Dunno, maybe I’m jus going soft in the head, too many exhaust fumes or something, but the idea of AMG dumping the majority of its parts catalogue into a wagon strikes me as a great, if somewhat insane, idea. Wagons are so utilitarian and boring. Wagons are the reason why the minivan exists and why SUV sales went through the roof. If you were being logical, and you needed a ride to haul the kids and the dogs and the groceries, you’d have a wagon. But logic can leave rather quickly when it comes to buying cars. Why do you think people buy SUVs? Are there that many people who live at the end of logging roads? No, there are not.
And speaking of a complete lack of logic, check out the upcoming Mercedes-Benz E-Class, E63 AMG Wagon.
Yu know that guy from high school? He wanted to be all cool and hang out with the hot rod set, but he didn’t have the money himself, nor would his parents get him a car even approaching cool … the guy that was forced by circumstances to take the family’s Ford Country Squire station wagon and try to make that into a cool car. Sure, he added the Cragars and the glass packs, but no matter what he did, or even how fast he could make that thing go, he was still constantly hassled for driving “a wagon”. I sincerely hope that guy is rich and successful, because his vehicular vindication is rolling out of a Mercedes factory right about now.
The E63 AMG model features a normally aspirated, 500-plus-horsepower 6.3-liter V8. That will be 99% of selling point right there, but of course it will have all of the other AMG goodies: Wheels, tires, beefed up and recalibrated suspension. The E63 AMG will be a fast, very fast, way to get you and your family and possessions from point “A” to point “B”.
It will also be a very good way to seriously embarrass some members of the fast and furious crowd. Getting dusted by a wagon … they’ll never live it down.
Sadly, the AMG wagon will be Euro only. Americans will only be able to get the E350 4Matic version. Not that this is some sort of hideous car to drive, even as a wagon. Our version of the E350 4Matic, 4Matic being Mercedes all-wheel-drive tag, is motivated by a 3.5-liter V6 engine. The E350 will arrive in Merc dealerships in around a year as a 2011 model. It will come standard in Mercedes\’ Sport trim level with a self-leveling rear suspension, which is handy when you start stuffing it with kids & dogs.
As with the sedan version, the wagon, or estate as they Euros call them is slathered with all sorts of techno goodies aimed at keeping the driver alive. There’s lane-departure warnings, an eye-movement monitor, traffic-sign identification, road-condition sensors and stability control that accounts for crosswinds, camber changes and tire wear.
And you know, I got to say, although you might be tempted by an SUV or a minivan, this wagon does come with a three-pointed star.
Source: LeftLaneNews
