WHAT did you think of it, asked the service department lad I handed the keys of my latest road test car to. “That’s a silly question,” I replied, the reason being the ‘it’ in question was the Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG sedan, a car of unparalleled performance in its class; one that was likely to satisfy any driver with a passion for . . . well, driving.

The obsidian black beast – there’s no other word for it – came into my possession a week previously and proceeded to find its way into my heart and everybody else's who spent time aboard – driver or passenger. On the one hand it’s a high performance road racer; on the other a beautiful sedan with almost every luxury to be found in the automotive catalogue.

Settle into the arms of the top-notch Nappa leather sports seats with electrically adjustable side bolsters designed to take almost any body width in hand on sharp bends – welcoming. Push the start/stop button on the dashboard and the naturally aspirated 6.2 litre high-revving V8 engine fires into life to the accompaniment of a unique roar.

AMG engineers must have had some fun here with the automotive equivalent of the ‘tuning fork’. However, that’s not all they turned their attention to. There’s plenty of substance to the E 63 – a 4.5 second sprint to 100km/h from rest, for example, plus a 12.6 litres per 100km fuel consumption figure on 98 RON petrol (12 per cent better than the previous model). All this can be put down to adapting racetrack performance to the road, similarly the Racestart function which gets the car off the mark quickly while, at the same time, maintaining maximum traction with the bitumen.

In full flight, the AMG Speedshift seven-speed sports transmission takes over. With four driving modes – C, S ,S+ and M selected by means of a centrally situated control knob - swift acting gearshifts don’t affect power delivery from accelerator pedal to road. In ‘C’, shifts are designed for smooth, comfortable progress; S has the engine and transmission responding more urgently to the pedal with each gear going to higher revs and downshifts speeded up.

Moving to S+ has this happening 20 per cent faster than in C mode. In M mode, with gear changes taking only 100 milliseconds, this equates to shifts half as fast again as in C. Downshifts are also enlivened, with kickdown allowing the driver to change straight from 7^th to fourth, or from 5^th to 2nd in S and S+, while in M, the automatic double declutch function kicks in for added satisfaction.

There are other keys that make for extra driving convenience. For example, the electronic stability program, an original  Mercedes-Benz active safety system now taken up by most automobile makers around the world,  can be varied according to the driver’s desires – there’s ‘ESP on’, ‘ESP Sport’, and ‘ESP off’, each allowing the car to behave differently on the road.

The suspension, under the auspices of Ride Control, can be switched from Comfort to Sport or Sport Plus at the touch of a button. It all adds up to dialing up driving conditions to suit, giving occupants the chance to enjoy a spirited driving experience, or comfortable cruise over long distances, each pleasingly experienced over my time with the E 63 AMG. All of the above can be programed into the sedan’s software by operating the AMG selector lever.

Ventilated 360mm disc brakes all round are incorporated in 19in alloy wheels shod with enough rubber to respond to the driver’s needs when pulling up no matter how urgently. The E 63 AMG is not short on the finer things of life in the passenger cabin – after all, it is a member of the Mercedes-Benz luxury E-Class club. A tad short of being a day spa on wheels – the relaxing back massage function in the front driver and passenger seats had our mob rotating positions like musical chair contestants at a kids’ party.

Standard gear includes AMG instrument cluster with AMG main menu, door entry sills with AMG lettering and sports pedals, both in brushed stainless steel. Reversing camera with parking guides, ventilated and heated front seats, panoramic sunroof with retractable blind and keyless entry and start function add to the list, while options can be added to give the E 63 AMG the extra personal touch. Last but not least is a suite of active and passive safety features found in few other models in this class. Attention Assist gives a wake-up call to any driver in danger of nodding off and wandering into dangerous  territory, Lane Keeping assist, which works through the steering wheel, keeps the car on the straight and narrow lanewise, while Blind Spot Assist warns the driver intending to change direction of the presence of a vehicle in the off-side or on-side hard-to-see spots.

And in the event of an ‘unscheduled incident’, industry speak for an accident, there are seven airbags and active head restraints to cushion the blow. At $234,900, plus on-road costs, the new E 63 AMG is more than $4000 cheaper than its predecessor, yet, according to Mercedes-Benz, carries more than $28,000 of additional kit, giving the buyer a $32,000 bonus. Then there’s the adrenalin rush.

MODEL

Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG Sedan: $234,900 (manufacturer’s list price – does not include government or dealer charges)

Model line: Avantgarde

Paint: Obsidian Black

Upholstery: leather

OPTIONS

Performance package: $13,200

Illuminated AMG door sills: $1950

Tyre pressure monitor: $850

Distronic plus: $4950

Total MLP: $255,850

FEATURES

ABS brakes: standard
Air-conditioning: standard
AMG Speedshift 7-speed sports transmission: standard
7 airbags: standard

Electronic Stability Control: standard

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE:
Capacity: 6.2 litres
Configuration: V8
Maximum Power: 386kW
Maximum Torque: 630Nm

DRIVELINE:

Driven Wheels: rear
AMG Speedshift MCT 7-speed sports transmission

SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:

AMG Ride Control sports suspension

Three-stage ESP
Brakes: 360mm ventilated discs all round

PERFORMANCE:

0-100km/h Acceleration: 4.5 seconds

FUEL CONSUMPTION:

12.6 litres/100km (98 RON)