With a mere touch of the gas pedal, this wagon leaves the station far, far behind.

Should the uninitiated pull up next to the all-new 2012 E63 AMG Wagon at a stoplight, they might mistake it for the kind of family vehicle that leaves something to be desired in the thrills department -- until the light turns green, that is. Packing a biturbo AMG engine and a multi-clutch AMG sports transmission, this automotive wolf in sheep's clothing was engineered for dropping the hammer at the drop of a hat.

Ever since first arriving in the late 1970s as the 300T, Mercedes-Benz mid-size station wagons have combined the legendary build quality, engineering and luxury of the three-pointed star with expansive cargo room and genuine utility. Later known as E-Class wagons, they quickly cemented a reputation as safe, comfortable and even practical family transportation -- earning a cult-like following in the process. And when the E55 AMG Wagon appeared on the scene in 2005, delivering the sort of power and handling that led Car and Driver to call it "the mother of all wagons," the worlds of highly practical and high performance became forever intertwined under the AMG banner.

The all-new 2012 E63 AMG wagon comes outfitted with a hand-built, twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8 AMG engine -- the high-performance iteration of the new Mercedes-Benz biturbo V-8 powerplant that offers significant gains in both power and fuel economy. This powerful new engine features such advances as twin turbochargers, direct fuel injection and multi-spark ignition. The reduced displacement compared to its predecessor is more than offset by the power boost of its twin turbochargers -- one for each bank of cylinders. In fact, the new AMG biturbo V8 generates a blazing 518 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. Add the optional AMG Performance Package, and those numbers rise to 550 and 590, respectively.

Even though it's capable of such extraordinary performance, the all-new E63 AMG Wagon is also highly fuel-efficient, thanks in part to an innovative ECO stop-start system. With its transmission in "Controlled Efficiency Mode," whenever the vehicle comes to a stop in "D" or "N" with the brake pedal depressed, the engine is automatically turned off to save fuel. As soon as the driver touches the accelerator pedal, the engine computer determines which piston is in the best position for first ignition, and the direct fuel injection and multi-spark systems work to re-start the engine almost instantly.

Adding to the efficient power of the all-new E63 AMG Wagon is the award-winning AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT (Multi-Clutch Technology) seven-speed sports transmission. Using an innovative wet start-up clutch that replaces the torque converter, it provides the direct feedback of a manual transmission with the convenience of an automatic. Thanks to its low rotational mass, the start-up clutch helps the transmission respond instantaneously with shift times in as little as 100 milliseconds. Featuring four shift modes and an automatic rev-matching function, the MCT transmission offers impressive versatility and even faster shift times. It also includes a Race Start feature, which helps maintain full-throttle acceleration and optimal traction from a standstill.

Simply put, the all-new 2012 E63 AMG Wagon is the fastest way to get 57.4 cubic feet of antiques, children or anything else from one point to another -- rapidly.

The all-new 2012 E63 AMG Wagon will be available on U.S. shores in October 2011.