Fast sedans wearing the letters AMG are nothing new, but this 10-Second E63 is just redonkulous. Yes, that’s a technical term.
Alpha Performance recently took its 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG 4MATIC development vehicle to the Great Lakes Dragaway. Two blasts down the strip would tell it a great deal about the potency of its Alpha 7 upgrade package.
The tuner stated, “Our AMG was equipped with only our Alpha Tune and prototype Alpha Downpipes and Cat-Back Exhaust. The full Alpha 7 Bi-Turbo upgrade will include an Alpha Boost Cooler Kit in the future, but we were eager to see the results of just a tune and exhaust.” All four 20-inch Vorsteiner wheels and Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires spun their ways to a 10.85-second quarter-mile at 129.31 mph in the first run. In the second pass, the boosted Benz nailed down a 10.879 at 129.21.
I think it’s safe to say the Alpha 7 bundle was effective. You can see for yourself in the video below.
When it returns to the lanes with its M157 Alpha Boost Cooler Kit and Carbon Fiber Intake System installed on the E63, Alpha Performance hopes to get into the mid to low 10-second range and the 130+ mph stratosphere.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
