Enough is enough, someone said. That someone:
a) Was not a car person.
b) Was not wealthy.
See, when you combine gasoline in your veins with multiple zeroes in your bank balance, a funny thing happens. There's no such thing as enough.
Last July, I reviewed the 2021 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 53 S Coupe. 450 horsepower, 568 pounds per foot of torque. Zero to 60 in 5.2 seconds. Base price $76,500, as tested $92,735.
So what would happen if you took that same basic vehicle, a GLE S Coupe, and changed engines? Went bigger---more powerful?
Well, this. It's the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S. And that bump of ten from 53 to 63 signifies a whole lot.
Out with the turbocharged EQ Boost V6 and in with a twin-turbo EQ Boost 4.0-liter V8, for starters. Handcrafted.
603 horsepower (up 153 from the GLE 53).
627 pounds per foot of torque (up 59 from the GLE 53).
The transmission is an AMG SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9-speed. EPA fuel economy estimate is 15 city/19 highway.
Zero to 60?
3.4 seconds.
Three.
Point.
Four.
As in onethousandoneonethousandtwoonethousandthreeonethou
And here's an uncommon figure in SUV reviews: It'll do the quarter-mile in 11.9 seconds at 117 miles per hour. At which point, it's just waking up. It'll hit 174 if you ask, and it only stops there because it's electronically limited.
Driving it, you'll be convinced you could create sonic booms. This is a 5,500-pound SUV that takes off like a fighter jet.
Inside, it's a Benz GLE---taken to its absolute epitome of luxury and appointments. So, it's a fighter jet and a private jet blended together.
The base price of the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe is $116,000. The window sticker is at the end of this review so you can see for yourself, but among the standard equipment highlights at that price are AMG active ride control suspension, AMG Performance 4MATIC all wheel drive, AMG dynamic engine mounts, a 12.3-inch widescreen instrument panel and a second 12.3-inch widescreen infotainment and nav system screen, black Nappa leather interior and red seat belts.
Our test vehicle did have extra-cost options. The metal weave trim was $4,400. The 22-inch AMG matte black cross-spoke forged wheels were $2,000. Augmented video added $350. Multicontour front seats with massage feature was $1,100. Rapid heat seating functionality was $450. The Driver Assistance Plus package added $1,950, the Night Package was $750 and the Acoustic Comfort Package was $1,100 (see the window sticker below for package details).
With $1,050 destination and delivery charge, the as-tested price of the 2021 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe is $125,190.
In absolute terms, that's a lot of money. But for the level of performance, refinement and quality, it'd be hard to match.
