By Eric Peters
There was a time — it was not a long time ago — when V8s were pretty common in the luxury car class and V12s were exotic.
This was circa the late 1990s/early 2000s.
Now, it’s V8s that are becoming exotic. Most of the midpriced luxury cars that used to at least offer them now come standard with four-cylinder engines; a six is the usual upgrade. But if you want a V8, you increasingly have to go … exotic.
Which will get you something like the Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 63 S.
What It Is
The GLE 63 S is the exotic, ultra-high-performance of Mercedes’ midsize GLE SUV. It comes standard with a V8, something as uncommon as a standard V12 used to be, back when V8s were still pretty commonly available even in ordinary family cars such as the Ford Crown Victoria (last available new in 2011).
But the Vic’s V8 only made about a third of the power produced by the Benz’s V8. And the Vic did not get to 60 in 3.7 seconds, which the Benz SUV can — notwithstanding that it weighs about 1,000 pounds more than the Ford.
It can also pull the Ford behind it, on a trailer.
And it hardly uses any more gas, either.
Base price is $120,000, which includes (and surpasses) everything that comes standard in other GLEs, with the exception of the otherwise optional third-row seating option, which is not available with this exotic vehicle.
What’s New For 2024
The standard navigation system gets video augmentation, the MBUX voice-command systems gets some AMG-specific functional upgrades and there is a new 22-inch AMG wheel/tire package.
What’s Good
V8 is stronger than V12s used to be.
Goes almost 500 highway miles on a tank.
Doesn’t force you to wait longer than five minutes to refill the tank.
What’s Not So Good
V8 is as exotically priced as V12s used to be.
If you get the V8, you lose the third-row option.
Rival BMW X5 M, which also comes with a 600-horsepower V8, costs about $11,000 less.
Under The Hood
Most GLEs come standard with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine; some are powered by the optional 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder engine (which is augmented by and made more fuel efficient via a mild hybrid system that cycles the engine off when it’s not needed and adds power when maximum performance is wanted).
The AMG GLE 63 is powered by something special.
A hand-assembled, 4.0-liter twin-turbo’d V8 signed by the master technician who put it together for you — that makes 612 horsepower and 627 foot-pounds of torque at 2,500 rpm. It is sufficient to propel this 5,523-pound midsize SUV — it is not a crossover — to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.
As impressive as that is, even more so arguably is the fact that this 5,523-pound V8 SUV rates 15 mpg city, 20 mpg highway. The V8-powered Ford Crown Victoria only got 16 city, 24 highway. And its V8 only managed 239 horsepower. It took more than twice as long to get to 60, too.
On The Road
The GLE 63’s V8 is also as calm as Camry’s V6 — even though it makes nearly as much power as a Winston Cup stock car’s V8. It is also capable of propelling you in suede-swaddled comfort to 175 mph in an ultra-luxury SUV that massages your backside on the way there.
The experience is deeply satisfying from the moment you push the start button and hear the V8 come to life. EVs, no matter how speedy, do not provide that kind of aural satisfaction.
Plus, there is the satisfaction of just being able to go without having to wait (or worry about) how long it will take to recharge.
At The Curb
Why do wolves wear sheep’s clothing? Why, for the same reason the AMG GLE 63 S does. It looks like a GLE, which isn’t a sheep, of course. But the AMG GLE 63 also isn’t something that looks like what it is.
Or rather, what it can do.
This makes it a whole lot more feasible to do it. And that makes it a whole lot more fun to do it. As opposed to doing it in something obviously wolfish, such as a Corvette. The Benz is not quite as quick (though it’s close), but the point is you are more apt to get away with going almost as quickly because it doesn’t look as quick as it is.
Just another SUV.
Attractive, but not in an attention-getting way. There are a few subtle tells such as the ceramic pie-plate rotors and the powder-coated six-piston calipers that are clamped to them, peeking through the 22-inch AMG wheels. The four quadrangle exhaust tips. And the “bi-turbo V8” in delicate chrome script. But you have to look for these clues. And you have to know what they mean.
Many don’t.
It is easy to fade into the crowd. To be the just-another-SUV that the cop sitting in the cutout doesn’t look at first.
This is the type of rig that Bandit ought to have used as the blocker car for the semi-truck full of bootleg beer. Not a Trans-Am with T-tops and a huge decal of a fire-breathing chicken on its hood.
The Rest
The AMG GLE 63 comes standard with everything that’s optional (or unavailable) in other GLEs — except for a third row, which isn’t available with this one. The BMW X5 M doesn’t offer a third row, either.
There are just a handful of options including the $5,450 AMG composite-ceramic brake package and the $1,050 Rapid Warmth package, which adds heated armrests and center console top, plus faster warmup times for the heated seats.
You can also get a “coupe” version of this thing (reviewed separately). It is basically the same thing but with a lower roofline.
The Bottom Line
It’s wonderful that you can still get a machine like this. But it’s tragic that fewer and fewer people will ever get the chance to own something like this.
Eric’s latest book, “Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!” will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
