Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupe 2015 Review

Mercedes-Benz C 63 S Coupe
International Launch Review
Malaga, Spain

So by now we all know Australian Benz buyers opt for AMG versions far more often (in percentage terms) than any other market in the world. Be proud you lot! Now comes the coupe version of the lauded C 63 S and it’s easy to guarantee the trend won't be slowing down any time soon -- not with this car delivering an even higher performance potential than its sedan counterpart. Is it better? What do you think…

It’s nice to talk to an engineer about a new car and have him explain that the most important new feature is something metal. Not something measured in megabytes, not something that wants to drive for you, not something you tune on a laptop.

So standing with Bjorn Steiguber beside a body-in-white of the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupe while he explains the big deal about this car is its rear axle, which I can see, touch and probably smell if I get down really close to it sure beats sitting in a darkened room being lectured on the latest series of acronyms that are leeching away my driving time.

And then the clincher. After explaining how the five-link rear-end used by the rest of the C-Class including the C 63 sedan was widened, fundamentally redesigned and made stiffer, Steiguber gets to the why.

As in ‘why do this when the C 63 sedan works pretty darn well with the previous suspension set-up and the same epic M177 4.0-litre 375kW/700Nm biturbo V8 engine?'

"We thought we could even do better than the sedan. It is as simple as that,” Steiguber responds with nary a flicker of emotion.

“That is one of the most important things of AMG, it needs to be the sportiest car, and not just by objects but by performance as well.

“That was part of the deal.”

For more on the rear axle and other tech aspects of the C 63 S go here and for a wrap-up of its concept from its recent unveil at the Frankfurt auto show, check Marton Pettendy’s wrap-up here. For our first drive impression keep reading.

But a couple of quick details; the C 63 S Coupe gets to Australia next March-April, but we don’t know the pricing. The locals want it to be close to the old Edition 507, the last of the 6.2-litre big-bangers, so about $160,000. In addition to the new rear axle and a lower final drive ratio to aid acceleration -- 3.9 sec 0-100km/h, which pips the sedan by 0.1 – the coupe also has a bespoke body with massively flared front and rear fenders.

In addition to that the coupe also gets a bunch of go-fast goodies that the sedan introduced including AMG Ride Control sports suspension with electronically controlled shock absorbers, an electronic rear locking differential and AMG Dynamic Select drive programs, dynamic engine mounts and a performance exhaust.

Gotta love all that. And a few minutes later out on the Circuito Ascari race track I really am.

It’s only the first in a couple of two-and-a-half flying lap sessions in the new king of the C-Class range, but it’s enough to realise how great it is in a way that lovers of traditional Aussie performance car fans will flock to; it’s a V8, it’s got massive grunt, an animal edge and an ability to wire itself into your nervous system and demand you go harder.

It doesn’t suck to the road. Nope, it tries to go sideways if you unintentionally – or intentionally – apply too much throttle at the wrong moment. Get it going and it gobbles road, slicing through the gears and pounding out a low, loud, fat soundtrack. The Michelin Pilot Super Sports gets all squirrelly under hard braking as you run it in deep and clamp hard on the optional 402mm ceramic brakes in a desperate attempt to hang on to the group leader’s coat tails.

It’s some bloke in an AMG GT named Bernd Schneider… he’s pretty quick and could make a career out of motor racing if he wanted to...

Then it’s back hard on the throttle, bang through the gears, back on the brakes, get the thing turned and go again, all the while negotiating a track that rises, falls and jinks and wanders among trees with armco fencing in places where some run-off and a gravel trap might make more sense.

It sounds kinda frightening, but it wasn't. I was too busy being exhilarated to worry. But there’s no doubt that if my ambitions exceeded my ability by too much then there was going to be one hell of an accident.

But with Dynamic Select set to Race — which means the engine, suspension and steering are as eager and focussed as they can be, and the ESP Sport Handling Mode provides the background supervision us mere mortals sometimes need (yes I know I railed against digital stuff earlier, but that doesn’t mean some of it isn't worthwhile) -- you have one formidable car at your disposal and ready to let fly.

Oh and what about that rear axle? It works darn well. The added rubber it allows certainly gives the car more confidence when swapping direction. Even though it weighs 1725kg (a touchy subject with the AMG boys), it feels lithe. Challenge it and it responds.

Dump the throttle and it obliges by spinning the rear wheels up in a plume of smoke and painting the road black. Good fun.

On the road, the C 63 S is still a lot of fun, but in a different way. Yes, you can still attack, but a fair safety margin is required compared to the track. Now you can pay more attention to that chubby flat-bottomed steering wheel, belting performance exhaust, the clean, quick shift of MCT 7 transmission’s manual mode, the textured response of the front-end via the fast electro-mechanical steering and tuned four-link front-end and how well the standard cast-iron discs perform too.

You can enjoy looking out over that power-bulged bonnet, relax in the comfort of the big one-piece seat and even fiddle around through the performance data that is exclusive to the AMG version.

Now forget the fun, what about the commute? Dial it all back to Comfort mode and the S nearly fits the bill. There’s even idle-stop and sailing functions to save fuel – supposedly 8.9L/100km but don’t believe it. And of course, there’s no shortage of those digital driving aids to take the load off…

The ride is still unforgiving, but it is liveable -- in the front seat that is. Like the mainstream C-coupe’s it is based on, rear-seat room is poor and boot storage is even worse, at just 355 litres.

But then if you’re buying a C 63 S Coupe for rear-seat room and boot space then you’re looking at the wrong car. Simple as that.

The C 63 S coupe is another performance step forward for AMG, yet it breaks no boundaries and doesn’t pretend to be anything that it’s not. It’s completely up to date yet entirely old fashioned. It’s going to be fascinating pitching it up against the lighter, high-tech six-cylinder BMW M4.

So thanks Bjorn and all your nutty mates at AMG. You didn’t have to make a better car, but you did. And we are grateful for it.

2015 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupe pricing and specifications:
On Sale: March-April 2016
Price: $160,000 (estimated)
Engines: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol
Outputs: 375kW/700Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.9L/100km
CO2: 209g/km
Safety rating: TBC

What we liked:
>> Massive engine
>> Sure handling
>> Big character rewards effort

Not so much:
>> Small boot
>> Cramped in the back seat
>> Road noise from big tyres on coarse surfaces

Also consider:
Audi RS5 (from $157,510)
BMW M4 (from $149,000)
Lexus RC F (from $133,110)