You know how this goes by now; new car is launched, new car has its price revealed, many angry comments follow about "how much?!" and the world keeps on turning. Expect much the same this time around, with the facelifted Mercedes-AMG E63 S going on sale today from £98,370, or £100,370 for the Estate. Which sounds like a lot of money, but think of it this way: an E39 M5 was £59,995 in 2000 which, adjusted for inflation, is £101,745 today. And that didn't have anywhere near 612hp...
Most of the key E63 S details we already knew, though UK spec has now been confirmed as including the Night Edition Premium Plus option as standard, which fits 20-inch AMG forged wheels in black, a panoramic sunroof and Burmester surround sound system. There's also a Driving Assistance Package Plus, for when its 186mph potential doesn't keep the driver alert enough. Buyers of the saloon can expect 23.3mpg and 277g/km, those plumping for the wagon faring slightly less well with 22.8mpg and 283g/km.
Now the most obvious rival for this updated AMG E63 is the BMW M5, also just tweaked for 2020; as if to prove just how similar they are, the 625hp BMW costs £98,095, or just £275 less than the 612hp Mercedes. They are near enough inseparable on paper; how they will fare against each other on the road is a question to be answered in the near future.
As for the Estate, the E63's £100,370 is a little more than the Audi RS6's £92,750 list price, though both are very unlikely to leave the showroom optionless - the last RS6 tested by PH was £134k. It might be worth considering the Alpina B5 at this point too, which also starts at £91,000. An embarrassment of riches for the wealthy after a wagon, then - could be quite the triple test, too...
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