One fine Monday. Four magnificent Mercedes AMGs
Some Mondays are blue. Others are cool. This past one was just out of this world! Mercedes invited us to climb its ladder of AMG by trying a car with each of its four top-end straight-six, straight six plug-in, V8 and mighty V8 e-Performance powertrains through the day across among the finest roads imaginable. Man, what a way to start the week!
First up, the CLE 53 4Matic+ Coupé. We’ve had a lot of fun with all its siblings, so I was looking forward to the 330 kW 600 Nm overboost M 256M 3-litre straight six with its 17 kW and 205 Nm 48V mild hybrid tucked in the nose of its AMG Speedshift TCT 9G transmission. It did not disappoint. With old school feel, that six is like a whip and this car pulls beautifully too.
Packing fully variable AMG Performance 4Matic+ all-wheel drive, there’s also 5-mode Dynamic Select, Independent Ride Control suspension with 3-stage speed-sensitive, and rear-axle steering. The cabin is just sensual and It looks every bit the part with a shark nose, long hood and typical Merc coupe cabin bubble. Wider fenders add a muscular stance, especially from behind and those optional deep-dish 20-inch wheels, oh wow!
We Expected Much From CLE 53. It Delivered
Next up, the new Mercedes-AMG E 53 Hybrid 4Matic adds a whole lot more electric punch and great battery range to that 3-litre turbo petrol straight-six from the CLE 53. A hundred kilowatts more punch to be precise, along with a hundred kilometres of pure electric range at up to 140 km/h. The result is 430 kW and 750 Nm of system output and a whole lot more performance, too.
So you only hear and feel this one’s turbo petrol straight six when you need or want it. Otherwise it drives just like an EV thanks to its 120 kW 480 Nm electric motor hidden in its AMG Speedshift TCT 9G transmission. But when you do ask it, hoo boy, does it deliver. 3.8 seconds to 100 km/h and a 280 km/h top end is top drawer stuff. Proving you can have it all, and then some, with Mercedes-AMG.
E 53’s 400 volt 28.6 kWh traction battery adds versatility with an 11 kW onboard charger and 120 kW recuperation power. Packing all the expected AMG goodies from 4Matic+ all-wheel drive to active rear-wheel steering, latest AMG Ride Control, adaptive damping, electromechanical brake boost and more, this E 53 packs it all in for ultimate stability, agility and safety in utterly harmonious top-end E-class luxury.
An Electric Punch Up to E53 AMG
Filled by the necessary lunch at among Franschhoek’s finest haunts, we turned tail and headed back, armed for this stretch with nothing less than the good old school Mercedes-AMG SL 63 4Matic+. Like the CLE 53 we drove first, this one’s just a ballsy and ever-present 430 kW 800 Nm biturbo V8 gas burner with only a little 48V assistance.
Wonderfully gruff and tuneful from idle all the way to full chat, 0 to 100 km/h takes just 3.6 seconds, while top speed is no slouch either, at 315 km/h. Packing the AMG Speedshift MCT 9G transmission you surely expect by now, it brings 4Matic+ all-wheel drive to SL for the first time in 70 years.
Hyperanalogue MBUX and great original 300 SL cues take the cockpit next level. Now also a 2+2 for the first time, without anyone at the back, there’s more space to stretch and Airscarf brings top-down driving no matter how cold outside. A return to soft top also means lighter weight and better handling. Sharp looks and air optimised alloys bring balance between complex aero and classic style.
Nothing Quite Like Styling in an SL
Moving on to the top of the pile, the new Formula 1 inspired AMG GT flagship 63 S E Performance twins a 4-litre high performance biturbo V8 and an AMG Electric Drive Unit. Delivering a peak of 600 kW and wait for it, up to 1,420 Nm, AMG claims lightning-fast 2.8 second acceleration to 100 km/h and 320 km/h maximum speed.
It has a permanently excited two-speed 150 kW synchronous electric motor squashed into the rear axle complete with a limited-slip differential. That’s all positioned directly below its lightweight F1 inspired temperature-regulated high-performance battery to help improve weight and axle load distribution.
The 6.1 kWh capacity 400-volt AMG pack independently direct cools each of its 560 cells. Producing 70 kW continuous and 150 kW peak power, it can be charged by a 3.7 kW AC onboard charger at a station or via a home wall charger and also features four-stage recuperation.
Why's everyone petrified of GT 63 S E?
The electric motor can power the GT 63 on its own for 13 kilometres, deliver extra shove when pulling away and deliver all its bonus power under acceleration, while overtaking and at speed. As the rear axle lights up and believe us, it does, electric output is also transferred to the front wheels via a cardan shaft mechanical connection to merge with fully variable AMG Performance 4Matic+ all-wheel drive.
Eight Dynamic Select AMG driving programmes, active aerodynamics and AMG Active Ride Control suspension come with active rear-axle steering and semi-active roll stabilisation. Stopping is supreme via 420 x 40 mm front and 380 x 32 mm rear AMG ceramic high-performance composite brakes. GT 63 benefits all the visual AMG tweaks you’d expect along with a highly customisable driver-focused cockpit.
We thundered over the finest of wet Cape roads including its best passes. At the logical limit yet always in the full belief that we were only using a tenth of GT63’s potential. Most people seem petrified by this car and rightfully so. It is utterly mad. To close, we tried a little race start. It brought tears to my eyes, pulled back my jowls and stuffed us back into our seats.
To the soundtrack I’d imagine when Getafix drops that final prawn, strawberries and four-leafed clover into his magic potion. Can this Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance topple our Ferrari 296 zero to hundred record? Well that’s up to Mercedes sending us one to test. Over to you, guys! – Michele Lupini.
