If being politically correct is as appealing to you as driving a railroad spike through your foot and you’ve got some bucks, you’re probably in the target demographic for an insanely powerful sport-utility vehicle. They’re wasteful and unnecessary, which is exactly the point. You don't buy a hyper-powerful SUV for serious off-roading, and you don't buy one to take it to the racetrack or conquer the Dragon. You also don't buy one to celebrate Earth Day. You buy one just because.
The breed has proven spectacularly successful with carmakers. Since the first-generation ML, Mercedes has offered an AMG version. BMW now sells M versions of the X5 and X6 with twin-turbo V-8s (scratching the itch of those who lusted over the 700-hp, V-12–powered X5 Le Mans concept). There have been two generations of Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. Audi sells a version of its Q7 in some markets with a 500-hp diesel V-12. Plus there’s the Porsche Cayenne, available in 500-horse Turbo and, soon, even-more-powerful Turbo S flavors.
The third-generation ML AMG—Mercedes still must add an extra “L” to M-class badges as part of an old agreement with BMW—comes just half a year after the introduction of the cooking ML. Powered by the 5.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V-8, the new ML63 is both more powerful and more efficient than its predecessor, which housed AMG’s spectacular 6.2-liter V-8 under its hood. The “entry” version of the new forced-induction eight is rated at 518 hp and 516 lb-ft; order the Performance package, and output rises to 550 horses and 560 lb-ft. This awesome power translates into a claimed 0-to-60-mph figure of 4.7 seconds and a governed top speed 155 mph (4.6 seconds and 174 mph with the Performance pack). Based on tests of the previous model and Benz’s typically conservative estimates, however, we bet we can shave a couple of tenths from those times.
The 2012 ML63 still is heavy—we’re estimating this new model will come in around 5100 pounds. Fuel economy is just 16 mpg combined, which is just about perfect for those who don’t give a crap.
The fat, high-performance rubber on standard 20- or optional 21-inch wheels (265/45s on the former, 295/35s on the latter) won't help much if you leave the asphalt, but this ML retains its all-wheel-drive system, while power is transmitted through a seven-speed automatic. The air suspension has three driver-selectable settings, but it also lowers the body on its own at higher speeds to minimize drag. We’ll have to hop behind the wheel to find out if AMG has achieved the seemingly impossible, as BMW did with the X5 and X6 Ms, and turned a high-riding SUV into a physics-defying wunderkind.
To make sure everybody knows you forked over a whole pile of cash for the most senseless—and most fun—M-class, Mercedes fits an appearance package that includes a front fascia with massive intakes, wider fenders, and a rear skirt with integrated diffuser. The interior gets sport seats, a flat-bottom AMG steering wheel, and special leather upholstery throughout. If that stuff isn’t enough, however, the four exhaust pipes ought to make your priorities known loud and clear. After all, the ML63 AMG, which will arrive in U.S. dealers in the first quarter of 2012, is definitely, delightfully un-PC.
Thanks to: Car and Driver
0 comments:
Post a Comment