NEW YORK MOTOR SHOW: Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 upgraded

Ever looked at the new Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe and thought “if only that thing had 375kW of power”?

Somebody at AMG did and now the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 and GLC 63 Coupe have burst out of the blocks with either 350kW or, in the S guise, 375kW of V8 power.

Once again only the top-shelf S variant will be available in Australia — from October, when it will join the facelifted Mercedes-Benz GLC line-up due here in the third quarter of this year. Local pricing is yet to be announced, but the outgoing Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 costs $165,395 in wagon form and $172,400 for the ‘Coupe’.

As part of the upgrade for the GLC 63, which was already the fastest SUV to lap the Nürburgring Nordschleife with a 7:49 lap time, the twin-turbo 4.0-litre AMG V8 also twists out either 650Nm or 700Nm.

This allows the base version of the only biturbo V8-powered model in its class to hit 100km/h in four seconds flat and the more expensive S version to get there in a ridiculous 3.8 seconds.

Mercedes-AMG has limited the top speed of both body styles to 250km/h, though the AMG Driver’s Package can lift that the 270 – an up to 280km/h for the S.

All four GLC 63 variants employ air suspension, adaptive damping, an electronically controlled differential lock and fully variable all-wheel drive, and the S model uses dynamic engine mounts, too.

"The lap record on the [Nurburging] North Loop has proven to impressive effect that the GLC 63 is right at the top of its segment in terms of vehicle dynamics,” AMG boss Tobias Moers said.

There’s not just extra power, either, because the AMG version of the GLC twins have new headlight and tail-lights, optional 21-inch wheels, a pair of 90mm tailpipes, AMG-specific additions to the infotainment and user-interface systems, and a new steering wheel.

The AMG infotainment additions add warm-up, set-up, G-force and engine data to the list of information in the feedback loops, plus there’s a Track Pace head-up display option.

Check out full New York Show gallery at motoring.com.au