Mercedes AMG C63 S Review

Mercedes AMG C63 S Review: AMG! Three magic letters which come together to represent the holy-grail of ‘push-you-back-in-the-seat’ levels of power that ‘Star-Struck’ folks have come to revere over the years. The performance it promises reaches into the deepest parts of your soul & sets it on fire. 

The AMG C63 S came to us swathed in a gorgeous, metallic red colour that drew a collective gasp from the first time we laid our eyes on her. Building on the already handsome lines of the regular C, Mercedes have subtly enhanced the exterior to visually support a restrained, but unforgettable look. The bumpers at both, the front as well as the rear have been redesigned, for starters. Meanwhile, the bonnet now features a prominent power-bulge as well, that adds a fair bit of purpose to the front. The headlights though, are the typical Mercedes units and look right at home, flanking the single-slat grille in the middle.

Move down the side & you see some more of the carbon-fibre accents, in the side skirts and more at the back. Then there’s the chromed, quad-exhaust tips that along with the brushed-aluminium strip running through from end-to-end, provides a nice contrast to proceedings at the back. Thankfully, Mercedes haven’t gone overboard with the carbon-fibre and the underlying elegance of the C-Class comes shining right through.

Mercedes AMG C63 S Engine:

The AMG badged C63 previously meant a large hearted V8 motor that had been massaged by the magicians at Affalterbach to showcase the very best of naturally-aspirated goodness from every inch of its 6.2 litre displacement. Driving enthusiasts the world over, worshipped it at the altar of Automotive Greatness & considered it to be the first of its kind to take the battle over to arch-rival, the BMW M3 & beat it at its game. The AMG-badging meant that everything, from the very heart of the car to the finer details were taken to the pinnacle of motoring perfection.

The new, AMG C63 S sports the same, iconic V8 architecture, but has now been downsized to 4.0-litre (3982cc, to be exact) and gets two hungry turbochargers which promise to stay true to the naturally-aspirated tradition of soul-shredding power with a glorious soundtrack to boot. We find out, if all those promises are as good as they can get…

For all those that are asking, the new AMG C63 S, on paper, offers even more power & torque than it ever offered in its older, naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 guise. What’s more, the new 4.0 litre V8 returns better fuel efficiency figures than before, thanks to all the low-friction materials used in construction. Mercedes claims that their car can return as much as 12 km/l & while we’re not doubting the abilities at all, there’s still the fact that when you’re at the wheel of an AMG, high fuel efficiency is last on the mind!

In terms of pure numbers, the AMG C63 S has roughly 510 race-bred ponies lurking under that hood and 700 Nm of torque. Plot that against a 7000rpm redline & you’ve got all the right ingredients of a high-octane symphony that’s as glorious an ode as can be to serenade the Gods in motoring heaven.

Out in the real world, we’ll say this: the new 4.0-litre bi-turbo ticks all the right boxes that it had to, if it were to follow in the footsteps of the iconic 6.2-litre naturally aspirated elder sibling. The way it goes through the rev-range is an experience in itself. The power comes surging through from a low 1750rpm, right up to 4000rpm; then going beyond, all the way before the rev-limiter cuts in at 7000 rpm. The magicians at Affalterbach have done a superlative job at the gearing & the engine maps that there’s simply no lag or let-up all through the rev range. The seven-speed AMG Speed-Shift MCT gearbox may be missing the dual-clutch trick-bits from the AMG-GT, but for most sense & purposes, few drivers will find anything missing even in this, single-clutch version.

And then there is the sound! No AMG is complete without a glorious soundtrack to accompany it when the horses come charging through & the AMG C63 S is no different. It comes with a specially tuned sports exhaust system as standard and the roar it makes with the exhaust valves open is sweet music to the heart, ears & soul.

The steering is a class act, and the AMG C63 S is a delight to pilot on long, dark strips of tarmac. She dances to every flick of the wheel, surging forward with every dab of the throttle pedal. It is as if the car & driver are fused together, responding to every input the moment the thought has flashed through the mind. And while the scenery is rushing past the windows in a mighty blur, the cabin remains the epitome of luxurious calm. The C63 AMG is equally at home in the city, with the car being high on manoeuvrability, thanks to the generous glass area & a precise steering. You do have to gingerly tip-toe around broken patches though, for the low ground clearance can easily catch you off-guard. You’ll find yourself itching to drive out onto the open highway at every opportunity that presents itself.

Everything from the dashboard layout to the air-conditioning vents and the infotainment screen tells you that you’re in a Mercedes-Benz. The alcantara wrapped steering wheel is meaty to hold, with the gorgeous twin-pod instrumentation cluster peeking from behind it. Everywhere you look and touch, there’s a mix of leather and bits of carbon-fibre. Things are solidly built and feel like they’ll last a lifetime. The seats in the new C63 AMG are a throwback to the ones that came in the previous generation. Featuring full-electronic controls, drivers across sizes & shapes will have no problems finding the sweet spot behind the wheel. Under-thigh support too has been thought of and can be controlled via the touch of a button. Move to the rear seat & you’ll immediately wish that the C63 AMG was just as roomy at the back. But this is an AMG after-all, and buying one for back-seat comfort is a strong indication that you should sign up for a thorough check-up.

As is befitting the AMG badge, Mercedes have gone to town when kitting up the AMG C63 S on the features & safety kit. With the latter, the German manufacturer has thrown the entire kitchen sink in. So the AMG C63 S comes with a full complement of seven air-bags in total. There’s also the top-shelf ABS, EBD and all other electronic nannies that one can think of. In terms of comfort & cabin features, there’s the usual fully articulated steering wheel, all audio controls at the finger-tips plus a snazzy heads-up display. Plus there’s also the party-trick that is the 360-degree parking assist camera vision. You also get a 13-speaker Burmester audio system, for those times, when you got to listen to a soundtrack other than the one that’s coming from the pipes. Braking remains sharp as ever, thanks to the massive discs all-round that peek from behind the multi-spoke, black alloys which offer a wonderful contrast to things as well. Our car came with the optional Carbon-Ceramic brake package which reeled in the car from the ridiculous speeds it is capable of, as quickly as it would take off.

Pitched head-on against arch-nemesis, the BMW M3, the Mercedes AMG C63 S shines through like a bright star on a dark, moonless night. Not only does the C63 AMG sport better power & torque figures than the M3 but it also returns a higher fuel efficiency figure (thereby rubbing some salt in the wounds). The M3 may be a few thousand rupees cheaper to buy, but when you’re getting the sort of performance edge as you get with the C63 AMG and better fuel efficiency figures, are you really going to complain? We thought not! Never thought we’d be uttering the words AMG & sensible in the same line, but it gives you an indication of just how potent the Mercedes AMG C63 S is as a package. It truly is the real deal.

We were supposed to have the Mercedes AMG C63 S for only a short while, but we were so smitten, that we ended up losing track of time. The warning bells finally began to ring through in our heads though & with a heavy heart we knew we had to bid adieu. As a package, we must admit that we were thoroughly impressed with the Mercedes AMG C63 S. The new heart, though smaller in displacement, is just as large when it came to real-world performance & thanks to the magicians at Affalterbach, it even sounded as exciting as the old one. Poised beautifully at the cusp of performance and elegance, the AMG C63 S convinced even the purists among us that change, even when necessary, can still retain all the magic of yore! The new Mercedes AMG C63 S.