Amg63-

Really curious to know how this new 9 speed MCT is performing. Can you comment a bit more in depth in how the transmission felt?

how did the 9 speed MCT of the e43 amg feel compared to the 7 speed MCT in your 2014 e63 amg?

Quadrobenz

I will try. I rode in the passenger seat while my wife drove around in C mode. She drives reasonably aggressive. The transmission was busy but smooth. I drove it hard in S and S+. Upshifts were firm and quick but other than a lot more of them about the same as the E63. Downshifts in the upper gears were smooth. Slow speed downshifts approaching a stop were not smooth. It also still has that annoying hesitation to downshift and go in a rolling stop. From a complete stop it is fine. The difference could be due to the lower torque and lower rotating inertia of the 6 vs the V8. It would take a lot more driving to sort out the differences. Our passengers will have no doubt they are in a high performance car if the transmission is not in C.
This transmission is not even close to the non MCT 7 speed in the S65 if you are looking for relatively quick and smooth shifts.

Quadrobenz

An additional observation. I spent half of the drive time fooling around with all the data display options under the AMG tab for the instrument cluster. I was surprised how many more pages of display data this has compared to my S65. Watching the instantaneous cornering G's, HP and Torque was amusing. My opinion is the E43 is a great car for the price. I am guessing the E63 will be over $40 K more.

Amg63-

Thanks for the review, very interesting to hear.

My biggest pet peeve about the 2014 E63S is that initial lag it has when flooring it from a complete stop (as a result of the TCU torque limits that are in place), i was wondering if the new MCT 9 speed also has that initial lag or does it launch hard similar to an audi quattro?

Quadrobenz

I want to be careful not to mislead anyone with conclusions based on a short test drive. Especially since I was more focused on other items about the car than the engine/transmission. I was not buying an E43. I will say this, the E43 is a really good car. The 9 speed works well with the engine. In S+ the programming mission is to get the engine above 4K RPM and keep it there.I did not do a full throttle launch during the test. The starts I did from a stop were firm, no delays. I doubt the peak torque of the 6 would be enough to be concerned about driveline load protection.
While the limiting in the 63 may be part of the TCU programming I think it is to protect the components in the AWD system. The 2WD S65 does not feel that way. Mash the throttle from a stop and all 738 ft-lbs of torque go straight to the rear wheels right now.
We watched eight of the YouTube videos on the E63 launch event at the track in Portugal. None of the magazine testers mentioned any drag start softness or delays. The Mercedes guys would of course not mention it if it existed. The new E63 has a lot more driveline programming options than the current edition. The Mercedes testers all enjoyed tracking the car in 2WD mode with the tail hung out. Bring lots of money for tires.
Not to bring up another sore point, but the E43 has Y rated EMT's (run Flats.) The E63 lists as standard equipment R01, High-Performance Summer Tires; and B51, TireFit Mobility Kit. So it appears the E63 like other true AMG's will not have EMT's.

Amg63-

Its not to protect the AWD components, as the RWD E63 has the same lag from the line as the 4matic models.

The S65 doesnt have it because it uses a torque converter tranny which is able to handle higher torque in the lower gears without breaking anything. MCT is more sensitive to this, so to handle the torque of M157 in lower gears it must be restricted, hence the lag on all E63's from 2012+.

Im going to guess the new one still has it because its still not using a torque converter, so i dont know how the MCT can handle full torque in 1/2 gear without running into problems unless they maybe strengthened it to do so.

Quadrobenz

Reading through the tech highlights in the DOG shows MB claims 0 to 60 in 3.3 vs 3.5 seconds for the new E63. They must be allowing more torque in the first two gears in the new transmission. The 9 speed would not help that much if the limits were the same. MB talks a lot about the fixed connection to the rear axle and the variable clutch connection to the front axle to allow variable torque distribution. I doubt that would help protect the transmission. May have to wait until an E63 is available to drive.

Amg63-

Maybe, but isnt the 2014 E63S also rated at 3.4s for 0-60?

When i first saw the specs for the new E63s i was surprised to see the 0-60 nearly identical for both.

Quadrobenz

I do not recall the original W212 E63S claims by MB. The W213 ordering guide has 3.3 for the new one, 3.5 for the W212.

Amg63-

Yea, could very well just be the extra gears to help it get off the line a bit faster. Either way it's definitely a little faster than the w212 but very slight improvement.

Nex1

Back on topic. Does anyone know typically when custom Designo colors can be ordered for new AMG models? 6 month, 1 year after release?

stealth.pilot

There has been no announcement on this. I posted about this in the lounge and have someone from MBNA looking into this for me. I sent a follow-up email about this late last week.

flipwils11

Bumping this thread as it was very helpful and informative for me. I too am a BMW car club member and owner seeking refuge from their uninspiring product mix and considering an e63 wagon. My M3 is a BMW individual color so I am also interested in MB's designo options. From the info stated above, it sounds like other Mercedes colors are about $5k extra? When I go into the website vehicle configuration for the G65 SUV/truck there are dozens of exotic colors. Do these count as existing MB colors, available for $5k?

I'm also looking at low mileage used E63 wagons with the 5.5l turbo engine but euro delivery on a new one and a custom color would be very appealing.

signes

I spent a lot of time looking into this as I’m not thrilled with the stock paint selection. The designo colors you see for the G and other models are not available on the E class right now. You can option true custom paint that goes beyond the designo program. It’s on the order of $2500 to option it, then another $12-13k or so for any current or historic MB color. It’s nuts but you can really create something unique.

I have the same feelings about the interior color choices, or better said, lack of. Hopefully 2019 and later will get more color choices for both paint and leather.

pbaylog

The following came from an AMG Product Manager last night during the monthly chat session in the Private Lounge:

Everything at Sindelfingen and Graz production - S, E, CLS, G-class and GT - is available with custom options for both exterior paints and interior upholsteries. If the exterior paint is in the current or historical Mercedes-Benz palette, this makes it easier to secure the color. These custom options typically add 8 weeks to the production time, and your dealer can assist with this.

signes

Good to have confirmation, now if they would do something about the cost...

flipwils11

media636

I just went through this with my dealer, as I wanted the Designo matte white or black, they wanted 14,000 USD to do it so I opted to wrap when and if I get sick of my current color.

stealth.pilot

Quadrobenz

For that cost it could be wrapped 3 times.

friskygeek

Bumping this thread to see if anyone's had any luck with custom paint on their 2019 orders. From previous posts on this thread, seems like custom paints begin to be available on the second year of a model. I think those of us with experience with BMW Individual might be a bit spoilt in terms of options and Im finding that info on the "Designo Manufaktur" process is either lacking or non-existent. Looking to get a custom paint on my 2019 order.

OP: What did you end up going with?

Thanks!
f.

stealth.pilot

Did you talk to Markus about it?

friskygeek

hey! Yes I emailed them but no response so far.

f.

stealth.pilot

Ill give you his phone number.

Miette

I'm also interested, bmw has tons of colors you can choose from.