After eight years of service, the AMG 6.3 (6208cc, to be exact) V8 is almost dead. You might not know it by the frequency at which cars with '63' scrawled on their trunks continue to appear in dealerships, but once the current C63 coupe and sedan cease production, AMG big all-motor V8 will die with them. These engines deliver around 500 normally aspirated horsepower and around 460 lb-ft, depending on tune and application, from what feels like 0 rpm all the way to a 7000-plus-rpm redline. In its ultimate form, in the SLS AMG Black Series, the hand-built monster produced 622 hp. Mercedes' twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8 is no slouch, and the bi-turbo 4.0-liter pegged for the next C63 will undoubtedly be fantastic as, but the M156/M159 V8 was (and remains) a revelation. It was the first engine designed and built from the ground up by AMG—an American small-block deconstructed and reimagined by German engineers.
It made AMGs truly viable alternatives to anything coming from BMW's M division. We're going to miss it. Get one while you still can. The next bi-turbo 4.0-liter C63 will almost certainly be an awesome car, but the original C63 has "future classic" written all over it. Still available in sedan, coupe, or—if you live in Europe—wagon form. Black Series cars are what happen when the AMG break room is stocked with too much Red Bull. The C63 AMG Black Series Coupe sported 510 hp, superb chassis balance, and the superhero ability to vaporize rear tires at will, with a not-so-subtle dash of DTM attitude thrown in gratis. The 6.3 in the SLS was modified to such an extent that AMG gave it its own engine code—M159 rather than M156. Over 120 different parts were swapped out or modified to produce a total of 571 hp. Included were changes to the intake and exhaust systems and the addition of dry-sump lubrication to cope with the SLS's higher cornering speeds. The E63 was cool because at a glance, it looked like your average upper-management commuting appliance.
It wasn't. It was a 518-hp cruise missile that could comfortably seat five adults. Given the choice, we'd take the crisper lines of the W212 E63 over the W211. The W219 CLS AMG started life with the old supercharged 5.5-liter V8 but later became one of the first production applications for the 6.3. As a result, it was transformed into a true M5 rival almost overnight. The first S63 introduced AMG's big V8 to the official car of CEOs and despotic dictators around the world. The effortless power was a good fit for the big S-Class, and it provided a slightly loonier alternative to the S600. It was a luxo-barge with scoot. Again, too much Red Bull for the AMG guys. We would say the SLS AMG Black Series was an SLS GT3 race car barely tamed for the road, but with 622 hp, it was actually more powerful than the SLS GT3. A car that is neither slow nor subtle, it nearly took home the wares in our 2013 Performance Car of the Year test.
The reason: Designers took the look of the first Volkswagen Touareg and intentionally developed it further without ignoring the previous model. In this process, Volkswagen styling avoids short-lived effects and is based on a continuous evolution. A strategy, which for example has accompanied the sensational success of the Golf right up to today and makes it simply "inimitable". It also gives a Volkswagen longer life and more stable value retention than many other cars. Like the front end, the rear of the new VW Touareg is also marked by horizontal lines. At the top, the tailgate has a spoiler that was styled to aerodynamic criteria, which simultaneously extends the roof section visually. The large rear window extends into the D pillars; the tailgate can be automatically opened by an electric motor as an option. Parts of the tail lights were integrated in the tailgate. These inboard segments each exhibit a second tail light as well as the reversing light.
The outboard segments house the functions tail light, brake light and indicator lights. Distinctive visual details of the dual tail lights: four elements designed in the form of an "L" (mirror image on right side), which distinctively frame the four pupil-like central elements. This creates an absolutely unmistakable night look. Once again located centrally between the lights is the VW logo. The load sill guard on the Hybrid and V8 TDI Touareg versions is a standard chrome step area on the load sill of the bumper. Worked as narrow strips into the lowermost segment of the bumper that is painted in body colour are the rear fog lights. Only the middle section with the tailpipes of the exhaust system integrated on its left and right ends is treated in black. While the V6 FSI and V6 TDI Volkswagen Touareg versions have round tailpipes, the two top versions can be recognised by their chrome rectangular pipes.
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