Mercedes-Benz E63 S AMG | PH Auction Block

One of the last rear-drive E-Class AMG wagons made - need you know more?

By Matt Bird / Tuesday, 25 November 2025 / Loading comments

Given how many PH boxes this E63 is ticking - rear-wheel drive mega estate attainable for a lot less than it cost new - you may well have seen this listing already. But just in case you haven’t, this is one very special Mercedes-AMG estate, for a whole host of reasons. Not least the fact that it goes to auction tomorrow.

This is a 2015 example of the S212 generation of E-Class, meaning it’s one of the very last made - the W213 successor came the year after. It also means this 5.5-litre, twin-turbo V8 estate is just 10 years old, and what a difference a decade makes when it comes to AMG wagons. These days, this car’s equivalent is an E53, which achieves a great deal with its hugely clever PHEV powertrain - but never really tugs at the heartstrings like a great AMG might. It’s a very different prospect to this one despite appearing ostensibly similar, glitzier and more glamorous than what’s now a slightly dour Mercedes family car. These days the AMG status is never in doubt; back in the days of the ‘212, the Affalterbach overhaul was much more subdued. With truly absurd engines under the bonnet, to make a generation of icons. The latest E53 is a really good car, for sure, though it never seems likely to be as loved as this era.

It was pretty clear at the time, to be honest. Just as most manufacturers were winding down supersaloons and estates with 550hp or so and rear-wheel drive, AMG doubled down on its preference for one driven axle and surfeit of horsepower. As a fresh-faced PH newbie, I remember a 585hp, RWD Mercedes being announced very soon after the then-new C7 RS6, which boasted less power but Quattro as well. Even the standfirst of the PH first drive suggested it was madness to go without four-wheel drive, but what glorious madness it seems now.

Because AMG made it all work. The really powerful rear-drive cars weren’t undriveable monsters, with limited-slip diff and assists all nicely calibrated to take full advantage of a considered right foot and all that turbo torque. Where the next E63 made you give up all help to go rear-drive only, this obviously kept the assistance, plus some lovely Mercedes steering. And the unrepeatable thrill of your right foot controlling just the rear wheels.

The S was always a rare beast, introduced towards the end of the W212’s run and adding 35hp for £10,000. Most would probably have been content with just the 550hp, and made their peace living without a factory LSD. Those that do come up for sale tend to be saloons, so this late S wagon must be really rare. And there’s plenty to recommend it beyond just scarcity: there’s a full Mercedes history for its 10 years and 70k, a set of winter tyres is fitted, and the MOT runs until next October. No excuse not to continue exactly as intended, basically.

Nobody needs this much power in an estate car, of course. Those that do may well be tempted by the additional tech and features of the 4.0-litre, 4Matic replacement, or the affordability of an earlier, non-S E63 from this generation. But the 585hp flagship was never for those aiming to fulfil their needs; it was an AMG for the connoisseurs, those that wanted the ultimate representation of rear-drive V8 hedonism with a nod to practicality. It’s for that reason that the E63 S will always be a very special Mercedes, even if just to the few that really know. Don’t be surprised if a few of those place a bid when the auction kicks off tomorrow...

See the full listing here