveiled at the New York Auto Show shortly, and it's sort of a mid-level, executive vice president AMG car, as compared to the Chairman of the Board's E 63.

So no massive V8 then?

No, although that will be coming soon. Here, we've got a new V6 3.0-litre engine, with twin turbos producing 401hp and 520Nm. Power is transmitted through an uprated nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox (lighter and with less friction than the old seven-speeder says Merc, as well as pointing out that it can blip the throttle on downchanges for a little more aural excitement) to all four wheels through a rear-biased (69 per cent) all-wheel drive 4Matic system.

Excitingly (or possibly not), the engine's internal friction has been lowered by covering the inside of the cylinders in a material called 'Nanoslide' (we're not making it up), which has been developed by Merc's own F1 team. That's right - Lewis Hamilton has made your cylinder bores more slippery. In a manner of speaking.

Underneath there's tweaked steering (which has Comfort and Sport modes), revised air suspension (with Comfort, Sport and Sport + modes) and big 19-inch alloy wheels finished in gloss black (20s are on the options list).

It looks mean too - there's a muscly body kit with a boot lip spoiler, and inside you get red seatbelts, alloy pedals, a revised instrument cluster and seats wrapped in Merc's own Artico man-made leather (real Nappa leather is available).

Neil Briscoe - 10 Mar 2016