With the current all-singing, all-dancing, 612hp AMG E63 stealing hearts and minds wherever it goes, even with a new RS6 around, times look tough for its predecessor. Because the W213-era car ushered in so much for the E63: new engine, four-wheel drive, the jazzy new interior and much more. Fond memories of an older model can fade as fast as scorched rubber in the rain with the arrival of a faster, fancier, flashier replacement.
Maybe that has happened with the W212 E63; maybe it hasn't. Let's hope that its significance hasn't been forgotten, because this was as important for furthering AMG's reputation as the C63 of the same time. Built between 2010 and 2017, the previous AMG E-Class could counter the threat of the F10 M5 with a vastly more charismatic engine (with or without turbochargers) while also tackling the RS6 head on with a more engaging fun-for-all-the-family package. Previous iterations had hinted at that, but it was arguably the 212 in all its forms where the point was hammered home: across the board, the '63 was superb.
Furthermore, it bowed out in suitably silly AMG fashion, the sort of fashion that seems borderline unnecessary at the time but has the makings of a classic at some point in the future. In 2013, with the E-Class facelift, an 'S' upgrade was introduced for the E63. That's another model above the one with the twin-turbocharged, 5.5-litre V8 and 550hp. And rear-wheel drive. The pack upped vital AMG outputs to 585hp and 590lb ft, mated it to a limited-slip diff (that somehow wasn't standard) and painted the brake calipers red in case you missed the little badge on the boot.
Nobody needed more power in their E63; indeed when PH reviewed the S at the end of 2013 it was described as "madness" that we didn't get the 4Matic version in the UK. On PistonHeads! That's how lairy it was. Of course, a few short years later and with rear-drive AMGs disappearing faster than freshly stocked loo rolls, it looks a devilishly enticing reminder of the good old days of big, bad AMGs. This is exactly the sort of car that the AMG legend was built on, where prodigious power was wedged into an innocuous looking Merc and all hell let loose out of the tailpipes. Of course, cars like the 45 AMGs will be the volume sellers going forward, but nothing subtly (yet decisively) does AMG cool quite like an overpowered E-Class.
You'll still find plenty of 212-era E63s available, because even the oldest are only a decade old, but there are precious few S models around, for exactly the reason suggested - the vast majority just didn't need a 585hp E-Class. Of those, even fewer are S212 wagons, making this particular car a real find.
Since 2016 it's covered just 16,000 miles with two owners and yet, in true big AMG fashion, it has plummeted in value. At launch this Tenorite Grey E63 was an £85,000 car, before factoring in options like the very expensive ceramic brakes. Now it's on sale at just £37,495. That's A35 money, in case you needed reminding.
And yes, the gearbox will seem a little dim-witted against the new nine-speed auto and the interior will look a little staid compared to the newer Mercs (some might even prefer that) - but as a package the E63 is hard to find fault with. There's a healthy wodge of AMG lunacy that won't ever be repeated, the best E-Class in generations to house it, sufficient modernity to not be a hassle, loads of space and a spec that won't attract the wrong sort of attention. What more do you need?
An RS6? Go ahead, but you'll need £50,000 for the Audi rather than £37,000 for a comparable car with the same mileage. Or near enough another 33 per cent extra. And do you really, seriously desire the Audi that much more? £13,000 buys lots of tyres...
SPECIFICATION | MERCEDES-BENZ E63 S AMG ESTATE
Engine: 5,461cc, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: 7-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive, limited-slip differential
Power (hp): 585@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 590@1,750-5,250rpm
MPG: 28.3 (NEDC)
CO2: 234g/km
First registered: 2016
Recorded mileage: 16,881
Price new: £84,985 (before options)
Price now: £37,495
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