AMG E63 S Exhaust: Akrapovic vs AWE (W213 2018-23)

A Mercedes-AMG E63 S (W213) exhaust upgrade is the fastest way to let the hand-built M177 4.0L twin-turbo V8 actually sound like the 603-horsepower, 627-lb-ft monster it is. From the factory, Affalterbach muffles that biturbo V8 with heavy steel mufflers and a gasoline particulate filter (on later cars) that smother the signature AMG bark. In our Tampa, FL shop the two names that come up every time an E63 S owner wants more is the Akrapovic Evolution Line and the AWE Tuning SwitchPath — so below we put them head-to-head on material, sound control, power, legality, and price.

Why upgrade the exhaust on a W213 E63 S?

The W213 E63 S is powered by AMG’s M177 4.0-liter biturbo V8 — 603 hp between 5,750 and 6,500 rpm and 627 lb-ft from 2,500 to 4,500 rpm, driving all four wheels through a 9-speed AMG Speedshift MCT and 4MATIC+. Mercedes quotes 0–60 mph in 3.3 seconds. The “hot-inside-V” twin-scroll turbos sit in the valley of the engine, which means the stock exhaust has to route through restrictive mufflers and, on emissions-market cars, dense catalysts that blunt both flow and voice.

A cat-back or valved system does three things: it drops weight (the single biggest factory penalty on a luxury super-sedan), it frees up flow behind the turbos, and it reopens the top-end character AMG engineers dialed out for comfort. On the W213 specifically, the factory “AMG Performance Exhaust” (DPE) valves are the key detail — whether your car has them changes which aftermarket system you buy, and it is the first thing we check on a lift.

Akrapovic vs AWE SwitchPath: the quick answer

Akrapovic builds its Evolution Line from ultra-light titanium with hand-laid carbon-fiber tips and cast titanium merge sections; it is the premium, weight-obsessed, sound-first choice and lands north of $11,000 as a complete system. AWE Tuning’s SwitchPath is a dual 3-inch T304L stainless system with a valved H-pipe and valved rear resonators that swap between quiet and loud at the press of a button — it retains the factory catalysts, carries AWE’s No CEL Guarantee, and publishes gains up to 35 hp. The table below compares the complete systems we stock; the modular Akrapovic pieces are broken out further down.

Akrapovic Evolution Line Titanium (W213/S213)

The Akrapovic Evolution Line is a full titanium exhaust engineered specifically for the 2018–2020 E63/E63 S sedan (W213) and estate (S213). Akrapovic states the system saves more than 45% in weight versus the stock setup thanks to specially developed titanium alloys, and uses an active X-connection plus an additional pair of valves behind the rear mufflers for precise sound tuning. It is finished with hand-crafted carbon-fiber tailpipes and a cast titanium center section. This is the flagship, sound-and-weight-first choice — and it is priced accordingly, at around $11,200 for the complete system with link pipes and gloss carbon tips.

Prefer to build it in stages, or already run aftermarket tips? Akrapovic sells the Evolution Line as modular pieces too. The titanium cat-back without tips is the core voice-and-weight upgrade while retaining the factory catalysts; the Evolution link pipe set opens up the restrictive section ahead of the cat-back; and the high-gloss carbon tail-pipe set is the finishing touch that bolts onto the Evolution system.

AWE Tuning SwitchPath Exhaust (W213 E63/S)

The AWE SwitchPath is a valve-controlled stainless cat-back built for 2018–2021 and 2023 E63 AMG S 4MATIC+ sedan and wagon models. It is hand-crafted from dual 3-inch, 0.065-inch-wall U.S.-sourced T304L stainless with CNC mandrel bends, and uses a valved H-pipe up front plus valved rear resonators so you can go from boardroom-quiet to full muscle tone at the touch of a button. AWE publishes peak gains of 23 hp and 7 lb-ft, with maximum gains of 35 hp at 6,300 rpm and 53 lb-ft at 3,000 rpm measured at the crank. Because it retains the factory catalysts, it is backed by AWE’s No Check Engine Light Guarantee — and at roughly $4,300 it is less than half the price of the full Akrapovic.

Sound, drone, and valve control compared

Both systems are valved, so neither one drones its owner to misery on the highway — that is the whole point of the extra valves behind the rear mufflers on the Akrapovic and the valved H-pipe plus rear resonators on the AWE. The difference is character. The Akrapovic Evolution Line, with its active X-connection and titanium construction, delivers a harder, more metallic, race-bred AMG scream that is loudest at the top of the rev range. The AWE SwitchPath leans into a deeper, muscle-car bark down low and gives you a clean on/off choice from the cabin or remote. If your priority is cold-start theatrics and full-throttle intensity, Akrapovic wins; if it is everyday civility with loud on tap, the AWE is the easier car to live with.

Installation, fitment, and legality

Both systems are direct-fit, bolt-on cat-backs designed to hang on the factory mounts and mate to the factory valve wiring — no cutting on a lift. In our Tampa shop a cat-back swap on a W213 is typically a 2–3 hour job, with the bulk of the time spent on careful tip alignment in the diffuser and reconnecting the valve actuators so the factory exhaust button still works. The most important pre-purchase step is confirming whether your E63 S left the factory with the AMG Performance Exhaust (DPE): the AWE is sold in DPE and non-DPE versions, and the wrong one will not use your factory controls correctly.

On legality: the AWE SwitchPath retains the factory catalysts, so it carries a No Check Engine Light Guarantee and is the sensible choice for emissions-regulated states. The complete Akrapovic with its Evolution link pipes is intended for off-road/competition use and cannot ship to California — if you live in a CARB state, the Akrapovic titanium cat-back (which keeps the factory cats) is the street-friendly way into the brand. When in doubt, message our team with your VIN and we will confirm the right configuration before you order.