2012 Mercedes Benz E63 AMG Exhaust

You should know the drill by now. For the last 18 months, AMG engineers have been on a transplant tear, swapping out naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8s for the new, 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8, codenamed M157. The first vehicles to receive these downsized upgrades were the 2011 CL63 AMG and S63 AMG. A few months ago, Affalterbach put the 2012 CLS63 AMG under the knife. Now, it's hammer time.

The 2012 E63 AMG is essentially a mechanical doppelgaenger for the CLS63 AMG. Both have the same hand-built, direct-injection V-8 that makes 518 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Both have the same seven-speed wet clutch transmission, the same electrohydraulic steering system, and upgraded suspension and electronics. Unlike the CLS63, which had dramatic plastic surgery along with its heart transplant, the 2012 E63 receives only the tiniest of Botox injections, primarily new 10-spoke wheels and V-8 BITURBO badging. That makes sense, as E-Class sheetmetal is some of the freshest in Mercedes' sedan lineup.

To give us a taste of what the E63 can do with its new heart, Mercedes-Benz jetted us to the south of France for some quick laps at the Paul Ricard High Tech Test Track followed by a lazy drive in the surrounding countryside.

Our lapping session consisted of two stints of five laps each, including warmup and cooldown laps -- essentially six hot laps in which to learn the ins and outs of the track and car behind an SLS AMG pace car driven by an AMG Performance Driving instructor.

In the sportiest setting (Sport Plus) with stability control turned on, our AMG performance pack-equipped E63 proves to be an amply endowed and willing dance partner. The AMG performance package increases turbo boost pressure from 14.5 psi to 18.8 psi, which sends output up to 550 horsepower and 590-pound feet of torque. The latter is available at a paltry 2000 rpm, which means the E63 will boogie out of turns with spine-crushing acceleration, provided you lead her correctly. Come in too fast, or step in too early, and electronic stability control kicks in, retarding throttle and forward thrust and displaying a flashing yellow triangle in the instrument cluster that subsides when once the chassis has stabilized.

Get it right and the E63 is a greedy girl who flits out of corners to gobble up straightaways with gusto. The latter are particularly satisfying, from the first bite of the gas pedal and muffled roar it induces, to the rapid-fire WHAAAmmmWHAAA upshifts. Switch to the brake pedal and the reward is equally impressive deceleration punctuated by throttle-blipped downshifts. In addition to the $7300 AMG performance package, our track-ready sedans came with optional carbon ceramic brakes that replace the burly standard issue brake setup: six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers that bite on 14.2-inch discs of vented and perforated steel. The ceramics proved fade-free at the track, but more than a little unnerving. Their initial bite is shockingly strong, and pitches unsuspecting drivers forward into the firm embrace of the seatbelt pretensioners. Also frightening: The carbon ceramics are a special order option that costs $12,625.

The new-to-E63 electrohydraulic steering system provides enough feedback to repeatedly brush the front bumper against apex cones, but subtle reminders filter back through the steering wheel and seat cushion that, despite the impressive velocity, the E63 is not a lithe, effortless sports car. She changes direction impressively well for a 4100-pound luxury sedan (and 4300-pound wagon), but as warning lights flicker and the rear tires scramble for grip in the transitions, it often is clear that many processors and lines of code are being employed to keep this girl pointed forward.

She is better on the street, when free to amble along with traffic or pull out to pass with a 6400-rpm wail. Feel free to engage the steering wheel paddles if you like, but for most city driving, simply hammering the gas pedal is all that is required.

First Drive: 2012 Audi Q3

Audi got into the crossover business late, and it's been scrambling to catch up. The Q7 arrived in 2005, some three years after its VW Touareg relative. The smaller Q5 followed three years later and the passage of yet another three is marked by the arrival of the even smaller Q3. Audi's top brass apparently believes the Q3 is too small for America. During our recent drive, the project chief told us it wasn't built to meet U.S. regulations, and there are no plans for export.

But when pushed, he conceded the all-new Q3 could be altered for U.S. sale without too much effort. If the similarly sized BMW X1 makes it here, we bet Audi will be watching its reception very closely.

Because it is built around a transverse AWD drivetrain, the Q3 doesn't suffer too much in cabin accommodation compared to the larger Q5 with its longitudinally mounted engine. The Q3's European prices are about 15 percent cheaper than the Q5, with matched spec and engine.

Just to make things a little more interesting, in addition to the very fine 211 horsepower 2.0 TFSi quattro dual-clutch model, we also sampled a couple of other engines that might do nicely in the U.S. and as of now have no direct competition.

The first short but intriguing squirt was on some mountain roads in a prototype Q3 powered by a mildly detuned, 300-hp version of the five-cylinder turbo out of the TT RS. What a hoot that turned out to be, with heaps of readily accessible power and an engine note to make you smirk.

We also sampled a front-drive Q3 with Audi's 140-hp diesel, which was no slug and went about its business in relative quiet. In the U.S. it could be the new green SUV poster child. Audi has been careful to keep its weight under control, using aluminum for the hood and tailgate, for example, which should help boost fuel economy across the range.

While it may be too small for the U.S., the Q3 certainly doesn't look small. Its up-front confidence and full-on body detailing to the body commands your field of vision more than adequately for a shrimp of a crossover.

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Modena Trackdays 2011: Ferrari Enzo Prototype M3

The 2011 edition of the Modena Trackdays at the Nürburgring featured many remarkable and interesting cars. A great example of such a rare and even odd car is the only working test car which ever left the Ferrari factory: the Ferrari Enzo Prototype M3, the mother of all Enzo’s and 599’s.

Before unveiling the Enzo in 2002, Ferrari had been working for three years to transfer their F1 expertise to a road car and to test the pre-production V12 for the then upcoming Ferrari Enzo. Therefore three prototypes were made, named M1, M2 and quite surprising… M3. These car functioned mainly as a rolling test bed for development of the engine.

To disguise the car when testing on the streets of Maranello, the Enzo Prototype M3 was made out of parts from many other Ferraris. The body, front, doors and a part of the interior were derived from the 348. The body was lengthened by approximately 250mm, in order to fit the V12 engine which delivered 680PS, 30PS more than the production engine.

The oil radiator was taken from the 550. The drive train, brakes, and suspension were taken from the 355 Challenge and the rear has been modified for the light assembly from the 360 model. The dashboard is modified to allow the fitting of the instrument panel from the 360 Modena. Many other important parts of the car are unique and hand-made.

While normally these kind of prototypes are often destroyed or dismantled, this one was offered for auction alongside the 400th Enzo in June 2005, bringing € 195,500 ($ 236,300). As a prototype, the car is not guaranteed by Ferrari which means no warranty of road worthiness is implied or given. Ferrari says it should not be registered for road use, making this one even more exclusive and rare.

For those interested, the car is still available via Modena Motorsport.