2008 Mercedes C63 AMG Review

Specifications

Mercedes-Benz makes great luxury cars. They also happen to make greatperformance cars. Just the same, most people view the three-pointed star from a cosseting, comforting, prestigious point of view than anything else, a position that the brand has been trying so very hard to change. Through its in-house tuning shop, AMG, Mercedes-Benz has been able to inject sport into almost every model it makes, and in the process has brought out some pretty serious artillery. Most recently there’s been the Black Series SLK 55 and CLK 63, which have come out with guns blazing, and how can anyone ignore the hopped up Mercedes-McLaren SLR 722? A car so awesome they’ve named it after the legendary race car that Juan Manuel Fangio raced.

Sure, it’s fun to talk about the 65-Series sedans, coupes and roadsters with their twin-turbocharged V12s that put out so much power they’re actually electronically limited to prevent damage to the internals, but it’s the mainstream stuff that always gets people talking, especially volume products like the AMG tuned E-Class, dubbed E55, which has been in a power race primarilywith BMW’s M5 and Audi’s S6. Another great one is the C-Class, which as a matter of fact was the first product that AMG modified after it had been officially integrated into Mercedes-Benz. The C-Class’ tuned history spans quite a few years, from 1993 with the launch of the C36 AMG, to the V8-powered C43, and has also included the C32 Kompressor, not to mention the naturally aspirated C55, a prime example of using brute force to earn distinction amongst rivals. In the latest generation of AMG massaged C-Class, the numbers have continued to grow, now named C63.

Five years ago, 300 horsepower would have been considered serious output for a compact luxury car, but not any more as the game has since moved on to bigger and more glorious numbers. Take the Audi RS4, which features 420 horsepower from a 4.2-liter V8, an awe inspiring amount ofpower for such a small car. BMW then matched Audi’s ante with its 420-hp 4.0-liter V8-powered M3. And Mercedes-Benz? Their engine is a 6.2-liter V8 that makes an outlandish 457 horsepower, which, besides putting others in a position to fold is only 20 horsepower off the pace of the engine that powers the C-Class DTM touring race car!

Being a big-bore engine, there’s 442 lb-ft of torque on tap, 369 lb-ft of which is available between 2,000 and 5,000 rpm, an impressively flat torque curve given that there’s no forced aspiration to speak of. This is the same engine that’s been fitted to most of the new AMG cars, like the R-Class, CLK-Class and CL-Class, though the power rating is slightly less, as fitting this big engine into the C’s little bay required some rather restrictive piping.

Performance to 60 mph is rated at 4.3 seconds, making it 0.2 seconds quicker than the RS4 and M3, and top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph. Buyers can also opt to have the limiter raised to 174 mph, something we can see as being one of the more popular options if not merely for bragging rights.

No matter what AMG model selected, one thing stays constant – Mercedes’ insistence on automatic transmissions. Even after BMW returned to a true manual gearbox for the new M3 and this year’s M5, the C63 receives Mercedes’ 7GTronic automatic. It’s been revised with new programming that features two sport modes capable of slashing 30- and 50-percent of the shift times, plus there are paddles for F1-style shifting. Like many new sport automatic transmissions, such as the ZF unit found in the new Jaguar XKR, the gearbox will blip the throttle on downshifts to reduce weight transfer and smooth the shifts out. While the C63 will surely have some enthusiasts pining for a clutch pedal, at least they won’t be cursing the stability control. For the first time on an AMG car, the ESP system can be fully deactivated, letting the driver have full control of the car during track time.

Part of what gave Mercedes-Benz’s engineers the confidence to allow a defeatable ESP system are the changes they’ve made tothe suspension. The widened fender flares on the exterior are put in place as the front track has been expanded by 1.4 inches to accommodate the new front axle (said to be 100-percent stiffer), while the rear track has grown by 0.5 inch. Stiffer springs, firmer dampers and bigger anti-roll bars give better body control, and much of the geometry, including camber on the links and arms, has been tweaked for better control in the bends. Even the big engine has been mounted 0.6 inch further back in the bay than standard C-Class engines, for better balance. Overall steering should be more in tune with performance-oriented driving thanks to a tighter rack with dialed down assistance. In terms of braking, the C-Class features six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers that bite down on mighty 13.8-inch and 13.0-inch discs respectively. It all sounds really quite good considering the regular C-Class has already been claimed as an excellent step forward over the previous generation.

The rest of the C63 AMG is pretty much standard AMG fare, includingbig wheels and tires (18-inches standard, optional upgrade to 19-inches) and a body kit that bulges, flares with intakes and vents for better cooling and breathing. Mercedes has progressively been increasing the visual aggressiveness of its AMG products. Compared to the previous C55 AMG, the new C63 looks ready to hit the track.

Inside, things are a little more reserved with more restrained changes. New sports seats are trimmed in cloth and synthetic leather. Not to sound cheap, but at the price it’s expected to command, why didn’t Merc fit leather as standard? Buyers also get a flat-bottomed sports steering wheel and AMG-specific gauges.

Pricing on the new C63 has yet to be announced, but performance like this doesn’t come cheap. If Audi’s RS4 is anything to go by, the expected price should be around the six-figure mark, perhaps a little more than the Audi. The new C63 will be in dealerships early next year, right on time for the launch of BMW’s new M3.

Specifications (C63):