Some mid-life facelifts involve a globule of collagen here or a hypo jab of Botox there, but Mercedes-Benz isn't content with that sort of superficial re-surfacing. The company's surgically exact approach to refreshing its cars, even those with only a few years left in their production lives, entails much more effort than a simple nip and tuck.
A prime example of Mercedes' more-than-skin-deep methodology is the 2007 E-Class lineup, which is recipient of 2,000 new or heavily revised components, including completely new and transplanted engines, a range of enhancements to increase safety and sharpen the dynamics and, yes, a few cosmetic alterations to put a new face on the makeover.
Worldwide, the 2007 E-Class range is made up of 16 sedans and 13 station wagons, and though just eight of those models are coming to America, they're rich with innovation, from the ultra-clean-burning E320 Bluetec diesel sedan (replacing the E320 CDI in the fall) to the horizon-gobbling, 507-bhp E63 AMG sedan and station wagon. They're joined in the showroom by the E350 sedan and wagon, powered by the 268-bhp V6 that debuted in last year's E-Class, and the E550 sedan, which gets the 382-bhp V8 that was first offered in the new S-Class. Mercedes' 4Matic all-wheel-drive is available on the E350s and the E550, but the big dawg E63 uses only its hind legs to put the power down.
Except for the 4Matic models, which continue to use a five-speed automatic, every U.S.-bound E-Class is fitted with Mercedes' new seven-speed automatic transmission, which offers gear selection from the TouchShift lever in the center console. Befitting its role as the sportiest of the Es, the E63 AMG gearbox's SpeedShift programming is accessed through either the shift lever or by metal paddles mounted on the backside of the steering wheel. Both transmissions have three individual shift programs: comfort, sport and full manual.
We first drove the 382-bhp E550 on the autobahn south of Munich and over winding alpine roads, and it was nothing less than a seamlessly gratifying experience. With 391 lb-ft of peak torque delivered from 2800 to 4800 rpm, the 5.5-liter V8 yanked us around with a sustained ease that was almost preternaturally smooth and quiet. The car was especially impressive on a narrow road that snaked along a glacier-carved valley, where we threw the almost 4,000-pound car around as if it were Mercedes' newest sports car. Whereas the E500 was a little slow to react to quick transitions, the E550 dived through the corners with a sharp accuracy and meticulous response to steering inputs. Standard running gear is 8x17-inch alloys all around, but the Sport model we were driving was blessed by 9x18s at the rear. The standard Airmatic suspension was a willing partner in our shenanigans, keeping body roll to minimum, even when we ran in the comfort setting, the mildest of its three shock-tuning modes. In full sport, it tightened up the suspension response but didn't detract from the system's overall excellent damping of road irregularities. The brakes, which measure 13 inches up front and 11.8 inches in back, also were up to the task, surviving multiple heavy stabs of the pedal without any noticeable fade.
While the E550 exhibits more than sufficient power and the fast-paced skills of the sportiest passenger sedan, the E63 AMG is another beast entirely, capable of smoking most purebred sports cars. Powered by the first engine totally designed and built within AMG, the E63 can jet from zero to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and reach its electronically limited top speed of 155 mph almost as fast as the driver can blurt out, "Oh, my God!" And it erases any doubt that this successor to the mighty E55's supercharged V8 would be anything but stronger and better. The new V8, despite its greater displacement, is lighter and cleaner than the outgoing engine, and though it doesn't have quite the torque of the blown 5.5L, there's plenty enough to burn rubber through the first three gears when the traction control system is turned completely off (not recommended for any but the most skillful drivers).
A number of upgrades accompany the 507 bhp and 465 lb-ft of torque, including larger wheels and tires, heftier brakes, AMG tuning for the Airmatic suspension and Speedshift transmission, re-contoured body components, titanium gray five-spoke wheels and, on the inside, specific sport seats, upholstery and steering wheel.
Appropriate to such a rear-drive monster, the running gear is staggered to provide more grip where it's most needed. The fronts are 8.5 x18s and carry 245/40 Z-rated radials; at the rear are 9 x18s with 265/35 meats. The brakes also are monstrous, with front 14.2-inch vented and perforated composite rotors clamped by six-piston fixed calipers and rear 13-inch vented and perforated rotors with four-piston fixed calipers.
A stretch of unlimited autobahn deep in the heart of Bavaria's beer country gave us the chance to blast up through the power curve, but heavy traffic kept top-speed bursts to just a few seconds before the huge brakes were brought into play. Stability was excellent, even with a stiff crosswind, due to the AMG-specific deep front apron, side skirts, low rear apron and trunklid spoiler (which reduces rear axle lift by 30 percent). Just as rewarding was the bass bellow of the exhaust, the sort of clamor that comes only from a large-displacement V8 at full gallop, resounding like a predator in heat. We resorted to dipping deeply into the throttle time and again just to revel in the glorious noise.
On twisting rural roads through the hops fields north of Munich, the E63 loafed along like the most gentle of luxury limos. Because of the big engine's exceptional torque, the need to shift is almost superfluous, but we were inclined to use the well-placed paddles to access the heart of the powerband. When driven briskly on tight roads, the car's bulk comes into some play, but the suspension controls weight transfer so well that only the most blockheaded of drivers might overcook the car into the corners and find themselves in the weeds. The steering is improved over previous models, which aids turn-in response, but the car reaches the next bend so quickly that good reflexes become an integral part of your safety systems.
The E-Class has long been vital to Mercedes' fortunes. The current model has accounted for over a million sales during its four year of existence, and last year fully one-fifth of all Mercedes passenger cars sold were E-Class sedans and wagons. With a model range that offers a car for nearly everyone (with the means, of course), the E-Class remains one of the smart buys in the business. Prices for the 2007 models hadn't been announced as we went to press, but Mercedes tells us that MSRPs should remain about the same as the 2006 cars. This puts the E550 sedan at around $60,000, the wagon at $63,000, and the AMGs somewhere near $82,000 for the sedan and and $84,000 for the wagon.