It’s interesting to see how “family cars” have developed to be these days – practical, safe, ozone-layer friendly and some, so absurdly powerful it’s downright silly. There’s nothing cooler than a fast wagon though – unassuming, unpretentious and yet, unforgiving when you try to outpace it when the light turns green at the traffic stop.
The Mercedes-AMG E63S 4MATIC+ Estate is one such car, the wagon alternative to the million-ringgit E63S Mercedes-Benz recently launched in Malaysia. With over 612 hp and 850 Nm of torque at its disposal from a 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8, its obscene power is delivered through a 9-speed automatic gearbox. o to 100 km/h takes just 3.5 seconds, onwards to an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h.
And recently, the ridiculously quick wagon set a new record in none other than the famed Nurburging circuit, a venue that seems to be the proving ground for almost every car manufacturer, even Honda with its Civic Type R. The E63S wagon lapped the 20-odd kilometer track in just 7:45:19, the fastest time set by a wagon.
What kind of “family car” would need to go from 0 to 100 km/h in such haste? For parent’s who are never early with dropping their kids off at school? Honestly, who cares really – when it offers such duality of performance and practicality. It’s just utter shame that Malaysians don’t seem to fancy them, for no apparent reason.
