Mercedes-AMG C 63 S 2015 Review

I like kangaroos. They’re interesting in an evolution-on-drugs kinda way.

Except when one wants to turn itself into the bonnet emblem of the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S I am driving.

And it’s wet. And it’s early. And I am still half asleep. So is the kangaroo, judging by the way it dozily hopped out of the bushes into my path.

The fact 375kW of V8 C-Class didn’t impale him is testament to just how deeply AMG has embraced the concept of developing capable all-round performance cars.

In the old lead-tipped silver arrows days, that kangaroo wouldn’t have stood a chance, because I wouldn’t have stood a chance of stopping, no matter how hard I stood on the brakes.

Not these days. The big brakes (360mm discs with six-piston callipers up front) that do such a good job in this true-life emergency stop (just check-out the video!) are just as impressive in their capability as the grunt-laden engine or the sure and sharp handling chassis.

Of course the new-generation C 63 S isn’t the first AMG to offer all that. The old 6.2-litre C 63 was a pretty cool beast, as is the 5.5-litre turbocharged E 63 and the four-cylinder A 45.

Not to forget the GT S coupe that we have just sampled on Aussie public roads for the first time* along with the C 63 S. And like the GT S the C 63 S has been a long time coming. We’ve had the sneak peeks, the previews, show reveals and drives overseas.

Go and have a read of those and you’ll find the in-depth story on the technical and equipment specs of this car. But in brief, it’s powered by the new M177 4.0-litre biturbo V8 375kW/700Nm engine, underpinned by the new MRA rear-wheel drive architecture (as per all W205 Cs) and is stuffed with heaps of safety and luxury gear.

The price (before on-road costs) is $154,510 and Benz is proud of pointing out that’s actually cheaper than the $154,900 C 36 launched in 1995.

So what you’re reading here is the first time we can make a call whether this car can be day-to-day liveable in local conditions.

And our judgement is basically yes. We’ve already established that it’s a pretty cool balls-out blaster, but if you intend to buy one of these and are thinking about using it everyday, then it can do that too.

Just.

The trick is to keep that AMG Dynamic Select dial highlighting ‘C’ for Comfort any time you are commuting or cruising. Even then the adaptive dampers will deliver a firm ride. But dialling up from there to Sport and then Sport+ – we won’t even bother discussing Race mode – is a shift from bearable to hard to concrete.

Dialling it up also impacts on the smoothness of the MCT-7 automatic transmission. Navigating through the back streets of inner-city Melbourne in S+ is like being in at the bottom of a rugby union maul. There’s a lot of noise and pain and a desire for it all to be over very soon.

But there are various ways of tailoring things such as the transmission, suspension and exhaust raucousness to suit yourself.

In most ways I was able to find the different combinations that I liked. The only problem was the electric-assist steering, which I would have preferred in Sport mode while the adaptive dampers were in Comfort. But they can’t be separated.

That’s because there was a fraction too much dead area when tilting off top dead centre in Comfort. Switching to Sport didn’t eliminate it, but made the overall feel weightier and more likeable – to me anyway. You may not find the same thing; steering beyond a certain point of refinement and quality comes down to personal preference.

The rest of the dynamic package is darn strong. Brakes we know about, and the car has minimal body-roll and massive grip. You can shake the rear-end loose of course, either because of severe bumps or injudicious throttle use. But it’s impressive how together this package feels, how smoothly and efficiently fast it can be driven.
Low profile 19-inch rubber plays a role in this surety of course, and in the fair amount of noise that’s seeps into the cabin on coarser road surfaces.

And there’s no doubt the engine delivers on a massive and lag-free scale, with peak torque available from 1750-4500rpm. It goes so fast so quickly you will be stunned when you glance at the speedo after just a mildly provocative prod of the throttle. The thunderous soundtrack adds drama and makes any drive that much more special.

You really don’t need to shift manually any time, but it is fun to do just to hear the throttle blipping and the banging and crackling on the over-run.

The driver operates all this from a massively supportive seat via a flat-bottomed steering wheel trimmed in black nappa leather. The controls and layout of the interior are fundamentally familiar C-Class, but the AMG logos, the extra control buttons and that rumbling engine all combine to remind this is something a bit different and more than a bit special.

The interior also helps with day-today use because it’s spacious enough to a accommodate adults front and rear and it’s got plentiful storage in the cabin. The boot can swallow suitcases, golf bags and even a mountain bike when you fold down the rear seats – just like a normal car.

If you need even more carrying capacity there’s always the Estate (+$2500). It is noisier, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing considering how good that engine sounds.

So the C 63 S is somewhat liveable, very lovable and a whole lot of fun. It’s also immensely capable, which no-doubt one dozy kangaroo doesn’t appreciate. I sure do though!

*Yes acknowledged, stop typing. Mount Panorama is a public road. But you know what I mean.

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