The 2019 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG: An Expensive Taste Of Nearly Autonomous Driving

The 2015 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG is a full-size, high-end luxury sedan with all of the trimmings, plus the AMG sports package for spirited, track-ready driving. But we're not here because of the soft pillow in the headrest that cocoons your head, protecting you from the cruel world. Oh no. Though it did come in handy during recent test of the adaptive technology used for the cruise control, steering, and suspension. These amazingly adjustable features show you how autonomous driving will look in the not-so-distant future, when you just might be able to nap on the way home from work. Many newer sedans have adaptive cruise control that slows the car down automatically based on the speed of the vehicle in front of you. With the S63, it can slow all the way down to zero. The buttons for adaptive cruise control in the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG sit in the dashboard behind the left side of the steering wheel. The sensors and cameras—including one that flips open in the grille—are unusually sensitive—in a good way.

The car adjusts its speed with light braking, so no sudden slowdowns or speed-ups. We wouldn’t want that freshly brewed espresso spilling on the fine leather upholstery now, would we? An animation appears in the all-digital gauge above the steering wheel. It's more detailed than the ones you'll see in other luxury cars, and also much bigger—about the size of your palm. The instrument cluster on the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG shows an image of the car with information the drive mode and other settings. You see a crisp, colorful graphic of the car’s hood (with the Mercedes star emblem), a few distance markers, and another graphic of the car in front of you. As you get closer to another car, its icon also moves closer to you. Neat. It’s like watching a mini Pixar movie each time you hit the cruise control lever. Another perk: the S63 resumes from a full stop when you lightly press the accelerator.

That’s more intuitive than the Acura RLX, which forces you to hit a resume button when it stops. The S63 uses Distronic Plus steering to keep the car centered in the lane automatically. While it can’t quite match the lane-keeping prowess of the Infiniti Q50 we tested recently, the S63 doesn’t bump you around like the 2015 Chrysler 200,or older Infiniti and Acura models. Around corners, an adaptive suspension feels like the S63 has leaned over on yet another pillow to cushion any force you might feel. It’s so smooth, you barely notice the curves, even at high speeds. The central dash on the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG has a large digital display for infotainment. Mercedes is paving the way for autonomous driving that will not feel like a computer that makes abrupt decisions. Instead, it’s more like you have an engineer named Rudolf driving for you—easing off on the brakes, slowly moving you back in the lane, sliding you gently around corners. All Rudolf needs to do is brew up that espresso. Of course, the S63 is not quite ready for full autonomous driving. The lane-keeping measures only work for a minute or so and can’t handle long stretches of driving, or poorly marked road markings, or really tight corners (especially on city roads). But we’re getting there.

Packed with innovative safety technology, the 2012 E-Class sedan line is comprised of the V6-powered E350, E350 4MATIC, and E350 BlueTEC turbodiesel, and the V8-powered E550 4MATIC and E63 AMG. The E-Class wagon line features the E350 4MATIC and the new Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG wagon. The E350, E550 and E63 AMG are all powered by new engines with direct-injection and multi-spark ignition that produce more power, yet get better fuel economy as well. The E-Class sedan and wagon model line also feature new, more fuel efficient 7-speed automatic transmissions, new steering wheels, a color instrument cluster display and standard LED daytime running lights. The 2012 model year marks the return of the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG wagon to the U.S. Like the popular, high-performance E63 AMG sedan, the wagon features a new hand-built 5.5-liter direct-injection AMG V8 engine which generates 518hp and 516 lb-ft of torque as well as the award-winning AMG SPEEDSHIFT 7- speed Multiclutch Transmission (MCT). With 302 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft. 3.5-liter V6 engine has 13 percent more power than last year. Based on an entirely new block with 60-degree cylinder angles, the latest V6 doesn't need a balance shaft for smooth operation.

Like the engine that preceded it, the engine has aluminum cylinder heads, pistons and cylinder block (with cast-in Silitec cylinders), as well as a special forged steel crankshaft, connecting roads and valves. Based on its highly successful 5.5-liter predecessor, the new 4.6-liter V8 engine has a smaller displacement but generates 402 horsepower and 443 lb.-ft. Its smaller displacement is more than offset by the power boost of its twin turbochargers - one for each bank of cylinders. Piston crowns are four millimeters thicker to handle the higher combustion pressures, while shorter connecting rods allow existing block dimensions to be retained. The new E63 AMG sedan and wagon are fitted with a 5.5-liter version of the new Mercedes- Benz biturbo V8 that produces more power while also delivering better fuel economy. Replacing AMG's normally aspirated 6.3-liter V8, the smaller engine features twin turbochargers, direct fuel injection, and multi-spark ignition. Compared to the new 4.6-liter biturbo, the E63 AMG powerplant makes use of more displacement (a larger cylinder bore and longer crankshaft stroke), higher turbocharger boost, and slightly lower compression.