Under the bonnet
Pushing the start button gives an instant indication the E63 is ready for business. A brief bark is part of the starting procedure, before the 6.2-litre V8 swiftly settles into a purposeful hum.
The engine itself is brutal, delivering a hefty 386kW of power for those prepared to stretch towards the upper rev limit. It’s also healthy through the middle rev ranges for cruising around town, with the beautiful engine sound (fed through four exhausts) a constant reminder there’s more in reserve. The engine works best in its upper rev range, however, where the higher pitch is associated with serious thrust back in the seats.
Drive is sent through a seven-speed auto transmission, which helps save fuel (the E63 is 15 per cent more frugal than the model it replaces, although it still uses a claimed average 12.7 litres per 100 kilometres; think closer to 18L/100km or 19L/100km in city driving) and improve performance.
The E63 is claimed to blast to 100km/h in as little as 4.5 seconds, although that’s when using the launch-control system.
The auto does without the traditional internals for a wet-clutch system, which means it’s more efficient and can deliver changes quicker than even the most seasoned Schumacher wannabe.
It’s brilliant when driving aggressively but more frustrating in traffic, where it can be inconsistent on more gentle take-offs.
Paddles on the steering wheel can override the auto function, which generally takes off in second gear when driven in C, for Comfort.
There’s also a Sport and Sport+ function, the latter sharpening shifts, down-changing more aggressively, raising the intervention point of the stability control system and creating a distinctive burble on full-throttle up-shifts that adds to the aural sensation that helps define the E63.
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