R63 AMG: The 500hp Minivan That Shouldn’t Exist
Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures! 👫👶👶👶
It was a cold, winter Thursday and I had just stopped at our local Honda dealer to look at the new Pilot and Odyssey. Yes, I was considering selling my E46 M3 and purchasing a major dad car. My wife was pregnant with our third baby boy (3 boys in 4 years) and there was no way we could all fit into our BMW X3 (E83).
I knew we needed 3 rows for the baby/toddler seats, but I still had a couple wants:
Fun to drive (difficult in this segment).
Unique and not an appliance.
Able to wrench on it.
I looked at a Mazda5 with a manual—cool, but a little small. Then, I drove an LR4 and loved it. Unfortunately, it was a little pricey. Finally, I looked at a 2011 R350 BluTec and I thought “This is it! Let’s buy one.” I loved the included tech and interior space. I started looking online at the W251 platform and that was when I discovered the R63. 🤯 I knew that I had about 6 months to find the right car—the hunt was on!
Fast forward a couple months. I was browsing the for sale forums on MBworld and discovered a Barolo Red R63 for sale! The owner had listed it a few months prior and had lowered the price a couple times. Full maintenance history and dealer maintained its whole life. I was sold! After a couple messages back and forth, I loaded up my ZHP, grabbed my brother in law, and headed north!
Seeing my R63 for the first time! It was the first and only R63 I’ve witnessed in person!
Specs and Details
Why Did Mercedes Make This??? A 6.2L V8 Minivan During A Financial Crisis 🤯
The Day I Picked Up The R63 AMG in Detroit!
I can’t believe I own this car. The 2007 Mercedes-Benz R63 AMG is a car that shouldn’t exist. Although production numbers are unverified, under 200 were produced worldwide and around 124 were made for the USA market! 🤯
Quick Facts:
Only made in 2007. 1 of 3 made in Barolo Red
Room for 6 passengers
0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds
AMG’s 1st engine (M156) 6,208-cc V-8
503 peak horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque
AMG sport seats with Alcantara shoulder inserts
My R63 AMG Maintenance Costs
Maintenance Guides
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Removing The Grille
It’s difficult to find info on YouTube about the R-Class (W251) and even harder to find info on the R63 AMG! I couldn’t find a video about removing the grille, so I decided to make a quick video. It’s always scary for me to work on my car without watching a bunch of videos or having previous experience with the job.
Removing the W251 Grille my YouTube!
Instructions (with pictures): W251 Grille Removal Instructions
My Favorite Videos About The R63 AMG
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Doug Demuro's Review
The Mercedes-Benz R63 AMG is a minivan ... with a 500-horsepower V8. It's also the rarest modern AMG car in existence. I'm reviewing this R63 AMG so you can find out more about it.
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LegitStreetCars R63 AMG Fix-A-Thon
Alex has a great channel and he knows his stuff when it comes to fixing the R63! I reference this video often as I’m trying to maintain and fix my R63. Watch “I Fixed EVERYTHING On The R63 AMG”
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Why The Mercedes R63 AMG Is So Special (4K)
“In this video review, I go over the Mercedes-Benz R63 AMG which was available for 2007. While the M156 engine was common in the E63 and C63, it was put in the R63 for just one year. I briefly cover the performance, sound, features, and production numbers of this unique 'minivan' R-class w251 which is much rarer than the ML63 and one of the rarest AMGs. Then I discuss what to expect when looking for R63s. Finally, I go over what this owner did to his R63.”
My Favorite Modifications For The R63 (W251)
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63Motorsports Oil Filter Housing
The OEM M156 oil filter housing is plastic. That stinks. This is made out of a solid block of billet T6 Aluminum.
Starts at $139: AMG Sport Oil Filter Covers (M156/M157)
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Headunit upgrades (CarPlay/Android Auto integration)
For me, it’s pretty important to have some modern connectivity options in my daily driver. I’ve tried all the different headunit brands (Seicane, Xtrons, Eonon, the random Aliexpress brands, Joying). For the W251, The options are limited, but I have been happy with the unit from Seicane.
Link to the W251 Seicane unit: 9-inch Android Headunit
OEM Look-a-like Android Headunit: 7-inch Android Headunit
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Lowering Links
I love the way my R63 rides, but I wish it was just a little lower. I purchased these: Lowering Links
Photos Of My R63
