Instrumented Test
Karl Benz is getting the short end of the stick now that all of the hot-rod Mercs are moving under the Mercedes-AMG umbrella—a transition that began with the new AMG GT—but he might be happy to know that his name still exists on the hood emblem. Perhaps even more comforting, though, is that his spirit is as alive in the redesigned Mercedes-AMG C63 sedan as it is in any Mercedes-Benz–badged vehicle.
Indeed, as with non-AMG C-class models, the C63 cabin is awash in first-rate materials. The wood trim, suede-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel, and sport seats covered in supple leather are high points in an interior that’s more attractive than any in the class. The only misstep to many of our eyes is the 7.0-inch infotainment screen tacked onto the dash like a docked iPad Mini. If it were better integrated or could be motored away from view, the interior might be perfect—as it is, we already named the regular C’s cabin the best you can buy for less than $60,000.
The W205-generation C-class grew a bit in every key dimension, and the workaday versions leverage their softened styling to give the impression of a baby S-class. But carrying the same basic lines to the AMG make it not quite the aesthetic ass-kicker that the last-gen model was, with that car’s square-jawed bad-boy look toned down with rounded intakes and fenders. Roughly three additional inches of wheelbase and four more inches of overall length give the new C63 some extra space on the inside, however, particularly in terms of rear-seat legroom.
While rear-seat passengers may be comfortable in terms of stretch-out space, they bear most of the brunt of the firm ride character imparted by the AMG-tuned suspension and 35-series rubber wrapping 19-inch wheels. For the most part, the taut ride doesn’t cross the line to outright harsh, but those who live anywhere with cratered roads will wish for a suspension mode mellower than the softest of the three available settings.
The Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires pay major dynamic dividends, though, with their substantial lateral grip: The new C63 S’s 0.98 g crests the 0.93-g high-water mark we recorded from the previous C63 AMG Black Series coupe. Armed with this major level of stick, plus adaptive dampers and crisp steering, the C carves up two-lanes with a telepathic smoothness never before found in C-class AMGs.
Those who frequently find themselves creeping along in herdlike traffic—always the most torturous driving situation—may want to get the $2800 Driver Assistance package that was on our test vehicle. This bundle imbues the C63 with the same semiautonomous capability as the much bigger S-class. Set the cruise control, for example, and the car will follow its lane markers and pace traffic. It doesn’t allow for fully autonomous driving—you must nudge the steering wheel every so often—but no steering inputs are required if traffic is slow enough (a fast jogging pace and below). Watching televised chess is less painful than crawling through stop-and-go traffic, so we can get behind any piece of tech that makes this particular scenario as painless as possible.
The engine-downsizing movement is in full swing, and AMG is not immune to its effect. Thus the C63’s V-8—now the only eight-cylinder in its class—shrinks in displacement from 6.2 liters to 4.0 while gaining a pair of turbochargers. Luckily, the car doesn’t lose too much of the raunchy exhaust note we’ve come to love, although there’s no doubt it sounds slightly tamer than before. The C63 S we tested uses a 503-hp version of this engine, whereas the base C63 packs “just” 469 horses and saves you $8000. But either model tops the 425-horse BMW M3 and the 464-hp Cadillac ATS-V.
Of course, the C63 might need to have the strongest engine options, as the S tested here is the heaviest of that bunch, at 3939 pounds. Still, that’s 53 pounds lighter than the last C63 sedan we tested. In terms of acceleration, we found that we could beat the launch-control program of previous C63s through careful throttle manipulation, but that isn’t the case with the new car. After activating the new C63’s launch protocol via a convoluted sequence of button presses, dial turns, pedal depressions, and steering-wheel-paddle actuation, we shot the C63 S to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, a tenth behind the old Black Series coupe, and through a quarter-mile in 12.2 seconds, a dead heat with the Black. It is also pretty much tied with the new M3, making any and all barroom arguments moot. Feel free to defend your German weapon of choice, but know that they’re equally quick.
The C63’s performance at the other end of the longitudinal-force spectrum is equally impressive. Stopping from 70 mph in 147 feet is at the top of the field and marks another improvement—by 13 feet—over the Black Series. Part of the braking performance is no doubt due to the $5450 B07 brake setup fitted to our review car, which brings 15.8-inch carbon-ceramic front rotors. The rear rotors are still iron, as Mercedes says the extra fade resistance of the ceramic setup wasn’t needed at both axles, and halving the components keeps the overall cost down. Even so, these ceramics are a lavish option, one that helped push the $72,825 base price of our C63 S to an eye-watering $91,080 as tested.
Like most other AMG products, a multiplate clutch pack couples the engine to the automatic transmission. We found the engagement here to be rather quirky; sometimes it would work perfectly, engaging with the smoothness of a torque converter, while at other times it would allow the engine to over-rev and induce a lurch. Setting the transmission to Sport cleans it up a bit, but we’d be happier if one mode did everything perfectly. If only ol’ Karl were still here—he might have made sure the engineers futzed enough with the code to alleviate what we consider the most significant fault in an otherwise excellent and thoroughly improved sports sedan.
