The Mercedes E 63 AMG has never been short on power, but the German firm has given this performance saloon an entirely new engine capable of 549bhp.
Unveiled just ahead of arch-rival BMW's new M5, the E 63 comes with a 517bhp version of the new 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 engine already seen in the CLS 63. Though smaller, this has the same power output as the previous engine in the E 63, a 6.2-litre V8.
The new engine has the same amount of power as its forebear but the car is more accelerative, with 0-62mph in 4.3 seconds. The more powerful 549bhp Performance Pack version sees this drop to 4.2 seconds. Both are restricted to 155mph, while the estate version manages 0-62mph in 4.4 seconds or 4.3 with the Performance Pack.
Alisdair Suttie - 7 Jul 2011
