Alley Thug

AMG’s big, bad bruiser now comes with all-paw grip and enough forced-induction grunt to blur the horizon. And now, we’ve driven it in Oz

- David Morley

MORE TECH! More tech! It’s the catch-cry of both the iPhone generation looking for the next techno-jolly and the world’s governments, hell bent on seeing cars hug dolphins. Fair enough, provided there’s a tangible benefit. Not to mention a resulting product that doesn’t abandon the essence of the heritage upon which it inevitably trades. Which is, of course, a thinly veiled attempt at casting into philosophical doubt AMG’s decision to equip the latest E63 S with a host of new technology.

And doubts there are aplenty. For a start, the new E63 S is all-wheel-drive, traditionally the wooden stake through the heart of, er, flamboyant driving. The knock-on effect is more weight; now just a couple of fat puppies shy of two tonnes. And what about the engine? Oh yeah, instead of 6.2 litres of pure German schmaltz, the fuel-consumption police have caught up with the E63 S, forcing a move to a tuned-up version of the four-litre, twin-turbo V8.

Doesn’t look good, does it? I mean, weren’t AMG sedans always all about Newton-metres triumphing over grip? Wasn’t the hooligan element in an otherwise red-carpet sophisticate like an AMG kind of the thing we loved most about them? And can the E63 be made all-paw without turning it into a safe-for-children, nanny-state-approved understeerer? The answer to the first of those question is easy – yes, yes it was always thus. But the third is a bit harder to quantify. Until you drive it. Then the answer is simple. And also yes: This is still very much an AMG E-Class. Hallelujah.