2017 Mercedes-AMG E63 4MATIC+ and E63 S 4MATIC+ revealed. With drift mode!

​Here are the latest additions to what is already an impressive Mercedes-AMG portfolio, the E63 4MATIC+ and E63 S 4MATIC+.
 
Apart from an aggressive new design, there are two things that stand out with the new E63 saloons: the horsepower figure and the new 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system.  The cars come powered with a 4.0-litre, twin-scroll, twin-turbo V8 with direct injection, tuned to produce 612hp and 850Nm of torque in the E63 S, and 571hp and 750Nm in the normal E63 version.  Power is sent through a nine-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT transmission, which gets rid of the torque converter of a traditional automatic transmission and puts in a wet start-off clutch instead.
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​A quick-shifting transmission combined with the latest all-wheel drive technology means that both cars can accelerate from 0-100km/h in less than four seconds, with the E63 getting there in 3.5 sec, while the E63 S gets there in 3.4 sec.  Both cars are electronically limited to a 250km/h top speed.
 
The E63 and E63 S will be available only with the new 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system, which might sound like bad news for those who like rear-wheel drive, but Mercedes-AMG say it isn’t.  The distribution of power to the front and rear axle is fully variable, with the promise of great traction in all types of driving conditions, including on slippery surfaces.  
 
The biggest news, however, about the new 4MATIC+ system is that it actually allows the car to turn from an all-wheel drive car to a fully rear-wheel drive car, thanks to variable torque distribution and electromechanically controlled coupling that connects the rear axle to the front.  That’s not all; the E63 S comes standard with a drift mode, which can be activated in the “Race” driving mode, and turns the car to a fully rear-drive car, and remains so until the driver deactivates it.
 
The new cars are both equipped with a cylinder deactivation system in order to increase fuel efficiency, which shuts down four of the eight cylinders during partial throttle loads.  The claimed combined fuel economy figure is 8.9l/100km, while C02 emissions are a claimed 203g/km.
 
The E63 4MATIC+ comes standard with 10-spoke 19-inch wheels and a mechanical rear differential lock, while the E63 S 4MATIC+ has 5-twin-spoke 20-inch wheels and has an electronically controlled rear differential lock.  Both cars are equipped with the latest AMG-tuned air suspension, electromechanical steering system, while the E63 S 4MATIC+ has dynamic engine mounts.  Both cars are equipped with perforated compound brake discs, but a carbon ceramic braking system is available as an option.
 
The new cars will go on sale in March 2017, however it will be shown to the public for the first time at the Los Angeles Auto Show on 16 November.