2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG
Let's say you're a child of the 1970s. You've got fond memories of your Camaro. But now there's gray in whatever's left of your hair and, four decades later, you're on the verge of your white-collar retirement. You want an aggressive car that recaptures that youth, but one that loses the ostentatious bravado. This is your car.
What Mercedes-Benz has done with the E63 AMG is lift the soul from a muscle car, place it into the body of a sedan, and ensconce it in German luxury and engineering.
But one warning: It's eye-catching enough to attract attention from the police and nearly spark an international incident. More on that later.
This car, which will run you somewhere in the range of $90,000 to $105,000, is about 100 hp more powerful than the new Chevy Corvette in its base form. Upgrade to the new Sport model, and you add even more power. It's perhaps the most stable car I've ever driven, hugging the road on curvy hillside roads, and fast. It comes with a race-start technology that makes hitting the gas feel like you're rocketing off on a Space Shuttle launch.
Driving around, you'll look like someone with deep pockets. Which may make you a target of austerity-struck police departments.
