Mercedes-Benz C250 Coupe Sport Review

There’s no external AMG badge but the Mercedes-Benz C250 Coupe Sport sprinkles some of the performance division’s magic dust over the mid-spec compact two-door. The Sport part of the badge arrives more than a year after the launch of the C-Class Coupe and sees Mercedes follow Audi’s S-Line and BMW’s M Sport - branding that plays on the luxury manufacturers’ sportiest models. 78,050 it’s about the half the price of the C63 AMG Coupe. 6350, with a visual spread of 18-inch AMG multi-spoke alloy wheels, lip spoiler, black artificial leather sports seats, red seatbelts, AMG floormats and red interior stitching. You can also coat your Coupe Sport in an exclusive ‘designo magno platinum’ paint. AMG engineers, not just designers, are involved in the C250 Coupe Sport, though. The suspension is tuned by AMG, there are bigger brakes, a quicker steering rack, a sports exhaust and a revised seven-speed auto that offers speedier shifts in Sport and Manual modes. Those last couple of upgrades are particularly important, because the Sport doesn’t gain any extra power over the standard C250.

The 1.8-litre turbocharged, direct injection four-cylinder still has 150kW, backed by 310Nm, going to the rear wheels. 80,900), and the C250 is seven-tenths slower in the 0-100km/h acceleration run - 7.2 v 6.5 seconds. Switching the transmission’s selectable modes from Efficiency - where the engine can feel a bit flat down low and throttle response is smooth but leisurely - to Sport or Manual makes things far more interesting, however. Here, there’s an immediate reaction from the accelerator pedal to the slightest right-foot pressure, and as revs rise quickly there’s a raspy engine note to savour courtesy of that sports exhaust and a retune of the engine’s electronic mapping. The ride does live up to the AMG badge, though. It’s notably stiffer than the regular C250 Coupe’s and the suspension fidgets around if the blacktop isn’t smooth. It won’t crash into potholes, though, and there are upsides when the scenery ahead becomes a stretch of curving bitumen. Body control is even tighter (as well as the driver’s thanks to those AMG-style sports seats) and there’s a reassuring sense that grip is almost limitless - certainly on the road - from the brilliant Pirelli P-Zero tyres.

It adds to the good level of feel provided by the C-Class Coupe, though the BMW 3 Series Coupe is still the overall pick for steering in this segment. That leaves the rest of the Coupe package, which offers plenty for the money. Our view is that the two-door C-Class body brings the requisite good looks that should almost be mandatory for the coupe class. The Sport’s black AMG wheels and lowered ride height add to the visual drama. Inside the Mercedes-Benz C250 Coupe Sport, there’s the usual two-door impracticality of getting into the rear seats compared with a four-door C-Class and in the back there are only two individual seats. There’s genuine leg space for adults, though, and headroom is decent - but those over 5ft 10in will argue for the front passenger seat. The boot offers 450 litres, too - a bit more than a two-door 3 Series. As a 2011 model debutant, the C-Class Coupe already benefitted from the interior makeover given to the C-Class sedan that same year. It was a big change, too - transforming the C-Class cabin from being short of the standard expected from a luxury car to one that’s brimming with quality materials and smart design. You can also have your C250 Coupe Sport in (CDI) diesel. Some extra kilowatts wouldn’t have gone amiss for the Mercedes-Benz C250 Coupe Sport, so it isn’t quite magic. But to give the German car maker credit its due, it hasn’t played blatantly on the AMG angle and the Sport - if you can live with the harder ride - brings worthwhile benefits over the regular C250 Coupe. There’s a hint of AMG flavour, without the usual associated price tag.

That’s a really encouraging statistic and it’s reassuring to see my approach is paying off. “I’m incredibly proud of the team’s record at Monte-Carlo. “This is a unique event in so many ways - it places unique demands on the driver, the car and the team. Accordingly, winning in Monaco is considered a more significant victory than a win at other circuits. “For the entire Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team, too, we travel to the south of France feeling determined to string together a faultless weekend and to demonstrate our full potential. McLaren has an enviable record at Monaco, having won the race more than any other constructor. Here’s how the team defined 15 days in the history of the Monaco Grand Prix. Heavy rain delays the start by 45 minutes. Alain Prost leads from pole, but he’s overtaken by Nigel Mansell during the early stages. Mansell crashes out on lap 19, leaving Alain in the lead, which is where he stays until the race is stopped on lap 31 due to the appalling conditions. Alain qualifies fifth, but runs third early on in the race.

He inherits the lead when, first, Ayrton Senna retires with a blown engine and then Michele Alboreto spins off at Ste Devote. A hat-trick of Monaco wins for Alain. He leads from pole position and is never headed en route to the 23rd victory of his career. Keke Rosberg comes home 25s adrift to give McLaren its first 1-2 in the Principality. McLaren utterly dominates the weekend. Ayrton Senna takes pole position by 1.4s from Alain, who’s 1.2s faster than Gerhard Berger in third. Ayrton then leads the race from the off, but Alain is overtaken by Berger and takes until lap 54 to pass the Ferrari driver. On lap 67 of 78, Ayrton crashes out of the lead, handing victory to Alain. After the disappointment of the previous year, Ayrton dominates from start-to-finish. He takes pole position by 1.1s and wins the race convincingly from Alain. The McLarens are the only cars on the lead lap. Another Monaco win for Ayrton. He starts from pole and never looks like being headed in the race.