How fast is the Mercedes Benz W211 E 63 AMG?

This blog will answer the following questions: how fast is the Mercedes Benz W211 E 63 AMG? What are the specifications of the W 211 E 63 AMG? Which engine is used in the W211 E 63 AMG? Which is the best E 63 AMG? Is the W 211 E 63 AMG faster than the W211 E 55 AMG?

How fast is the Mercedes Benz W211 E 63 AMG?

The Mercedes Benz W211 E 63 AMG has a top speed of 250 km/hr or 155 MPH. Its 6.3 liter naturally aspirated engine is capable of accelerating the car from a standstill to 62 MPH in just 4.5 seconds. The E 63 AMG model series W211 was as fast as some of the 2-seater sports cars and the power-to-weight ratio of the E 63 is 3.6 kg/hp.

Mercedes Benz launched the third generation of the E class in 2002 with the model series W211. It replaced the very successful W 210 model, the new E class was larger in size and the design had subtle covers instead of the sharp edges found in the old model.

The W 211 E class looked like a muscle car, Mercedes Benz completely re-designed the onboard electrical network and the mechanical setup of the car. Initially, the E 55 AGM was the high-performance version in the E class but Mercedes Benz soon replaced it with the E 63 AMG in the facelift version of the W211 E class.

The facelift model not only introduced cosmetic changes to the exterior of the car but Mercedes Benz also used a fly-by-wire braking system in it. The brake pedal is not mechanically connected to the master cylinder and a vacuum brake booster.

A travel sensor determines the brake pedal position and the Sensotronic Brake control system determines the brake pressure to be applied to all four wheels. It was a revolutionary system and only Mercedes Benz had a fly-by-wire braking system in passenger cars.

The W 211 E 63 AMG is also available in Sedan as well as Estate body styles. The Estate  model competed against the Estate versions of the BMW M5 and the Audi RS C 6

What are the specifications of the W 211 E 63 AMG? 

The specifications of the W211 E 63 AMG are given in the table below:

The W211 E 63 AMG is a front engine rear wheel drive car, power is sent to the rear axle via an open differential. The front and rear tire sizes are 245/40 R 18, and the aspect ratio of the tires provided a great balance between performance and comfort. The W211 E 63 AMG needed  18-inch alloy wheels because the brake rotors were massive.

There is an individual suspension setup at the front and a multi-link suspension setup at the rear. The power steering is hydraulic with a pressure regulating valve, it gives good feedback from the front wheels. There is a little bit of understeer due to the extra weight compared to the SL 63 AMG. Otherwise, the ride quality is very refined compared to the E55 AMG.

Mercedes AMG specifically tuned the Airmatic suspension on the E 63 AMG for lower ride height. The center of gravity is lower compared to other E Class models which helps to minimize the body roll when cornering. 

The dampers are also adaptive, if the car is accelerating the rear dampers become hard to eliminate the weight transfer. Under hard braking, the front suspension dampers become hard to minimize the nose dive.

Mercedes Benz also gave an option to add the AMG performance package, the top speed is no longer electronically limited in the international markets. Limited slip differential with even stiffer Airmatic suspension really improved the handling of the W211 E 63 AMG with AMG performance package.

Which engine is used in the W211 E 63 AMG?

Mercedes AMG introduced the M156 naturally aspirated V8 engine in with the W211 E 63 AMG. It is a completely new design and does not use any components from its predecessors the M113 engine.

Mercedes AMG used its expertise in motorsports to build the 6.2 liters V 8 engine with Silitec coating on the cylinder wall. The special coating minimizes any wear between the moving parts of the engine. The engine block is also a closed deck despite being a petrol engine.

The performance package also included forged pistons manufactured specifically for the E 63 by Mahle. The pistons are connected to the crankshaft by fracture-split connecting rods.

Both the aluminum cylinder heads have 4 valves per cylinder and instead of conventional hydraulic valve lift elements, Mercedes Benz used bucket type valvetrain for higher power output.

 The M156 also used a single spark plug per cylinder instead of the two spark plugs found on the M113 and M113 K engines. The ignition coils are also individual for each spark plug with the output stage integrated into it.

All the intake and exhaust camshafts also came with variable valve timing. The engine control unit controls the opening and closing angles of the intake and exhaust camshafts with the help of camshaft adjustment solenoids.

Overall the M156 is a reliable engine but it had a fatal flaw in the design of the cylinder head bolts. Many customers reported an abnormal ticking noise from the engine before the engine was catastrophically damaged. 

Mercedes Benz quickly changed the design of the cylinder head bolts and also issued a field measure to replace all the cylinder head bolts in the affected engines. Mercedes Benz AMG continued to use the M156 engine in other 63 series models. Mechanically the engine remained the same with the only difference in the state of tune.

Which is the best E 63 AMG?

According to many car enthusiasts and automotive experts, the W211 E 63 AMG is considered the best E 63 series model. The engine is a powerhouse for performance and it is used by Mercedes AMG in the GT3 motorsports series.

Mercedes Benz launched the fourth and the fifth series of the E 63 AMG and naturally, the latest E 63 makes more power compared to the W 211 E 63 AMG. However, due to the design and the bulletproof built quality of W 211, it is still a very sought-after exotic car.

Conclusion

This blog provided the details of the W 211 and also answered the question-how fast is the E 63 AMG. Mercedes Benz discontinued the M113K engine with the W 211 E 55 AMG, the E 63 AMG proved to be a worthy successor despite its few mechanical issues.