2012 Mercedes Benz E63 AMG Revealed
With all of the talk lately about the newest BMW M5 F10 model coming out late this year there has been little attention given to the fact that Mercedes Benz is also launching a new E63 AMG model into production. Like the F10 model, the E63 will squeeze out all 518 horses through a downsized, twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8. That’s a significant step downward (in terms of engine size) from the 6.2-liter V8 that used to produce 518 horsepower and 465 ft-lb of torque, which is certainly an improvement in power efficiency considering an increase in torque for the new 5.5 liter V8 while no loss in horsepower.
It appears that with the latest CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards that most performance auto makers are stepping away from naturally aspirated 8, 10 and 12 cylinder engines and most manufactures that are sticking with 8 cylinder engines are now looking to turbochargers for added performance. The new BMW M5 F10 features a much smaller 4.4-liter twin turbo V8 that pumps out 560 horsepower and 502 ft-lb of torque, getting the sleek sedan from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds. The E63 AMG will also reach 60 mph in 4.4 seconds which is all fun and dandy until you whip out the AMG’s Performance Pack.
You see, unlike the new M5, AMG is offering a “Performance Pack” that will boost (no pun intended) output to 550 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque; a significant torque advantage over the new M5, especially considering that the Performance Pack will push the E63 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, about half a second faster than the M5.
Of course, you can still expect to have a luxurious interior, with 14-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound, 14-way power adjustable seats, or a HD 7-inch screen but what’s the point if you buy an AMG? The only thing you’ll probably notice is the seat squeezing your butt cheeks as you propel past the F10 M5 on the highway waving friendly gestures to indicate that there is absolutely no rivalry between the two performance manufacturers.
But will you be able to afford the fly-by? The new M5 will have an estimated MSRP of $93,000, while the E63 is estimated to go for approximately $87,000 which seems reasonably close but there is no point in getting the E63 AMG unless you upgrade the power with the Performance Pack which will cost you a Kia Rio on top of the MSRP, or an additional $12,900.
The E63 is no doubt going to be a fantastic sports sedan that will certainly please the car enthusiast that wants to be both practical and fast at the same time. The styling improvements and engine enhancements will certainly make the E63 one of the best looking and fastest sedans on the market in 2012 but BMW is also a force to be reckoned with. I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty of competitive rivalries continue to grow on as the two German manufacturers continue to make some of the best cars in the world.
Mercedes Benz ML 270 CDI – The First Diesel Variant of the M-Class
In the general overview Mercedes-Benz, M-Class is a SUV with light off-road capability and of quality of the brand. The M-Class was first offered in 1997 as a 1998 model. In a gradual manner, the M-Class became a sales success in Ireland auto market. That class has some improved features such stability control – a system to detect the selective braking for more comfort driving. The M-Class has also one of the best front and side impact airbags combined with Mercedes’ legendary safety structure which has earned the highest marks in insurance industry crash tests. Several years ago Mercedes-Benz launched its M-Class off-roader ML 270 CDI.
Like all Mercedes, the ML-270 CDI is great to drive on-road. Downhill off-road it and you will see you still have decent control. It’s maximum power is 120 kW / 163bhp at 4200rpm, and it can go 0-100km/h (0-62 mph) in 11,47 seconds and has a top speed of 181 km/h (112 mph). Also there are a number of facilities inside the car, including first aid kit within the back door and handy stowage bins up front. I has got 7 seats and the style of station wagon with 5-doors, therefore it is ideal to take even 7 adults at the same time.
Mercedes losts refinement from the jarring of its firmly sprung, road-biased suspension when pressed over unforgiving stony surfaces. With permanent four-wheel drive, dual range gearing and traction control the spacious Mercedes ML 270 performs well off-road, but ultimately its progress in the rough is limited by poor articulation and mediocre ground clearance, features that enhance its behaviour on road where it proves impressively stable and easy to drive. The best feature is the refined turbo diesel engine, a state of the art five cylinder 2685 cc diesel engine unit fuelled by high pressure common rail for excellent efficiency translating into remarkable fuel economy for such a big car.
If your choice has to be turbo diesel, you might want to consider the common rail-powered Mercedes which provide adequately comfortable accommodation for five with good refinement storage features and smooth engine. Also it is perfect one of its class for times of crisis, with fuel economy so far at 25mpg across a mix of driving conditions. A petrol version returns less than 20mpg and also the insurance and maintenance are cheap.
Compared to the rest of ML class (98-05 models) the Mercedes ML 270 can be the best choice for economy, luxury and to run off-road and in the city.
Turbo Car Vs Non-Turbo Car
Turbo performance and technology has evolved over time making the problems of unreliable, poor drivability and turbo lag a thing of the past. Properly changing your car with good parts selection and engine system would lead to a high performance street car or track car. It is not always recommended that just about anyone or everyone changes his or her car. There are some cars that are not meant to be converted into a turbo car and would perform better as a non-turbo car. Some cars that do not make good conversion projects are non-turbo cars but have a turbo version readily available from their manufacturer. Prime examples are Nissan 300ZX, Mitsubishi 3000 GT and the Eclipse. These cars are better off staying non-turbo and if you want these converted to a turbo version, its much simpler to purchase the readily available turbo version rather than trying to convert a non-turbo model into a turbo model.
With that aside, there are a lot of things to remember and to work on when converting a non-turbo car to a turbo car. Let us take this part-by-part. First off of course is the engine. The engine would take a lot of heat and pressure once turbocharged, so it is best to make sure to adjust the compression level that is manageable by the engine otherwise engine wear will increase significantly. Depending on where the car would be used you should determine if you need to replace something in your block. If it were for standard road use the boost would be just fine. However, if it is for track use then that would be different and you would want to install a steel shim gasket. When it comes to fuel management, it is important that the car is fuel injected already before turbo charging it. Then, forged pistons are ideal for a turbocharged car, which could be very expensive. The alternative to this is to use a factory turbo charged equivalent piston if there is an available one.
A turbo charged car is certainly a good project to undertake and it would surely deliver. The turbo performance of a turbo performance car is greater than a non-turbo charged car but there are some things to consider first before undertaking such a task. First if your car is a good conversion project, then the cost of turbo charging is very high. Parts and labour do not come cheap especially in this kind of project. Then there is the problem of having all the parts readily available or affordable to properly convert the car; remember that not all engines and cars have the same conversion process. Depending on the type of car you may need to have certain parts custom made.