First Drive: Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance Soars Beyond Stately S-Class to Hybrid Scorcher
Once upon a time, the AMG badge on a Mercedes-Benz signified big twin-turbo V8 engines and incomparable luxury. But more recently, the Affalterbach team began toying with hopped-up four- and six-cylinder engines, as well as hybrid-electric systems borrowed from the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team race car’s drive unit.
AMG’s latest project adds a third application of that F1 tech to the Benz lineup in the new S 63 E Performance sedan, which earns truly formidable status as the most powerful S-Class ever. On a recent media program through the hills of Malibu, CA, Mercedes proved that shoehorning an electric motor and batteries into the big AWD sedan makes no compromises to expected levels of luxury. Rather, it augments the AMG spirit with serious performance that belies the size and weight of such a stupendously complex machine.
Cruising in Quiet Comfort
The planned drive route started in Santa Monica, which gave the S 63 E Performance a chance to show off the sumptuous comfort levels created by fully electric driving. Such quietude in town perfectly melds with traditional S-Class refinement, especially from the resplendent calm of quilted, ventilated leather seats. AMG plans to take the lineup all-electric by 2025, but even now the combination of hybrid assist and brute performance differentiates legacy Benz models from the tech-heavy EQ lineup that more purposefully targets EV first adopters.
Mercedes and AMG so far declined to share exactly how far the E Performance can travel in full “Electric” mode, but the F1 hybrid system clearly leans toward performance rather than efficiency. Driving in silence long enough will drop the battery to 25 percent charge, upon which Benz’s onboard computers regulate how frequently the gasoline engine will fire up to provide both motivation and electrical regeneration.
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Alternatively, tipping into the accelerator pedal far enough in “Comfort” mode engages the twin-turbo V8 with a bark, after which the combined torque delivery truly borders on absurd. Mercedes claims over 1,000 lb-ft from the full system, and without instrumented testing, a claimed 0 to 60 time of only 3.2 seconds seems pretty legit. This is all the more impressive given a total curb weight of 5,721 pounds (or about 200 pounds less than a Ford F-150 Raptor R pickup truck).
Big Boats Shouldn’t Handle This Well
The 4.0-liter V8 engine, twin turbos, nine-speed automatic transmission, and electric drivetrain components combine with rear-wheel steering, adaptive suspension, and even disconnecting sway bars to produce a hefty boat of a car. Not to mention an overall length of 210.1 inches (about 17.5 feet) and a 126.6-inch wheelbase that allow for so much front and rear legroom inside. When the roads start winding, though, the mechanical and electrical systems all somehow combine to belie that sheer size and weight.
Only three degrees of rear-wheel steering angle might sound fairly insignificant, but through the first curves of Las Flores Canyon, the S 63 E Performance immediately revealed AMG’s performance-focused R&D mindset. Popping into “Sport+” drive mode prompts the nine-speed auto to hold the gas engine at higher revs, but more importantly tightens up steering and suspension to reduce body roll enough that the massive sedan hauls through tighter turns than ever imaginable without prompting too much protest from the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.
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The automatically disconnecting sway bars help to gobble up any larger bumps the firm Michelins might not, but the taut chassis still sends feedback from smaller imperfections and a bit of tire noise from the 21-inch forged wheels through to the cabin. This may be more than typically expected for air suspension, anyway—and a reminder that even the best engineering in the world can only go so far.
Hammer the brakes, though, and with a bit of regen assist, the carbon-ceramics somehow rein in the power with ease. Note: carbon ceramic brakes will only be available exclusively on Edition 1 cars here in the U.S., as well as for other markets. All the while, the electric motor augments any lower-end torque delivery from the Biturbo V8 to produce mind-boggling acceleration back into straights.
Diving Into the Electric Engineering
Luckily, Benz brought along a couple of the AMG engineers to explain exactly how the F1-derived hybrid system works. The biggest difference from the S 580e plug-in hybrid sits under the rear trunk: a set of 1,200 battery cells in individual pouches are individually controlled to manage both electric output and heat soak. A performance pump floods the pouches with a non-conductive coolant solution, which then mates to the internal-combustion engine’s coolant via a water-to-water heat exchanger to maintain an ideal operating temp of 113 degrees F.
Managing heat allows the batteries to send up to 140 kilowatts to the electric motor, which sits in a P3 layout at the rear axle rather than between the motor and transmission in a more traditional P2 hybrid position. The motor lives in a combined rear transaxle with two gears to allow for higher-speed torque delivery, and can even send power forward through the center driveshaft to the front wheels in full electric mode, too.
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The gas engine alone receives a rating of 603 horsepower, which the e-motor can support with up to 188 horsepower. The combined 791 hp pales in comparison to the full torque of 1,055 lb-ft, almost all of which seems accessible at around 2,200 engine rpm. The e-motor, meanwhile, can rev up to 13,500 rpm and those two gears in the rear transaxle provide assist to the electronically limited top speed of 155 miles per hour (here in the U.S.).
Pushing the drivetrain hard helps hide the weight gains sufficiently but also drains battery charge quickly. Still, the efficient cooling of the system allows for up to a full 140 kilowatts of regen back into the batteries. The max regen setting is selected via the AMG dials on the steering wheel that typically control drive modes, suspension, and traction control settings. Even when the pack reaches 25 percent charge, the onboard computers manage to recharge the system (almost) just as quickly.
Interior and Tech in a Luxury Environment
Those dials on the AMG-specific S-Class steering wheel help to integrate the hybrid system into the onboard tech relatively seamlessly. Gauges for instantaneous regen and battery state of charge slot into the digital speedometer and tachometer, though the rest of the MBUX system in the central touchscreen remains as menu-heavy as on other models in the Benz lineup. More buttons on the steering wheel spokes also require a period of acclimation, in addition to the almost obscenely sensuous capacitive surfaces for controlling volume and especially the sun roof(s).
Turning down the mood lighting or augmented reality head-up display requires fiddling through buttons and screens, but best to leave such concerns to a chauffeur, anyhow. Instead, S 63 E Performance passengers will undoubtedly enjoy the wood grain and quilted seats, which combine to produce an almost nautical theme (not quite as pronounced as the EQS).
Adjustable bolsters, air conditioning ventilation, even adjustable head and leg rests for the rear seats all contribute to the cabin’s princely appointments. Only a disappointingly large swath of piano black plastic that transitions from armrest to touchscreen breaks the reverie expected at this (presumed) price point.
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More than a few years have passed since Benz offered another AMG S-Class, but in 2016, the previous generation’s AMG S 63 cost about $50,000 more than a base S 550. The lowest-priced 2023 S 500 stickers for $114,500 currently, so a new S 63 E Performance will likely run closer to $200,000. At that MSRP, buyers can expect all the creature comforts. In fact, a well-known automotive journalist co-driver fell asleep while performing scientific testing in the backseat during the return trip to Santa Monica—and who could blame him? Some may miss a large trunk, now occupied by the trick transaxle and batteries.
Mercedes is clearly willing to bet that the combined appeal of F1 tech and AMG performance can offset any considerations for hauling golf clubs and groceries as a tradeoff for effortless power and impressive handling. Combining a potent V8 with the benefits of low-end electric torque and fully silent operation requires something of an engineering miracle to sufficiently mask the entire package’s overall heft, with only a bit more firmness and road noise than expected from a plush S-Class hint at the hybrid enhancements available at the touch of a button.
Suffice to say, as the fully electric era’s time horizon continues to push back, the future of performance hybrids looks ready to carry on the internal combustion mantle for at least a while longer.
