Evelyn Reynolds

From the January 2003 issue of Car and Driver.
The first time Infiniti glued its Mt. Fuji-peak badge on a two-door was 13 years ago. The M30 was a four-year-old Nissan Leopard, rousted from the home market and hastily decorated with Infiniti tinsel to help fill out the new brand’s product line. Parked in the shadow of the fabulous Q45, the rectangular M30 made it painfully obvious where Nissan spent its product budget for Infiniti.

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If John Adams were alive today, he might say, “One useless man is a disgrace, two are a law firm, and three or more are Nissan’s product-planning department.” The company pretty much fumbled its way through the high times of the past decade, succeeding the M30 and Q45 with a raft of eminently forgettable Infinitis while luxury competitors ate its lunch.
Not so this time.
The G35 coupe is the most appealing article to slide down the Infiniti chute since the original Q. Its hunky body hugs the earth and looks swish enough never to be confused with the four-door G35. It seats its patrons in comfort and supplies steaming performance, thanks to a few potent ingots of aluminum. Under the hood is the big 3.5-liter V-6 making its 280 horsepower, and down in the wheel wells the various control arms and links of the elaborate suspension reach for the pavement.
Nissan’s product planners deserve credit for their moment of inspiration. A few years ago they decided to split the sports-car duties of the company’s sophisticated rear-drive FM chassis, which also underpins the G35 sedan. Whereas the old 300ZX came as both a two-seater and an elongated (and somewhat ungainly-looking) two-plus-two, Nissan decided to split the Z variants between its mainstream and upscale brands.

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Infiniti

Exhibit A is the comparo-winning Nissan 350Z (“Hot Tin Roofs,” December, 2002) that features bucket seats for two on a 104.3-inch wheelbase. Exhibit B is the G35 two-door with slightly softer springs and four seats planted between axles that ride 112.2 inches apart.

Highs: Buffed and buff body, a suspension that eats twisty roads, seats could be a centerfold for American Chiropractor.

Note that this is also the wheelbase of the G35 sedan, a car that distinguished itself in a comparison test in October, 2002, (“Waiting for a Bimmer Beater”) by having the longest wheelbase of the group by more than four inches. In Holland, G35s would be put to work spanning canals.
All that acreage between the wheels should bode ill for the coupe’s handling, especially since the example pictured here, at 3485 pounds, totes 122 more pounds than the recently tested and similarly equipped 350Z Touring from December; and especially considering that the G35 sedan was knocked for nervous oversteer that made turning off the electronic skid control on a public road a certified health threat.
But whether because of the meatier 18-inch rubber that is standard on the six-speed coupe or a relocated center of gravity (or both), the G35 coupe remains unflappably stable and neutrally balanced. Indeed, the coupe turned in a scorching 0.90-g run on the skidpad, the highest number by 0.02 g we have recorded for the entire G35/Z family. The wheel is a precise scalpel and the turn-in aggressive, and the body remains level and composed through the corners.

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Infiniti

At track speeds, the fun fades in the turns not because of tail wagging but owing to progressive front-end scrubbing. As with the Z, the G hits understeer at the border of its performance envelope, but it won’t intrude on your daily enjoyment of the car’s spry footwork unless you view your morning commute as a time trial.
Even if it does, the clear vista forward from behind the wheel makes it easy to bayonet the G35’s snout precisely into corners. The gauges are low and, unlike the Z’s, corralled into a single binnacle that moves with the tilting column. If orange is your favorite color—it isn’t around here—you’ll love the otherwise plain dials.
Rectilinear shapes and machined-metal accents, the industrial mayonnaise of the Z cockpit, are spread on less thickly in the G. Traditional rubber pedal pads, for example, stand in for the Z’s drilled aluminum shoe stops.

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Infiniti

The coupe’s interior is an identical copy of the sedan’s, right down to the arresting mix of buttons. There are big black plastic jobs on the door panels, small metal kernels on the steering wheel, and modern double-size squares on the center column. The seat controls next to your inboard thigh are something else altogether, and the dash mixes up smooth surfaces with ones with elephant-skin texture and ones with polka-dot perforations. Nissan has become the company where no idea goes to waste.
The G’s yards of textured black plastic and the matte silver center stack proclaim “luxury car!” and only whisper “on the cheap.” The door panels are as plain as the plains. The center console substitutes a true armrest with seat-heater buttons. The digital display up top that resembles a mail slot is thin on information. One nice bonus: All G35s get an in-dash, six-disc CD changer plus a tape deck for bookworms.

Lows: Not so nice noise and vibration, interior mixes up its messages.

The G’s seats greet their visitors with hospitality and make friends with all. One editor pronounced them the best thing this side of a Recaro. The forward buckets are big enough to support the lower legs, the seatbacks concave enough to counter sideways gravity in the corners. The pedals, the wheel, and the fungus-shaped shifter sit in close, accessible orbit, the latter being a precise but somewhat imperfect tool in that it gives the forearm a workout with overly heavy detents. Honda’s secret recipe for a perfect shifter remains, well, a secret.
Two adults of female size can fit comfortably into the rear, but headroom is definitely wanting for six-footers. Perhaps more amazingly, two golf bags will squeeze into the G35’s eight-cubic-foot trunk. Don’t believe it? There’s a small placard thoughtfully pasted to the trunk liner to show how it’s done.
The arching chassis brace that annoyingly bisects the Z’s hatchback trunk is present in the G, but because the G is not a hatchback and is 12.6 inches longer than the Z, the brace resides deep in the trunk under the parcel shelf. Z owners will need more than a spatula to fit two golf bags; they’ll need a crowbar.

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Infiniti

The brace contributes to the G’s relative indifference to bumps and frost heaves. Impact energy still finds its way through the taut structure, especially since road-surface changes are being telegraphed nearly verbatim by the robust 45-series Michelin rubber around the wheels. But the cockpit is isolated and the ride compliant enough to polish off the harsh edges.
More vibrations come through the pedals and shifter from the six coffee cans up front. As in all the G- and Z-cars fitted with Nissan’s VQ DOHC 24-valve 3.5-liter V-6, the engine makes trucklike torque at low revs and trucklike sound and vibrations at high revs. The river of sine waves through the cabin and the rasp of the exhaust make going to the redline in the G less intoxicating than in, say, an Acura 3.2CL Type-S or a BMW 330Ci, two alternative selections in the duo-door class with vastly superior sound signatures (“Hobson’s Choice,” July 2002).
In straight performance numbers, the G35 keeps the pace. The G35’s 6.0-second 0-to-60-mph dash and 14.6 quarter-mile are within a 10th or two of the Type-S and 330Ci (and about a half-second down on the Z Track), even if the aural experience is lacking. The G35’s combination of Brembo calipers and 12.8-inch front rotors needs only 157 feet to convert 70 mph of kinetic energy into heat, seven fewer than the 350Z Track and fewer than both of the previously cited coupe competitors.

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Infiniti

Okay, the Acura pulls off its performance with 20 less horsepower and front-wheel drive, but it’s styled to win snooze competitions. The BMW has better moves, lighter controls, and more fluid power delivery, but buyers have to walk at least another eight thousand steps into their bank account for a similarly equipped 330Ci.
Of the FM offshoots we’ve tried so far, none won the near-universal approval enjoyed by the G35 coupe. Perhaps that’s because the G35, positioned as a luxury touring car, seems a more honest sales pitch than the go-for-it 350Z, considering the limits of the engine and chassis. No doubt it has something to do with the fact that few of the G35 sedan’s foibles manifested themselves here.

The Verdict: In some ways a better Z than the Z.

And unlike a few other sedan-based coupes out there, the G35 offers more than just two fewer doors and a boosted price. Infiniti is awakening. Who says 13 is an unlucky number?
Counterpoint
There will come a time during the ownership of a 350Z when one fantasizes about hauling more than a single passenger and enjoying luggage capacity beyond that of a toothbrush and a pair of Speedos. At that point one might wish he or she had opted for the 350’s larger and more elegant brother, the Infiniti G35 coupe. This is one tasty machine, a legitimate two-plus-two with accommodations for a duet of rear-seat travelers and ample trunk space for weekend jaunts. Heavier by 122 pounds and down by seven horsepower against the Z, this is not so much a sports car but rather a captivating grand tourer that ranks with the best in the world. —Brock Yates
This coupe’s low-roof shape, tapering to a high tail, really does it for me, same as the fastback Kellison GT did back when I was sketching cars in study hall. It had a low forehead and gun-slit side windows, perfect for Bonneville or for lurking in any of the small Iowa towns I might drive to. I showed my dad a picture of it once. There was a long pause. Expecting admiration, I leaned forward to hear every nuance. His verdict came down in one word: “Preposterous.” Years later, when “bad” is good and “sick” is extra cool, I think this Infiniti coupe is perfectly preposterous. Make mine black. I’m way behind in my lurking. —Patrick Bedard
I’m starting to see 350Zs roaming the streets of L.A., and the design is not growing on me as I thought it would. Reason enough to buy an Infiniti G35 coupe instead. It’s a great-looking car with a just-about-perfect stance, and it flaunts elegant contours. So it’s 7 hp down on the Z-car; big deal, there’s enough power to have fun with, and the slightly longer wheelbase helps avoid the dreaded freeway hop with which the 350Z is amply endowed. And then there’s the back seat. At six foot five, I contend that only gnomes can sit back there, but the space is great for briefcases and jackets. The final point in the argument? Infiniti dealers. Case closed. —Barry Winfield

Specifications

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Some folks are writing off the diesel. The future, they say, lies in electric vehicles, with hybrids as the transitional technology. Diesel fuel is expensive, they continue, and there is the further popular conception that diesels are not “clean.” In reality, a diesel typically shaves 30 percent off fuel consumption, and diesel fuel savings are even more substantial at high speeds. New technologies make burning diesel as clean as—if not cleaner than—gasoline combustion.

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It is true that the European market for diesels is still huge, but for most companies and consumers, diesel is a means to achieve fuel efficiency, not fun. There is, however, one company where diesel enthusiasm still reigns: Audi. Allow us to offer as proof Audi’s twin-turbocharged V-12 TDI, packaged into the unabashedly large Q7 SUV. Think of it as Audi’s unconventional response to the Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S—the latter of which sits on the same platform as the Q7—as well as upcoming M versions of the BMW X5 and X6. In fact, the Q7 V-12 TDI was developed by Audi’s Quattro GmbH high-performance division, and Audi even considered officially dubbing it an RS model.
A diesel-powered Audi RS? The company decided against it so as not to limit this SUV’s appeal, but we wouldn’t have objected. The straight-line performance of the Q7 V-12 TDI is impressive. From 1750 through 3250 rpm (the redline is a low 4500 rpm, typical for a diesel), it delivers an earth-melting 738 pound-feet of torque. The long, flat ceiling of the torque curve suggests that more would easily have been possible, were it not for concerns about the transmission’s durability. Even so, this Q7 uses a strengthened six-speed ZF HP32—the biggest, strongest unit available on the market. Power for the diesel is rated at a flat 500 horsepower.

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A Quick, Angry-Sounding Beast
On the road, few cars can keep up. Audi says the 0-to-62-mph sprint takes 5.5 seconds, and—more impressive—112 mph is achieved in 15.7 seconds. These figures, which we haven’t verified with test equipment, seem absolutely credible. Power is instantly available. Push the throttle, and you get treated to an evil growl as the Q7 lurches forward. We were surprised at the elevated sound level. Audi wants it that way, though, and in fact, it’s almost completely designed into the exhaust system. The 6.0-liter V-12 works smoothly and quietly otherwise.

Tested: 2009 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI Diesel

At 155 mph, a governor kicks in. The theoretical top speed is 171 mph in standard configuration, and 176 mph would be possible with minor tweaks. But the cutoff is fine with us, since it is part of a voluntary agreement by the German auto industry that has thus far helped to keep the autobahn unfettered by an overall speed limit. After all, we prefer a real 155 mph to a theoretical 176.
This 6.0-liter V-12 is completely new, but it shares components with Audi’s family of V-6, V-8, and V-10 engines. Audi wants you to believe this engine is derived from that of the Le Mans–winning R10 TDI race car, but there are few commonalities besides the high-pressure common-rail injection system.
Less Hippo, More Tutu
Despite this SUV’s considerable heft—5700-plus pounds—it feels light and agile. The steering setup is more direct than in other Q7 models, and the adaptive air suspension can be dialed into a dynamic setting that pushes the capabilities beyond typical-SUV territory. In this setting, body roll is almost nonexistent. As for the Quattro all-wheel-drive system, the power distribution is flexible, but the standard setting is 40 percent front and 60 percent rear.

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Roadholding is further improved by the Q7’s huge rubber; 20-inch wheels are standard, 21-inchers are optional. Audi engineers have lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in as little as 8 minutes 50 seconds, a hugely impressive performance for a large, top-heavy SUV. Of course, this means off-roading is off-limits; with this SUV’s footwear, you’d probably need to get towed off wet grass.
Stopping power from the standard carbon-ceramic brakes is exceptional, and we were not able to produce any fade, despite a considerable amount of high-speed braking during autobahn stints. The carbon discs measure 16.5 inches in the front and 14.8 out back.
Audi Refinement Inside, Big Presence Outside
The interior shows Audi’s trademark attention to detail. Our test car was decidedly sporty, with carbon-fiber appliqués and a dark, cold color scheme. There is no loss of room for people or cargo over more pedestrian Q7s, meaning space is abundant.

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It’s fine to show off your choice of a V-12 diesel with a badge on the rear, but first you need more plebeian vehicles to move out of the way, and Audi has made sure the Q7 V-12 TDI does not stay unnoticed in rearview mirrors. Large air intakes and two strips of LED daytime running lights are unique to this version of the Q7. More subtle modifications to the rest of the exterior include vertical chrome strips in the front grille, RS-type aluminum mirror covers, wider fenders, and a restyled rear bumper with two large exhaust tips.
This SUV isn’t exactly politically correct, but you’ll smile every time you fill it up. Fuel consumption in the European cycle is rated at 21 mpg, a figure that is entirely realistic. On a particularly challenging stretch with repeated top-speed charges, we averaged about 13 mpg. Not great, but a figure that is hard to reach in any high-powered SUV with a gasoline engine, even if driven moderately.
Audi is considering further applications. There is a running prototype of an R8 equipped with this engine, and the next-generation A8 is another likely candidate. It could also fit into the Porsche Cayenne, but we vividly remember the pointed tongue lashings Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking has given diesel power in recent years. We suspect, too, that Audi wants to keep this technology for itself.
At the equivalent of about $185,000, this is the most expensive Audi currently offered, even slightly topping the long-wheelbase A8 W-12 that, admittedly, has less power. The U.S. won’t get the Q7 V-12 TDI for now (commence lower-lip trembling, American diesel fans), but Audi executives aren’t shutting the door entirely. Should we buy a lot of Q7s fitted with the 3.0-liter V-6 TDI, they might reconsider.
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The hierarchical nature of model positioning means it is easy to view the 2021 Mercedes-AMG E53 as less desirable than the AMG 63 S sitting above it in the E-class range. Yet, such a judgement is unfair. The considerable talents of AMG’s gently electrified six-cylinder give it a different character than the range-topping V-8 but one that’s almost as equally compelling. In those variants where both powerplants are offered, it is entirely justified to prefer the smaller engine on grounds other than sheer parsimony. With the stylish E-class cabriolet, however, the point is moot. The AMG E53 is where the convertible tops out.

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Some will bemoan AMG’s continued refusal to combine the sonorous muscularity of its twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 with the cabriolet body. But the electrically assisted 3.0-liter inline-six of the AMG E53 proves almost perfectly suited to the car’s laid-back driving manners. A mid-term facelift for 2021 hasn’t wrought any significant mechanical revisions—power and torque figures remain unchanged—but it has brought more toys and revised styling to the range-topping cabriolet.

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Mercedes-AMG

As with the E-class sedan and wagon, the cabriolet and closely related coupe get a heavily revised front end with new headlights and a radiator grille apparently inspired by the W194 300SL racer that won the Carrera Panamericana in 1952. Narrowed at the top and wider at the bottom, this is effectively an inverse of the pre-facelift grille and one that we think better suits the car. Changes at the rear end have been more limited, the E-class cabriolet (and its coupe counterpart) getting taillights with new internal elements. As before, the AMG E53 gets quad exhaust pipes beneath the rear bumper. The lesser E450 makes do with slightly squashed-looking dual exhaust tips.
More obvious changes are evident in the cabin, which remains spacious and extremely well-finished but which has migrated to the latest version of Mercedes’s MBUX infotainment system. This is certainly crisper looking than the old setup and adds high-tech features like augmented-reality navigation, which superimposes direction-pointing arrows onto a live video feed when approaching intersections, but we found the system lacking in intuitive smarts and sometimes complicated to operate. Mercedes also gave the E53 a new four-spoke steering wheel to provide real estate for a proliferation of touch-sensitive controls, many of which replicate functions still served by surviving pre-facelift buttons. Buyers will doubtless get used to the complexity—or shortcut it with the smart “Hey, Mercedes” voice assistant—but we are increasingly nostalgic for the recent past when Benz’s user interface was both simple and intuitive.

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Mercedes-AMG

Beyond mild ergonomic niggles, the rest of the driving experience impresses all the way. The E53 powertrain continues to use a very clever 3.0-liter inline-six that has both a conventional exhaust-driven turbocharger and an electrically powered 48-volt compressor that adds boost at lower engine revs. The six is paired with a substantial integrated starter-generator that, although it can’t power the car by itself, is able to add up to 21 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque to the combustion engine’s output of 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet. (The lesser E450 uses the same engine and starter-generator but lacks the e-turbo.)
The powertrain’s complexity remains effectively invisible. All the E53 driver will experience is the combination of effortless low-rev muscle—with a total absence of detectable lag—and an impressively bristly top end. No, the six-cylinder can’t match either the firepower or theatrics of the E63 S, but it is still able to deliver forceful acceleration when unleashed. The last E53 coupe that we tested blasted its way from zero to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, and we expect about the same for the slightly heavier cabriolet. Only at high speeds does the E53 start to feel anything less than blisteringly quick. On a stretch of limit-free German autobahn on our test route, the rate of acceleration fell away above an indicated 125 mph, a speed at which the E63 S sedan kept pulling at a barely diminished rate. While obviously lacking a V-8 soundtrack, the E53 makes some impressively muscular noises under hard use, with the Sport and Sport Plus modes allowing for some pops and crackles on upshifts and when the accelerator is lifted at higher revs.

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Mercedes-AMG

The punchier dynamic modes sharpen the rest of the E53 driving experience, too, although not one turns it into a true sports car. Air springs and adaptive dampers are firmed up in the more aggressive settings but not sufficiently to corrupt the cabriolet’s ride. Nor does the body control feel wayward in Comfort mode, the cabrio’s 4600-pound mass kept in check over the roughest surfaces we could find. The weight is more obvious when asking the car to change direction quickly, and with the cabriolet’s roof stowed we did notice slight evidence of the car’s weakened structure, the rearview mirror vibrating slightly over certain road surfaces. The cabriolet’s steering delivers crisp cornering response, although little natural feel passes beyond the generous power assistance. Traction from the quick-acting 4Matic all-wheel-drive system is impeccable on dry pavement. It takes an unsympathetic level of abuse to persuade the E53 to relinquish any rear-end grip.

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Mercedes-AMG

The E53’s hybrid powerplant remains almost perfectly suited to the cabriolet’s dynamic demeanor—rapid but relaxed, adding character without dominating the experience. Even cruising at speed with the roof folded, the E-class cabrio’s cabin is impressively free of drafts or buffeting. The Airscarf system directs hot air to the top of the seats, making it possible to enjoy top-down driving in conditions that would be too chilly for most convertibles. The nine-speed automatic gearbox is also smoother at lower speeds than on V-8-powered models, where AMG replaces the torque converter with a wet-clutch pack.
Luxurious cabriolets have been part of Mercedes’s offerings in the United States for as long as the brand has been selling cars here, but that might not be the case for much longer. We know that the future of all the brand’s cabrios (and conventional coupes) are under review in the face of sliding sales. Losing a car like this would be a huge shame. The E53 continues to feel like a high point for both its brand and its wider genre.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Mercedes-AMG E53 Cabriolet
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door convertible
BASE PRICE $83,900
POWERTRAIN turbocharged, supercharged, and intercooled DOHC 3.0-liter inline-6, 429 hp, 384 lb-ft + AC motor, 21 hp 184 lb-ft; combined output, 429 hp, 384 lb-ft; 0.9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack
TRANSMISSION 9-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 113.1 inLength: 190.6 inWidth: 73.1 inHeight: 56.2 inPassenger volume: 90 ft3Trunk volume: 10 ft3Curb weight (C/D est): 4600 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 4.1 sec100 mph: 10.2 sec1/4 mile: 12.6 secTop speed: 130 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST) Combined/city/highway: 23/20/26 mpg

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The V-8-powered sports sedan is rapidly becoming an endangered species, making the arrival of the revised Mercedes-AMG E63 S a timely reminder that there won’t be too many more examples of what is one of our favorite automotive genres. AMG has already admitted that its next-gen hybridized powertrain will be based on a four-cylinder engine, and even if that boasts an output to match (or surpass) the 603-hp twin-turbo V-8 in the E63 S, we can’t imagine it will get close on character.

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But before we call the mortuary, the E63 S remains a spectacularly talented all-rounder, with none of the E-class’s midlife revisions having altered its ability to deliver huge, effortless speed. And it was happy to prove this in spectacular style in its most natural European environment—the passing lane of a German autobahn. As traffic cleared on the A13 near Dresden and the dawdlers happy to cruise at a mere 90 mph or so headed right, the AMG proved its ability to deliver seat-squashing g-forces and a heady V-8 soundtrack with a total lack of untoward drama. It felt as though acceleration barely diminished as the speedometer needle swept past 120 mph, where most fast cars begin to really struggle with the wind, and continues to pull strongly even beyond 155 mph, where lesser AMGs suffer the intervention of their electronic governor. We couldn’t find a quiet enough stretch to confirm a top speed for the E63 S, but AMG says its more permissive limiter won’t call time until 186 mph.

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Mercedes-AMG

While such antics are fun, they only represent a small part of the E63 S’s appeal. This remains a performance sedan as good at everyday speeds as it is at stratospheric velocities, handling the real world with very nearly the same level of refinement as its less powerful siblings, thanks to the transformative effect of its switchable dynamic modes. Comfort mode turns the E63 S into a limousine, with supple air springs and adaptive dampers doing an outstanding job of digesting road imperfections and the nine-speed automatic shifting early to make the most of every last drop of premium gasoline. The peak 627 pound-feet of torque is available between 2500 rpm and 4500 rpm. The gentlest mode is almost too civilized for something so potent, with AMG’s engineers admitting they slightly softened the facelifted car’s suspension in response to customer feedback.
If we were most buyers, we’d treat the firmer Sport mode as the everyday default, as it puts some pep into the E63 S’s responses and some rasp into its exhaust note without adding undue harshness. Beyond that lies Sport Plus, which puts a noticeable edge on the damping, and the full-on Race mode, which turns the AMG into a snarling monster. Adaptive dampers, the switchable exhaust, and ESP modes can all be controlled separately, and there is still a Custom mode for the hard to please.

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Mercedes-AMG

While the standard nine-speed shifts both cleanly and quickly, its continued use of a multiplate clutch pack instead of a torque converter—to help sharpen responses and enable high-rpm launches—does have a small impact on low-speed refinement, with the sense that engine and wheels are sometimes being connected with too much suddenness.
The E63 S controls its mass exceptionally well, feeling agile and wieldy for something its size and weight. Its curb weight is around 4600 pounds, but the accurate steering has good feel and delivers both arrow-straight high-speed stability and decisive cornering responses. Selecting the more aggressive dynamic modes brings a rearward bias to the torque distribution of the E63 S’s standard all-wheel-drive system, but it takes the (likely rare) selection of the car’s Drift mode to turn it into a tire-smoking rear-driven hooligan. While we obviously needed to sample this function in the interests of scientific discovery, we suspect that few buyers will use it often. “Aerodynamically optimized” 10-spoke, 20-inch wheels are standard, and the car we sampled also came with the optional carbon-ceramic brakes, an upgrade that provided predictably indefatigable stopping power.

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Mercedes-AMG

The world might be losing interest in sedans, but—as with the lesser members of its clan—the E63 S has been given a facelift more substantive than the sort of gentle tinkering normally reserved for a midlife sharpening. A new front end features a vertically slatted radiator grille inspired by that of the original 300SL, with the oversize Mercedes star in the center now housing some of the sensors required for the lane-and-distance-keeping Drive Pilot smart cruise control.
As before, the cabin remains spacious, smart, and extremely well equipped, proving that leather and carbon fiber can play nice together. But as with its regular sisters, moving the E63 S onto the latest MBUX infotainment system has created additional complication and a fair amount of ergonomic confusion. Changing horses midstream (as it were) has required the E-class to effectively accommodate two different interface systems. So, the new car keeps the pre-facelift model’s rotary dynamic mode selector on the center console, as well as exhaust, gearbox, damper, and stability switches. These functions, however, are all replicated by the two new rotary controllers (with neat integrated screens) mounted to the steering wheel.

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Mercedes-AMG

The wheel itself features double spokes on each side, these seemingly required just to allow sufficient space for all the controls it now carries. Despite all of this—and the presence of a voice assistant summoned by saying, “Hey, Mercedes”—some common functions remain hidden within the myriad of submenus. This is a car that makes it considerably easier to change damper settings than to select a new radio station.
We’re promised that the revised E63 S will be with United States dealers by the end of the year, with a $108,550 base price putting it between the regular BMW M5 and the M5 Competition. The AMG might not have quite the level of focus of its most obvious competitor, but it sounds superior and—thanks to its personality-changing dynamic modes—has a broader spread of talents. Cars such as these won’t be available for much longer. We will miss them when they’re gone.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Mercedes-AMG E63 S
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, rear/all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
BASE PRICE $108,550
ENGINE TYPE twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement 243 in3, 3982 cm3Power 603 hp @ 6500 rpmTorque 627 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
TRANSMISSION 9-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 115.7 inLength: 196.4 inWidth: 73.7 inHeight: 56.6 inPassenger volume: 98 ft3Trunk volume: 13 ft3Curb weight (C/D est): 4600 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 3.0 sec100 mph: 7.0 sec1/4 mile: 11.1 secTop speed: 186 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST) Combined/city/highway: 18/15/21 mpg

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Oxnard, California, is an overlooked American automotive nerve center. The city surrounds Port Hueneme, where massive car-carrying ships disgorge vehicles for at least 18 manufacturers. It’s also the port from which Tesla vehicles leave for export to Asia. That’s led some of the carmakers to establish engineering and design facilities in the area. BMW has one there. And now, so does Volkswagen of America—a five-acre campus on Del Norte Boulevard, across from a Shell station with an integrated Subway sandwich shop.
So, while VW was dazzling the world’s assembled press in September with the all-electric ID.4 small crossover, it simultaneously invited a select group of marginalized journalists to Oxnard to tour the company’s facility, sample the company’s upcoming 2022 Taos—a conventionally powered compact crossover—and do a deep dive into its new 1.5-liter turbocharged, four-cylinder engine.

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Nearly a foot shorter, the Taos is more compact than the Tiguan, sized to compete in the red-hot twerp-ute market, a burgeoning segment that includes the trendy Nissan Kicks, stalwart Honda HR-V, sweet Mazda CX-3, and lackluster Ford EcoSport. It’s an important genre, not only because of its insane sales growth, but because cheap crossovers are often the entry point for young customers buying into a brand for the first time. And that’s that for the business school marketing lesson.
The pre-pre-production prototypes on hand were lightly camouflaged to avoid startling observers psychologically unprepared to contend with the profound visual impact of a small SUV that looks like a dehydrated Tiguan. On the outside they were wrapped in white vinyl, with subtle graphic elements taped to the headlights and covering the logos. On the inside, a fuzzy dash pad covered most everything but the tachometer and speedometer. That included the air vents, and it was a pretty hot day.
The drive itself would consist of a 30-or-so-mile lap through Oxnard and neighboring Camarillo and back to VW’s campus. And during this tour of verdant, culturally diverse Ventura County, we would be shadowed by a VW representative so that if something went wrong or we tried to keep the prototype for ourselves, they could do … something. Maybe our proctor had a roll of duct tape with him. Or a shotgun. We obeyed the rules.

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Volkswagen

The featured attraction here was truly the new 1.5-liter turbo engine. It’s destined to replace the 1.4-liter turbo four that’s currently the standard powerplant in the United States-market Jetta and Golf. The 1.5-liter has a slight increase in piston bore diameter to reach its new displacement, but the big change is the use of some technology from the EA888 turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four found in the Tiguan. The new engine will be capable of operating on Volkswagen’s modified Miller-cycle combustion under light load conditions, which they’ve named the Budak cycle after its developer. When operating on Budak, the intake valve closes earlier that it would during normal operation, thus reducing the amount of fuel and oxygen drawn in and returning more efficiency. The 1.5-liter will also use a variable vane turbocharger to reduce increase its responsiveness.
VW rates the new engine at 158 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, which will be the sole engine in the Taos. That vaults right over competitors like the 141-hp Nissan Rogue Sport, 147-hp 2.0-liter Kia Soul, and 148-hp Mazda CX-3. And the VW will push that advantage by backing the engine with an eight-speed conventional automatic transmission in front-drive versions of the Taos. All-wheel-drive versions will get the familiar seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The new 1.5-liter will be built at VW’s engine plant in Silao, Mexico, which opened in 2013. And the Taos, designed for the North American market, will also be built in Mexico.
The route chosen for us by VW was flat and not curvy. There was a short blast southward on Highway 101, but no roads were challenging. There were several opportunities along the way, however, to stop and buy strawberries freshly picked from the coastal plain’s fields.

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As an evaluation of the Taos, this was just a bit of early exposure, severely limited in its usefulness. But the engine does seem to make excellent low-end grunt, the transmission didn’t do anything untoward, and the suspension didn’t collapse riding along smooth pavement. The details that matter were covered up inside, so there’s no way to positively say how well the interior is laid out. Naturally, a big-ass touchscreen is likely destined for the dashboard’s center because everything now has a big-ass touchscreen.
The front wheel-drive Taos will make its official debut this month and is scheduled to hit dealerships around the middle of next year. And since it’s destined to compete in one of the most price-conscious segments of the market, there’s no reason to expect it to cost any more or much less than other cute-overs. So, figure it’ll start at around $20,000 at the bottom and knock on $30K at the top of the range.
Back at the facility, there were Volkswagen products from around the world on hand for all sorts of testing. There were even a couple of prototype ID.4s, with technicians carefully peeling away their camouflage after that day’s public debut of the car. There’s something going on here.

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That something is an inflection point, one where manufacturers are still developing vehicles powered by internal combustion engines while simultaneously prepping for the electrified future consumers will either want or will have forced upon them. Volkswagen was caught with its pants down in the diesel scandal and can’t afford to screw up in the immediate future. So, right now it’s wearing multiple pairs of pants. Jeans and chinos. Dockers and slacks. Snow pants and baggy shorts.
As the day was dying off, the assembled litter of journalists were led to a conference room set up with appropriate social distancing. There we enjoyed the comedy stylings of Johan de Nysschen, the still new senior executive of Volkswagen Group North America, who is this generation’s Bob Lutz tinged with a hint of John Force. He likely said something profound and hilarious, but I really just wanted to write “comedy stylings.”
It turns out that VW doesn’t use Port Hueneme as a port of entry for its vehicles. So, why the company decided to plop down its latest facility in Oxnard is a mystery. Maybe it’s because Oxnard is where the action is. Or maybe they just wanted to build somewhere with easy access to a Subway.
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