Unlikely beige beast packs a 507-horsepower AMG V8 and all-wheel drive.
Minivans are spacious vehicles. They can carry an entire family to a vacation destination or an entire week’s worth of groceries home from the store. They also carry a reputation of being bland and boring transportation. Over the years, manufacturers of minivans have become aware of that and have tried to spice their offerings up with sporty body kits, large wheels, and hip commercials. Mercedes-Benz took a more direct route with the R-Class. They made an AMG version of it.
The R63 AMG, like the one here from Bring a Trailer had the same basic unusual and awkward design of its more sedate siblings, but featured unique styling elements, such as a more aggressive front fascia, different wheels, and quad pipes. The most noteworthy difference was under the hood. Engineers shoehorned a massive handbuilt 6.2-liter AMG V8 in between the front wheels. Output was a Sienna-slaughtering 507 horsepower and Odyssey-obliterating 465 lb-ft of torque, which was routed through a seven-speed automatic and all four wheels. Sixty mph showed up on the speedo in less than five seconds. With specs like those, the R63 AMG wasn’t a “swagger wagon.” It was military ordinance disguised as an airport shuttle.
It’s been owned by the same family since it was new in 2007. In the years since then, it’s only racked up 38,000 miles. During the warranty period, a Mercedes dealership performed all maintenance; after that, an ASE-certified mechanic took care of it. According to Bring a Trailer, “Maintenance in 2018 included replacement of both batteries and a fluid flush of the transmission.” A glance at the Carfax report shows that this R63 has a clean title history.
The paint is original and has never been touched-up, so there are a few visible stone chips. Just like the outside, the interior is a safe, nondescript shade of beige. The middle row features OEM seat heaters. The third-row seats have spent most of their lives folded down, which caused some temporary dimpling.
The R63 may be the oddest AMG ever made, but it’s still an AMG, so this one will probably be snapped up by someone who needs to haul a lot of people…and wants to haul ass at the same time.
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.
