Mercedes-Benz ML 63 AMG : MUD AND THUNDER

Expert Rating:

If you want a 4x4 with the power to spare, look no further than the Mercedes ML63 AMG. Steve Walker reports

There's very little point to the Mercedes ML 63 AMG but few would deny that it's great fun. Thunderously quick but also comfortable, refined and luxurious in equal measure, it's a car can plaster a big grin on your face while getting you noticed for the right and the wrong reasons.

If you drive a big 4x4, chances are you may have received some negative feedback from some sanctimonious road users on your choice of car. If so, you have a number of choices. You can either ignore them, buy something a little less obtrusive or alternatively, earn so much money that you move into a class where normal rules do not apply. If that's the case, you may well need something along the lines of a Mercedes ML63 AMG. A key priority amongst buyers of very high end houses these days is the ability to drive into a vast garage and not be able to be seen from the road. This way, celebrities and high profile business people can always retain a certain amount of privacy. This is the world inhabited by ML63 AMG owners. It's not your normal kind of luxury 4x4. 510bhp sees to that. So does the gargantuan price tag. Yes, you did read that last figure right. What's more, that power output is achieved without recourse to anything as simple as turbocharging, Mercedes claiming that at the time of launch, this was the most powerful normally aspirated V8 engine in any production car. The ML63 wears its superlatives comfortably. It outguns the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and the BMW X5 4.8iS in terms of sheer power and due to the fact that its chassis is comfortably lighter, it's crushingly quick as well. The fact that the ML 63 AMG's engine reaches its 510bhp peak power output at a heady 6,800rpm should speak volumes. This is no lugger. Under the bonnet of this M-Class beats the heart of a supercar; a hand built 6.3-litre engine that thrives on revs. Even the peak torque figure of 630Nm is reached at a lofty 5,200rpm. If your driving style is to expect huge expanses of low-end grunt, this Mercedes isn't for you. A Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI will probably be more the ticket. If, on the other hand, you'd like to experience the somewhat unlikely scenario of a full-sized 4x4 that thinks it's a hot hatch, the Mercedes will paint a huge grin on your face.

"Under the bonnet of this M-Class beats the heart of a supercar; a hand built 6.3-litre engine that thrives on revsâ€¦."

Like many series production Mercedes models, the top speed of the ML63 AMG is limited to 155mph. This means that in theory you won't storm the autobahns any quicker than the driver of a humble C350 but this sort of money buys the ability to have the technical bods at Affalterbach slyly knobble a couple of lines of the ECU's coding. Despite the ML's huge frontal area, you'll then be looking at a top end that's on nodding acquaintance with 180mph. Of possibly a little more relevance to many will be the car's ability to step off the line cleanly. Paparazzi will need handy motorbikes to stay with the ML 63 AMG's sprint to 60mph of just 5.0 seconds. If they're trying to keep pace in a Porsche 911 Carrera, they'll be treated to the sight of the Mercedes' quad tail pipes pulling away from them. What's more, whereas you'll need a fair degree of skill to extract a five second sprint to 60mph from a 911, in the ML63 AMG it genuinely is press and play. The sophisticated all-wheel drive system will achieve traction in inclement road conditions and the AMG Speedshift and G-Tronic seven-speed automatic gearbox will just slur seamlessly through the gears with no apparent let up in that tidal wave of power. If you're feeling playful, it's possible to zip up and down the box using wheel-mounted shift buttons, but the system's software is so smart, you'll probably be tempted to slot it into either Comfort or Sport mode and let it do the thinking. Always one of the best looking luxury 4x4s, the latest M-Class merely tweaks the recipe a little. Those staples of any midlife facelift - lights, bumpers and front grille - have all been given the once over. This AMG model can be identified by its aggressive bodykit and special radiator grille highlighted in chrome. There are also a striking chrome underguards peeping out below the bumpers at the front and the back. Aluminium roof-rails feature on the ML 63 as well as special exterior mirrors but it's the cumulative effect of all the styling modifications that's more impressive. This is one seriously pumped-up 4x4. Occupying top spot in the range, the ML 63 AMG model features an even more lavish cabin than usual. There's a special AMG steering wheel, a leather trimmed dash and all kinds of glossy trim finishes. Practicality-wise, the M-Class can still deliver. At 880mm, the distance between the front and rear seats is reasonably good and the 63:37 folding rear bench folds flat to access up to 2050 litres of fresh air. Removable cushions can be ordered as an option, which means that an entirely flat load floor can be attained, stretching 2100mm to the back of the vehicle. It's tempting to think that a vehicle with this bulk and power would lose the plot when it was shown a corner, but drive even the humblest M-Class and you'll realise that this isn't the case. AMG have pulled out all the stops with this model, fitting it with a sportier version of the AIRMATIC air suspension system. AMG-specific dampers and a specially configured adaptive damping system (ADS) that keeps the ML63 AMG firmly planted to the road also feature. Body roll has been reduced, while squat and dive have been markedly quelled and a suspension height control system automatically drops the car a few millimetres at high speeds for improved aerodynamic performance. If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it. No AMG Mercedes comes cheap but at least you get plenty of kit for your money. All ML 63 AMG models come with electrically-adjustable leather sports seats with the Mercedes multicontour function and their own heating system. There's an advanced infotainment system incorporating a high tech stereo, navigation and Bluetooth phone connectivity that can be operated through the use of Linguatronic voice command technology. The ML 63 AMG rides on 20" wheels with a Titanium grey finish and these can be upgraded to humongous 21" items for a fee. There's even an integrated stop watch which allows drivers to record their lap times on a racing circuit. This hardly seems like the natural habitat for a hulking luxury 4x4 but at least there's the possibility of using the 4x4 system to cut a few corners if the times aren't up to scratch. The cost of running an ML 63 AMG will be something north of astronomical. Drive it hard and you can expect economy in single figures with similarly profligate emissions. Still, even this will be well within the price range of the kinds of individuals who have the money to buy one in the first place. With 510bhp emanating from its 6.3-litre engine, the Mercedes ML 63 AMG is a luxury 4x4 that you underestimate at your peril. It will cost the earth to run but pointing that out to the people who can afford to buy cars like this is a waste of carbon dioxide in itself. Best to keep your trap shut and look on in wonder. It would be easy to get all Guardianista and give the Mercedes ML63 AMG a pasting for its sheer extravagance and, some might say, pointlessness. If you're not a target customer, that's a relatively simple task. If you were in the enviable position of being able to run an ML63 AMG without it significantly denting your bottom line, it would take a lot of restraint not to indulge. Excuse me while I check my email. Some chap in Lagos has just shown me a way to make a potfulâ€¦

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Mercedes ML63 AMG
PRICE: £75,823 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 392g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 5.0s / Max Speed 155mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 11.7mpg / (extra urban) 23.1mpg / (combined) 17.1mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and curtain airbags / ABS / ESP
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm 4780/1911/1795