Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Review

At full throttle when the tacho needle is nudging 7200rpm it’s hard to think of anything that sounds better than this thing, and that includes some of the world’s most exciting supercars. The four large AMG-badged pipes at the back produce one of the most glorious exhaust notes on the planet that you simply never tire of. That Holy Grail of combinations: big engine with a truck load of grunt in a small body, is already producing that ‘must have’ feeling, and at well under 160K (before on-road costs), the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG is all yours. That need to own becomes even more desperate when it suddenly dawns on you that AMG’s junior heavyweight also doubles as an entirely practical four-door family chariot, complete with a decent-sized boot and enough room for five adults. With a no-nonsense 358kW (if you chose the optional AMG Performance package - and you must) and a stomping 600Nm, the C 63 AMG might well be considered one of the world’s least expensive supercars - well almost. Dial up the ‘RS’ (that’s short for Race Start) and give the throttle a boot full and you’ll go from 0-100km/h in 4.4 seconds.

You can thank the SLS AMG for that extra performance by way of a technology transfer that includes forged pistons and connecting rods, as well as a lightweight crankshaft from the gullwing supercar. All these inclusions help to lighten the load and reduce friction, allowing the naturally aspirated powerplant to redline at an unusually high 7250rpm. Who says you need turbos? Even without the AMG Performance package, the 6.3 litre V8 is still a bespoke piece of engineering and is said to be extremely robust. It also falls into the category of properly hand-built engines, under AMG’s philosophy of ‘one man, one engine’. You can see the engraved plaque on top of the engine cover - that’s the signature of the engineer who built this particular engine, or at least oversaw its build and assembly. Although it’s been around since 2005, it’s actually AMG’s most popular engine to date with more than 68,000 units built, and is the recipient of numerous ‘best engine’ awards. Equally rewarding as far as driveability goes is the seven-speed multi-clutch transmission.

AMG calls it the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT seven-speed sports transmission, and again, this is a superb piece of engineering that’s new to the 2012 C 63 model. Comfort mode (‘C’) is perfect for suburban duties or peak-hour madness. Standing starts are performed in second gear for silky smooth motion and there’s a gentle throttle response. Of course, even in C mode, the C 63 AMG can morph into a virtual DTM car, if you choose to drop the throttle in anger. It’s what makes this car so easy to live with on a day-to-day basis. Twist the small rotary dial next to the drive selector to ‘S’ and throttle response is instantly more rapid. The shift points change too now that the engine is allowed to rev higher in each gear ratio before shifting up. ’ or ‘M’ - that’s when up-shifts at full throttle happen in just 100 milliseconds and things go by in a blur, literally. You can use the perfectly good paddle shifters, but once you’re in any of the Sport modes, there’s almost no point. This AMG MCT box will do it better than you, and that includes the downshifts.

Several times I came into turns at high speed and under late braking, and was rewarded with some seriously quick double-declutching downshifts from sixth down to second without lifting a finger off the steering wheel. It’s one of the most addictive in-car processes you are likely to experience in anything short of a Ferrari 458 Italia, but for that kind of money you could buy a fleet of C 63 AMGs. It’s also one of the smoothest multi-clutch transmissions going, with none of the nervousness displayed by those used by several other European manufacturers. You’ll notice the RS setting, which allows for full-traction off-the-line race starts for track days and such, but wasn’t tested during this strictly on-road evaluation. It handles well too, especially given its rather hefty 1730kg mass and the weight of the big V8 up front. Turn in is sharp enough, as is steering response, and traction from the 255s down the back is better than expected even under heavy load. There’s plenty of front-end grip even when pushed.