New Mercedes-AMG E63 Gets Standard AWD, Drift Mode

PARIS – Mercedes-AMG Chairman Tobias Moers confirms next year’s third-generation E63 will feature standard 4Matic all-wheel drive as well as a newly developed drift-mode function.

Those features and others are meant to ensure the E63 retains the traditional rear-wheel drive handling characteristics of its predecessor.

Set to make its world debut in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the new E63’s AWD will be standard for the first time, consigning the RWD layout used by earlier incarnations of Affalterbach’s iconic performance sedan to the history books.

The fully variable setup, which is capable of apportioning up to 100% of drive to the back wheels, has been developed to provide a distinctive RWD bias in a move Moers hints will see the new E63 continue to offer power oversteer traits despite the move to AWD across the model range.

“It is 4-wheel drive and we’re going to have a drift mode,” Moers tells WardsAuto at the unveiling of Mercedes AMG’s new GT Roadster and GT C Roadster at the Paris auto show.

Drift mode, the chairman explains, is a function of the E63’s standard electronic stability control system that provides added torque to the rearward bias of drive to create a slide.

The combination of 4Matic all-wheel drive and drift mode, which debuted on the latest Ford Focus RS, is claimed to elevate the handling of the E63 to a new level.

“It’s faster on the (Nurburgring) Nordschleife than ever. It’s going to be under 7 minutes and 50 seconds with the standard tires,” Moers says of the estimated time it will take the E63 to complete one lap of the German road course.

The previous E63 was offered with both RWD and AWD.

Moers also hints at least one version of the new E63 lineup will top 600 hp, indicating the new Audi RS6 and BMW M5 will follow the lead of other recent AMG models by offering two states of tune for its new twin-turbocharged 4.0L V-8 gasoline engine.

The outgoing second-generation E63 is powered by a twin-turbo 5.5L V-8 gas engine delivering 549 hp in standard tune and 577 hp in so-called S tune.

The increase in power provides the basis for what Moers claims will be a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of “three-point-something” seconds for the new 4-door AMG model, which goes on sale in the U.S. in second-half 2017.

“It’s the biggest step we’ve ever made with the E-Class,” says Moers.

For context, the 552-hp twin-turbo 4.0L V-8 powered Audi RS6, also with standard AWD, boasts an official 0-62 mph clocking of 3.9 seconds.

Despite the focus on performance, Moers rules out an R version of the E63. “The R is dedicated for GT. There is no intention to use it for the E63.”