Let’s start with the boosted, psychopathic gorilla under the hood. The old 6.2-liter V8, which Mercedes called a 6.3-liter, was one of the best engines in the production car world during its years of service. The naturally aspirated 6,208-cc motor produced more than 500 hp and a NASCAR Cup car soundtrack wherever it went. But this 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged powerplant delivers more power more efficiently and still sounds 85 percent as good as the old M156.
Max torque is reached at 2,500 rpm. That means that when you’re coming off turn 23 onto the longest straight of the 3.15-mile NCM Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky, you’ll have the full 627 lb-ft of torque delivered to which ever wheels the Mercedes AWD system (now called 4Matic Plus) and electronically controlled limited-slip differential sees fit.
The afternoon at NCM started with varying amounts of rain, from sprinkles to short heavy bursts. Here, the advantages of a 4,700-pound land-yacht-rocket—I’m trying to make that a thing—became apparent. With all-wheel drive, now fully variable (an electromechanically controlled coupling connects the permanently driven rear axle variably to the front axle), and those wide and sticky 265/30 front, 295/30 20-inch rear tires, the E63S wagon can still put lots of power down in the rain.
Likewise, the wagon scrubs speed without a problem. Granted these weren’t emergency panic stops, more planned and progressive. But the optional 15.8-inch front, 14.2-inch rear ceramic discs hauled this wagon to a stop swiftly in both wet and dry conditions (that's after warming them up with a few stops). I would have liked the brake pedal to grab higher in the stroke—I always do—but it felt like an appropriate amount of effort was necessary over a few inches of pedal travel. Even when I thought I overshot a brake zone, I actually had stopping power to spare.
I toggled between sport and sport plus driving modes on the track; it also has race, normal and comfort. I didn't feel a difference in the air suspension between those two settings on the track, but the throttle map and transmission shift points are noticeably more aggressive in sport plus. Body control is impressive for a yacht of this size. And, it’s almost as much fun to watch E63S wagon go around a track as it is to drive one.
Even though it's stupid fast for a wagon, and hilarious to watch from behind, the back-end never bucks hard or slides. The E63S just stays planted to the road. On one particular uphill sweeper I had to flex my neck to counteract the g forces.
Pushing harder in the rain, the back end steps out first, always, but between the AWD system sending more power to the front and stability control stepping in, the E63S wagon never allows you to stray more than a few feet off line before abrupty yanking itself straight.
It’s fun! And one could conceivably make a case for practicality. The E63S wagon only has 16 less cubic feet of cargo space than the AMG GLE sport ute. That’s like one big couch pillow! The 550-hp 2018 Porsche Panamera Turbo Sport Turismo, probably its closest competitor, starts at $154 and has a ridiculously long name. Maybe certain sects of high-society relish those kinds of things, but I'd rather brag about 603 horsepower under a Piedmont green metallic hood.
