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Getting right to the point, the 2017 Mercedes-AMG E 63 S wagon will put out 603 horsepower and go 0–60 in 3.5 seconds. Note the “Wagon” — not supercar, not track-day special, just a practical family hauler with SUV-like cargo space and a sensible sedan footprint, perfect for road trips and weekend jaunts up into the mountains. That’s quicker than AMG’s own GT and nearly a full second quicker to 60 mph than a Porsche 911, not to mention more horsepower than a Hennesy tuned supercharged Ford Raptor.
Of course, the E63 S’s sprint to 60 is aided by all that extra sheet metal over the rear wheels that gets traction off the line, but so does the long-awaited 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 from the AMG GT-R, just tuned to have 26 horsepower more than the range-topping coupe.
Mercedes’s new 4Matic+ AWD system is what puts all that power to the road. For all intents and purposes, it works just like the system in the Ford Focus RS, using clutches and locking differentials to adjust which wheels get power and when. So, yes, this 603 horsepower wagon has a drift mode. Mercedes has just built the world’s most practical supercar.
As for the price, you likely won’t hear it till next month’s Geneva Motor Show, where we’ll have a first look at it — but don’t expect it to be too far off from the outgoing E63 wagon, at $104,000.
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