First Drive: Defying Physics in the 2024 Mercedes-AMG S 63 E
High in the hills of Malibu, white, multi-million dollar cubist castles perch perilously on cliffs, defying gravity: On the big sweeping roads that cut through the sagebrush and chaparral, I’m piloting a car that is doing some physics-defying of its own.
The 2024 Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance is a mammoth, tech-loaded sedan masquerading like a sportscar. It uses an absurd amount of power and technological tricks to defy its fifty-seven hundred pound weight. It’s the fastest S-Class ever, thanks to a hybrid powertrain that combines a twin-turbo V8 engine with an electric motor and battery pack. It features a price expected to be somewhere around two hundred grand. That’s a figure that most car buyers won’t consider, but some of these Malibu homeowners wouldn’t scoff at. But after a few hours in the driver’s seat, I could be convinced that, should I have a stream of Hollywood residuals flooding the bank account, the S 63 E Performance would be a fine and fun way to drain it.
“The cabin can be whisper quiet — until you cue up Miley Cyrus on the 41-speaker Burmester 4D sound system.”
Like the plot of a sci-fi thriller, the Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance relies on complexities to make its magic. The hybrid system delivers a remarkable 791 horsepower and 1,055 pound-feet of torque, which translates to an impressive zero-to-sixty time of 3.2 seconds. That surge of power can make you breathless. But the powertrain is not just about brute force — it has plenty of nuance. The rear-mounted electric motor works with a two-speed transmission and an electronic differential, which can send torque to the front wheels in electric mode, effectively turning the car into a rear-engine, all-wheel drive machine. That setup enhances performance and adaptability, as well as efficiency and emissions. Four-wheel steering improves its maneuverability and stability, making it feel smaller and lighter than it is when you’re carving through canyons, or turning around in a cul-de-sac. The S 63 E Performance plays on contradictions: combining elegance and aggression, efficiency and power, tradition and innovation.
Though the 2024 Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance stands at the top of the S-Class range, the visual clues that set it apart from the regular S-Class are subtle. The main difference is the AMG-specific grille with vertical slats and a large star emblem, which replaces a hood ornament. The car also has jet wing–inspired air inlets, a splitter, a diffuser, fluted twin tailpipes, and 21-inch AMG forged wheels. The interior also has AMG touches, such as the AMG Performance steering wheel, the AMG trim elements, and the AMG mode on the instrument cluster. Those in the know will appreciate those callouts (while not drawing too much attention from the folks that don’t “get it.”)
Every S-Class comes loaded with technology, and this one is no exception. The dashboard features a 12.8-inch OLED touchscreen with a 3-D display that runs the latest MBUX system, which can be controlled by voice, gesture, or touch. The driver also gets a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with an AMG mode. You and your passengers sit in contoured seats surrounded by Nappa leather. The cabin can be whisper quiet — until you cue up Miley Cyrus on the 41-speaker Burmester 4D sound system.
After flogging the 2024 Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance in the mountains, I returned to the city of Santa Monica. Easing into traffic, I started to remember that this was not just a supercar in disguise, but also an S-Class — a posh, ultra-civilized machine designed to lower the pulse — but only when you want it to.