S means even more power for Merc

That S badge is on the rear of the car should also not be ignored. This is not just about a few cosmetic changes, this badge means that the E 63 AMG you are looking at produces a healthy 430kW of power along with a hefty 800Nm of torque thanks mostly to the boost being raised from 0.9 bar to 1.0 bar in the twin turbo V8 setup. This is up from the 410kW and 720Nm the run-of-the-mill E 63 AMG delivers.

Mercedes AMG claims an acceleration to 100km/h from a standing start in 4.1 and a electronically limited top speed of 250km/h.

Merc nailed these numbers, as I found out at Gerotek, but this baby had the optional Driver’s Package fitted and this only saw the fun stop at 301.08 km/h. That is seriously quick for a full-sized executive family sedan.

I am not going to waste more than a few words on fuel consumption, as you won’t buy this car because you are concerned about how much of the stuff it needs to go fast. I did get 13.7 litres per 100km on average which is not quite the 9.9 litres claimed, but who cares.

You also get all the other performance-type bells and whistles that sees an AMG Speedshift MCT 7-Speed sports gearbox with a bunch of driving modes – from Controlled Efficiency right down to brutal Race Start – being used to the fitment of a differential lock on the rear axle down to AMG Ride Control sports suspension, with an electronically controlled damping system, all working to get the power onto the tar.

As is the norm for Mercedes-Benz cars, you also get a host of class leading safety on board – from Collision Prevention Assist, a radar-based collision warning system with brake assist systems that helps to significantly reduce the risk of a rear-end collision, to Distronic Plus and Pre-Safe that can detect pedestrians and initiate autonomous braking to avoid a collision at speeds up to 50km/h – to go with the normal full range of airbags, etc.

So what else sets the R1 526 200 E 63 AMG S apart from the R1 394 100 E 63 AMG?

The wing at the front is coated high-gloss black and the front splitter is finished in silver chrome – as are the three-dimensional inserts in the side sill panels.

The rear end gets two sets of massive and very grumpy sounding twin chrome tailpipes belonging to the AMG sports exhaust system. The AMG spoiler lip is painted in the car’s exterior colour – or in carbon fibre if you go for the Drivers Package.

The 10-spoke AMG light-alloy wheels in a matt titanium grey painted finish with high-sheen rim flange fill the wheel arches properly and come with 255/35 R19 rubber at the front and 285/30 R19 rubber at the rear. Red brake callipers and that S badge give the game away.

With the standard-fit nappa leather upholstery, the black interior of the E 63 AMG S-Model features grey contrasting topstitching on the AMG sports seats, the door centre panels, the door armrests and the centre console.

Silver seat belts are also part of this standard interior. The rim of the AMG Performance steering wheel in black nappa leather is flattened at the top and bottom and boasts grip areas in Alcantara and grey contrasting stitching.

The front head restraints of the AMG sports seats incorporate exclusive embossed AMG emblems. The AMG instrument cluster in a new design features an “S AMG” logo on the 320km/h speedo and red applications.

The standard scope of equipment and appointments further includes AMG door sill panels with white LED illumination, an electrically operated rear roller blind and the anti-theft protection package.

The Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG S really takes the fight to its mortal sworn enemy, BMW’s M5 Competition Pack.

As I said, this isn’t a point-for-point, car-versus-car shootout, but I have attached the BMW M5 road test data to see how in some areas the Merc leaves the BMW behind and in others the BMW gets ahead of the Merc.

But we are splitting atoms with the performance numbers, as both are silly fast and to say that one is way better than the other at this level of speed won’t be completely accurate.

I liked the more aggressive styling and sound of the Merc but preferred the sharper handling and provocative nature of the BMW.

Which one would I want in my garage? I am not sure, to be honest. I liked them both.

At the end of the day your choice between one or the other will, in my opinion, come down to personal brand preference. And you won’t go wrong with either.

For more information and latest pricing visit www.mercedes-benz.co.za and www.bmw.co.za