The Beast in the Bonnet

The view over the bonnet with the three-pointed star bobbing lightly is the same. The level of pampering inside the cabin is just as good and,on a light throttle,this E feels as well-mannered as an English butler. Only,occasionally,when you accelerate lightly,do you hear a distant rumble and wonder,Is that thunder or is it me? before flexing your right foot a bit more to check if it is the exhaust sound. The comfort of the rear seat is as good as that of a standard car. It is just as solidly built,and the acoustic refinement and sealing are also pretty impressive. The cabin is tastefully trimmed in large swathes of suede or Alcantara leather. However,pay close attention to the car and the slightly more athletic character shines through,especially from the suspension,which is tight,rigid and hard very unlike a normal E-Class. Its as if the E is flexing its muscles a bit tighter.

Of course,all doubts about this being an ordinary E-class dissolve as soon as the E63 AMG gets a whiff of an open road. Even a half-hearted prod on the accelerator rouses the beast under the bonnet,and then your back gets glued to the seat as the E just runs away from you,with 518bhp pulling like crazy. Your head gets thrown back a bit,you tighten your grip on the steering wheel,and,then slowly,the corners of your mouth curl up in a smile. And thats what AMG is all about,swapping that slightly haughty expression Merc owners have for a beaming smile; without getting rid of too much Mercedes-Benz character.

It may look similar from outside,with bigger wheels and some subtle body modifications,but under the skin there are massive changes. The front struts,suspension arms and anti-roll bars are totally different from the standard E-class. The front track is much wider,the steering system has been made more direct and the wheels have been given a negative camber for more grip. Many updates have been carried out to the rear suspension too,with a more rigid sub-frame added for greater stiffness.

The biggest change,however,lies under the hood. Here lurks a massively powerful 6.2 litre V8 that spins to 8000rpm. So,when you really step on it and want to kick the tachometer needle up,mechanical fingers fly though the filing cabinet of the gears and pluck exactly the ratio you are looking for. The motor now breathes in deep,through individual throttle flutes,variable valves allow massive amounts of air into the combustion chamber and the beefed-up fuel system opens the floodgates. Now,among other things,your eyeballs get gently pushed back into their sockets,you experience a few violent gear shifts and the exhaust note changes from a NASCAR rumble to an angry snarl. Despite the mass of the car,100kmph can be dispatched in a scant 4.5 seconds and there is just no let-up in thrust. Remember this isnt just a 6208cc engine,its 6208cc of purpose-built menace. After 3500rpm,this car feels monumentally fast,with enough performance on tap to keep up with outwardly sportier cars.

And the performance is addictive. This car trawls the rarefied region between 180 and 200kmph as easily as the standard car attains 100kmph,and you simply never get the impression you are even close to running out of steam. On empty stretches of unrestricted autobahn,near AMGs home in the sleepy town of Affalterbach in Germany,the manner in which the E63 slips regularly past 230kmph with such ease is stupefying. Does this motor have a weakness? Well,not really,but I wish there was a bit more grunt below 3500rpm. But then Im just being picky.

Whats completely vice-free though is the handling. Once youve configured the car right for the conditions,via the panel near the gear lever,and set the electrically adjusted side bolsters on the sports seat,this big saloon turns into something that feels as agile as a two-seater,as clichéd as it sounds. With its quick-steering system,the car gives you so much confidence and feedback that you always feel you are going too slowly. It corners flat and the slack-free steering places the car exactly where you want it.

That the best E-class is also easily the most expensive at approximately Rs 1.5 crore is a bit of a shame. But if you want something understated and suave but equally hardcore and metal,this ones for you.

The writer is deputy editor,AutocarIndia