Munich, Germany - Mercedes' new C63 AMG carries both legacy and expectation. It was born in the shadow of legends such as the C32 and C55 but has joined a V8 fist fight with the likes of BMW's M3 and Audi's RS4.
On paper, the Merc's obvious advantage is grunt. The C63 gets the inside track with 336kW at 6 800rpm, 27kW more than the engineers in Bavaria and Ingolstadt have wrung from their rivals, but there's more than just my-cubes-are-bigger-than-yours at play here.
To start with, the C63 is quite something to look at. It stands there with power domes on the bonnet, an AMG-grille, large air dams, flared wings and "6.3 AMG" logos on its wings and sills. On its tail is a serious black diffuser between two sets of wide, chromed tail pipes (Merc says they minimise back pressure) and a spoiler lip above relatively discreet badging.
The C63 also has wicked new 18" AMG alloy rims shod with 235/40 rubber at the front and and 255/35 at the rear.
Inside, AMG sport seats offer mistress-like hugs while the square-bottomed steering wheel (think GTi/RS4), aluminium shift paddles and instrument cluster with a "6.3 V8" logo in the rev counter (and the ability to flash all red when hitting rev-limiter in manual mode) all demand respect. There's even an AMG menu with "Warm Up" (shows engine oil/coolant temperature), "Set Up" (for ESP and transmission settings) and "RACE" (race timer) modes.
Driving the C63 is, ultimately, what it's all about, but a few small decisions have to be made up front. The first is around the Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic gearbox - you get to choose from Sport, Comfort and Manual - the key difference being that AMG claims the C63 has 30 percent faster changes in Sport than in Comfort; Manual is 50 percent quicker. And the C63 is the first AMG to blip its own throttle during downshifts (think M5/M6).
Start the engine and you're treated not only to the sound of an eight but also a deep, raspy gurgle that becomes more aggressive the harder you squeeze its throat - AMG describes it as "an an all-new sporty AMG sound developed during extensive testing". It's more like a war cry of 336kW waiting to unleash 600Nm of torque.
It's also the first AMG to offer three-stage ESP - lunatics have the option of "ESP Off", which means no nannying whatsoever, while the brave can play with the new "ESP Sport" setting for late over and understeer intervention (probably a great option for a bit of power sliding) - the rest, like those on a media launch, tend to stick to normal ESP.
Real challenge
So, after playing with the cool seats and blipping the throttle a bit to enjoy the pipes, you find a bit of road and start to play. The C63 is manic under pressure and teases you to push it harder and harder to its claimed 0-100km/h sprint of only 4.5 seconds.
The real challenge is changing from first to second manually before hitting the limiter. From there it's AMG Nirvana, the short needle in the speedometer like a magnet chasing polarity on the other end; 210km/h in fourth, 250km/h limiter halfway through fifth (almost 260km/h on the clock). And, to further paint the picture, the C63 is almost as strong as the 350kW dished out by the C-Class touring car in the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) series.
It's incredible really; you climb on to the autobahn, cruise along at between 80 and 120km/h waiting for that beautiful no-speed-limit sign and then hit the limiter in a few seconds of straight-line G-forces - 300km/h would be no problem, and is probably what the C63 is really designed for - especially when you consider that 500 of the 600Nm are available between 2000 and 6250rpm.
But the real surprise was the two hours we spent in the twisties. Benz AMG's have always been quick but the debate has always been about handling. I can confidently say that Mercedes has an AMG that really sticks to a bend. At some point, especially when I knew I was too quick, knew it was a bad idea to brake in the bend, and knew I still couldn't see the exit point, I expected a little bit of slide, but no, the ESP light would flash a few times but the car seemed to be able to absorb the worst - giving us the confidence to try again and again.
The obvious question
And in the same light a lot has to be said for the gearbox. In Sport mode it would drop a gear religiously as you braked hard before a bend, meaning you had optimal acceleration on tap through the curve. Manual was even more promising as it's pure manual; it will hit the limiter and wait for your reflexes to change a gear, it will not do it for you - another great feature for twisties.
So you're probably asking the obvious question: is it better than its fellow natural-born thrillers? It's a difficult one; the RS4 is all-wheel drive but difficult off the line, the M3 has more overall character but only two doors, the C63 is the quickest no doubt but is also the most expensive at an estimated R670 000 (launching in South Africa in the first quarter of 2008).
One thing's for sure, though. This is by far the best C-Class AMG has built. - Star Motoring