Review: Mercedes S211.I E 55 AMG (2004-06)

Overview

Released in Australia in June 2004, the Mercedes-Benz S211 Series I (S211.I) E 55 AMG was an executive wagon with seven seats. Manufactured in Sindelfingen, Germany, the rear-wheel drive S211.I E 55 AMG was powered by a 5.4-litre supercharged V8 petrol engine that was mated to a five-speed automatic transmission.

M113.990 V8 engine and supercharger

For the E 55 AMG Estate, the 5439 cc M113.990 V8 engine had a die-cast alloy block with 97.0 mm bores and a 92.0 mm stroke, cast-in Silitec cylinder liners, fracture-split forged steel connecting rods, iron-coated aluminium pistons with oil spray cooling, an alloy cylinder head, a single overhead camshaft (SOHC) per cylinder bank driven by a double-roller chain, three valves per cylinder (two intake, one exhaust) actuated by roller rockers, two-spark plugs per cylinder, a dual-length intake manifold and a compression ratio of 9.0:1. While peak torque was 700 Nm from 2650-4000 rpm, the supercharged M113 engine produced 560 Nm at 1500 rpm and 650 Nm at 2000 rpm.

Unlike its naturally aspirated predecessor, the M113 engine for the S211 E 55 AMG engine had a Lysholm-type IHI supercharger – positioned between the cylinder banks – which provided maximum pressure of 0.8 bar and had an integrated air-water charge air cooler. The supercharger had two Teflon-coated aluminium shafts which rotated at up to 23,000 rpm, pushing 1850 kg of air per hour into the combustion chambers. To minimise fuel consumption at part throttle applications, the scroll compressor only operated at certain engine speeds and load conditions, activated by an electromagnetic coupling and a separate poly-V-belt.

Compared to its naturally aspirated counterpart in the S211 E 500 , changes for the supercharged M113 engine included:

A reinforced crankcase with stiffening ribs and side bolts;
A precision-balanced crankshaft with modified bearings and a more resistant material;
Unique pistons;
Forged connecting rods;
A revised oil supply system (including the sump, catch tray and pump) and a separate oil cooler in the right-hand wheel arch;
Optimised cylinder heads;
A twin-spring assembly for the valve train to increased maximum engine speed to 6100 rpm (from 5600 rpm);
A redesigned fuel system;
A twin-pipe exhaust system with switchover valve and 70 mm diameter tailpipes for reduced exhaust gas back-pressure; and,
A unique engine management system.

Mercedes-Benz S211.I E 55 AMG Estate specifications
	Engine	Trans.	Peak power	Peak torque
E 55 AMG	5.4-litre s/charged petrol V8 (M113)	5sp auto	350 kW at 6100 rpm	700 Nm at 2650-4000 rpm

AMG Speedshift automatic transmission

The five-speed ‘AMG Speedshift’ transmission had three selectable modes:

In standard (‘S’) mode, the transmission would monitor driving style and adapt gearshift behavior accordingly;
In Comfort (‘C’) mode, the transmission would shift up earlier and downshift later, encouraging a more relaxed, fuel-efficient driving style; and,
In manual (‘M’) mode, the driver could change gears using buttons on the steering wheel. When the rated engine speed was reached, the transmission would automatically shift up; and when the vehicle came to rest, first gear would be engaged automatically.

The transmission ratios for the ‘AMG Speedshift’ transmission were 3.60 (1st), 2.19 (2nd), 1.41 (3rd), 1.00 (4th) and 0.83 (5th), while the final drive ratio was 2.65. Furthermore, the transmission had a torque capacity of 1079 Nm.

Performance and fuel consumption

The Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG Estate could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds (0.1 seconds slower than the W211 E 55 AMG sedan ); top speed was electronically limited to 250 km/h. Over the combined EUDC cycle, fuel consumption was 11.6 litres per 100 km.

Dimensions and body

Compared to the W211 E 55 AMG sedan, the S211 E 55 AMG Estate was 32 mm longer (at 4850 mm) and 28 mm taller (1480 mm), but had the same width (1822 mm) and wheelbase length (2854 mm); kerb weight, however, increased by 165 kg to 2000 kg.

Cargo capacity for the E 55 AMG Estate was 670 litres with the second row seats in position, increasing to 1930 litres when folded. The E 55 AMG Estate featured Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Easy-Pack’ compartment management system which consisted of:

A 1/3 to 2/3 split in the second row seat backrests;
A stowage box behind the rear seat backrests;
An automatic load compartment cover;
A third row folding bench seat with two seatbelts; and,
A tailgate that would stay open in any position in the last third of its travel.

Suspension

The Mercedes-Benz S211 E 55 AMG had four-link front suspension and multi-link independent rear suspension. Furthermore, the E 55 AMG had Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Airmatic DC’ semi-active air suspension with ‘Adaptive Damping System II’ which used sensors to monitor steering and yaw angle, longitudinal and transverse acceleration, vehicle level and driving style to adapt the damping and springs to the situation. The driver could also select make a manual selection from three different settings. When 140 km/h was exceeded, the suspension would lower the body by 15 mm to reduce aerodynamic drag, and return to its normal level when the speed was less than 70 km/h.

Compared to the S211 E-Class Estate , changes for the S211 E 55 AMG included new AMG spring struts with lower air volume for faster responses, AMG shock absorbers and stronger stabiliser with 50 per cent greater torsional rigidity.

Steering

The E 55 AMG Estate had rack-and-pinion steering which included speed-sensitive power assistance (Mercedes-Benz’s ‘parameter’ steering).

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG included dual front airbags (with two-stage deployment), front and rear side airbags, full-length curtain airbags, ABS, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, electronic stability control, traction control and front and outer rear seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters.

Shared with the S211 E-Class Estate , the E 55 AMG was fitted with Mercedes-Benz’s ‘Sensotronic Brake Control’ system which included:

a ‘dry braking function’ for wet weather driving by applying regular, short brake impulses to remove water from the brake discs;
increased braking pressure on the outer wheels of the vehicle when cornering; and,
a ‘Softstop’ function which reduced braking power as the vehicle came to rest for smooth stops in city traffic.

Brakes: E 55 AMG Estate

The S211 E55 AMG Estate had 360 mm by 36 mm vented front brake discs with eight-piston callipers and 330 mm by 26 mm vented rear discs.

Euro NCAP crash testing

In Euro NCAP crash testing , a 2002 Mercedes-Benz W211 E 220 CDI sedan received a five star adult occupant protection rating with a score of 32.95 out of 37; this result, however, included two points for seatbelt reminders which were not introduced to Australian-delivered models until mid-2004. In the frontal offset crash test, there was a slight risk of serious injury for the front occupants; in the side impact test, there was a slight risk of serious chest injury.

Features: Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG Estate

Standard features for the Mercedes-Benz E 55 AMG Estate included 8.0J x 18-inch front alloy wheels with 245/40 ZR18 front and 9.0J x 18-inch rear alloy wheels with 265/35 ZR18 rear tyres, a ten speaker ‘Audio 20’ sound system with a six-disc CD player, Mercedes-Benz’s COMAND APS (Mercedes-Benz’s Cockpit and Data Management System) with satellite navigation, 6.5-inch colour display and DVD player, four-zone climate control air conditioning (‘Thermotronic’), Nappa/Nubuck leather upholstery, contoured AMG front sports seats with power adjustment and heating, cruise control with variable speed limiter (‘Speedtronic’), bi-xenon headlights with washers, front and rear fog lamps, automatic headlights, rain-sensing wipers, an AMG sports steering wheel with gearshift buttons, remote central locking, power windows and heated mirrors, a power adjustable steering column (for height and reach), memory settings (front seats, steering wheel and mirrors), a power-operated glass sunroof, tinted windows, black bird’s eye maple wood trim, a cargo cover, a trip computer and immobiliser.