Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG

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What is it?

It's the flagship of the all-new E-Class range, which only hit showrooms four months ago, but which we hailed at the time as a superb executive saloon, down to its lovely combination of refinement, build quality, safety and low running costs.

The E 63 AMG is the express version. It's not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but then it's also essentially a supercar masquerading as an executive saloon. It faces some stiff competition, though - namely the sublime BMW M5, Jaguar's brilliant new XFR, or a two-bedroom flat in Scotland.

Is it any good?

It most certainly is, except it's not good in the way we expected it would be before we got behind the wheel. The regular E-Class is the new benchmark for comfort and quality in the executive saloon sector, so we didn't believe for a moment that the E 63 would be a hardcore, stripped out, track-focussed lunatic of a car. We did, however, think it would be more fundamentally barmy than it actually is. See, be mild with the throttle and you'd never guess the sort of power you have at your disposal as the E 63 glides you along the road in hushed comfort. Its steering is light, its cabin plush and spacious and its seven-speed automatic gearbox is happy to change gears nice and early so that all is relaxed, calm and smooth.

But the E 63 also has a row of buttons and a dial on the centre console called 'AMG Ride Control', which basically allows you to alter the settings of the gearbox so that it refuses to change gears until you're on the rev limiter. It also lets you make the ride firmer so you can feel more of what's happening on the road. Not too much, mind - that would be uncouth. You can use it to switch the traction control (ESP) off completely too - or partly, if that seems a little too scary.

And should you decide to go down the 'ESP off' route, fear is a distinct possibility - this car has monumental reserves of power, all channelled through the back wheels, rendering the odds of careering sideways or backwards into an inanimate roadside object quite short. The 6.2-litre V8 engine generates 517bhp - more than an Aston Martin V12 Vantage - and 456lb.ft of torque. Its party piece comes after about 4,000rpm, when all of a sudden the car pings forward as though King Kong hit it with a giant baseball bat. And the noise it makes while doing so it epic; it bellows all the way to the rev limiter before letting out an almighty bang when the AMG Speedshift MCT gearbox snaps into the next gear. You'll be at 62mph in just 4.5 seconds and it doesn't ever let up until it hits an electronically limited 155mph - though an optional performance pack can take that up to 186mph.

Should I call the bank manager?

Difficult one. It depends what you're after. See, the £70,000 or so that the E 63 should cost when it goes on sale shortly makes it the most expensive executive super saloon of its type. However, while it's arguably the most complete of the pack in terms of its blend of supreme comfort and barking mad acceleration, it's also less focussed. So, those in need of an out-and-out driving experience might want to look elsewhere for it, but those after the wafting comfort, presence and safety of the E-Class can get it for about half the price - an E 350 CDI Sport, for example, will look almost the same, but command around half the outlay in purchase price and running costs.

But, that doesn't mean the E 63 is lacking - it isn't. In fact, there are few cars that will do so very much, so very well. The engine - recently awarded an International Performance Engine of the Year gong - is hand built by one man from a team of 60 or so at AMG's Sindelfingen HQ. That man puts his name on the engine cover when he's finished and he'll gladly meet you for a cup of Zwickelbier if you'd like to shake hands with him and say thanks. The E 63 is also comprehensively re-engineered: the steering rack is sharper and unique to the AMG version (and it shows), while the suspension setup is of a unique hybrid type comprising standard springs at the front and a fancy air setup at the back. AMG says this means it's responsive around the corners, but still comfortable all the time. And it works. Really well.

It's not even that expensive to run, all things considered. Combined fuel economy of 22.4mpg and CO₂ emissions of 296g/km aren't planet-saving, obviously, but they're quite remarkable given what happens when you press the accelerator.

Summary

On one hand, the E 63 is one of the best saloons money can buy, simultaneously offering spa day levels of comfort, executive barge space, supercar performance and cornering dynamics at odds with its size and weight. You could sit in one for a thousand miles and emerge fresh as a Tic Tac. However, ultimately that last thing is the problem - it feels like it's been developed with endless autobahn miles in mind, and it therefore feels a little, well, soulless. It's just not as rewarding to drive as it should be. It doesn't leave you cold - you'd have to be dead not to find its power scintillating - but it's still just a little too clinical.

Mark Nichol