October 30, 2006 - Shannonville, Ont. - If you've flown commercial in the past five years, then you'll understand why private jets are more popular than ever. You can bring onboard your favourite food or beverages, check e-mail or voicemail whenever you want and, maybe best of all, a personal customs officer means no long lineups.

Can't afford the $6-million to $50-million price range to buy your own jet, plus expenses such as insurance, fuel, catering and hiring pilots? Not in the income bracket of famous private jet owners such as Mark Cuban, Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison and John Travolta?

No worries. Mercedes-Benz Canada has a new, six-seat jet of its own that might interest you.

It's the land-based, 2007 R 63 AMG that's joining the equally new R 320 CDI diesel this fall. Both are additions to the existing R 350 and R 500 gasoline models introduced last year that quickly became known as the Mercedes of minivans.

The R 63's AMG badge and $102,000 base price should be a giveaway to car zealots that it's anything but a typically underpowered, ill-handling beast of suburban burden.

In fact, at the risk of sounding as incongruous as the best- tasting calorie-free ice cream, Mercedes, which markets the R-Class as a grand sports tourer, has wrought the world's fastest minivan.

As odd as that moniker sounds, what else would you call a 2,395-kilogram people mover that can scoot from naught to 100 kilometres an hour faster than an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Ford Mustang GT or Subaru WRX?



With one or more AMG models in every Mercedes range (except the B- and GL Classes), the new uber R-Class model begs the question: Warum?

"They simply did this for fun," says JoAnne Caza, director of communications and public relations at Mercedes-Benz Canada.

To the R-Class' unibody platform and standard full-time all-wheel-drive system, the AMG elves added more aggressive front and rear fascias, a front grille, flared fenders, side skirts, tinted tail lights and two sets of chromed twin exhaust pipes that hint at the R 63 AMG's powerful proficiencies. Inside, the seats, steering wheel and driver instrument cluster are all upgraded. Optional on cooking R-Class models, the height-adjustable air suspension gains AMG shocks and a specially tuned version of the adaptive damping system. And after you and half your kid's soccer team have smoked that Aston, high-performance vented and perforated disc brakes combined with 265/45R20 rubber bring this big kahuna to a halt pronto.

If you know anything about the history of AMG's speed freaks, you know the heart of any car they've laid their skilled hands on is the engine.

In the past, AMG has modified Mercedes production mills. But under the hood of the R 63 AMG is the first AMG-developed engine: a 6.2-litre naturally aspirated, 503-horsepower V8 with 465 pound-feet of torque. Built almost completely from aluminum, the new motion maker features four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing and a variable intake manifold. Available in various 2007 Mercedes AMG models -- and soon in the CL and S AMGs -- this new engine gets most of the credit in getting this people mover to 100 kilometres an hour in half the time of an Audi Q7 4.2 -- an astonishing five seconds.

On public roads, the R 63 AMG's ride is refined and smooth. With 20-inch dubs, thank the air suspension: It can automatically differ body height under various loads. The steering wheel features revised paddle gear shifters that simply shift up on the right side and down on the left, as opposed to the old setup that shifted up and down on both sides. When things get muddy or snowy, the Mercedes' body can be raised 50 millimetres. The permanently engaged AWD system's 40:60 front/rear power split insinuates the R 63 AMG's sportier side, which became evident during the on-track portion at the preview event.



Even with a rain-soaked Shannonville track containing some puddles deep enough that we were scaring the fish, the R 63 AMG's combination of power, torque and traction delivered a merciless competence in laying down 6.2 litres of German muscle. With a lapping group including a 603-hp SL 65 AMG Roadster, by fully taking advantage of the R 63 AMG's all-wheel drive and electronic nannies, it was easy to fill the rear-view mirrors of the sports cars ahead with chromed, minivan grille. Even if the driver's seat could use more thigh and lateral support and a steering ratio that should be quicker, treating the R 63 AMG like a sports sedan was outrageously fun.

Does the R 63 AMG sound ridiculous? The answer to a question that no one has asked?

Mercedes Canada doesn't think so.

A special order only model in the United States, the ultra- performing R-Class is a full production model here.

For those Canadians who need to carry six people around fast -- at least on terra firma -- the Mercedes R 63 AMG is a one-of-a-kind driving experience. Just make sure to order the cargo net to secure the groceries on the way home from the store.

- John LeBlanc, Publisher, www.straight-six.com



© National Post 2006. This article originally appeared in The National Post's Driving.