Mercedes-AMG have given the world the all-new low-fat, high-muscle turbocharged version of the C 63; only now it’s available in two choices, and India gets the more powerful C 63 S. How much more evolved is it? Let’s find out.
Story: Jim Gorde
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
Muscle cars are intended to pack big engines and rocket down a straight line. Over the years, though, things have changed. Both hemispheres, west and east, did things very differently. Eyes were opened and measures were taken to evolve in accordance with what seemed ideal; moving with the times. Downsized, yes. Better? Maybe or maybe not. Smaller engines that drink less and deliver more power, with inevitably more torque, are the norm, and for good reason. There’s only so much fossil fuel left; makes sense to use it wisely.
The old C 63 AMG (as it was called then) with the Affalterbach badge on the other side had a massive 6.3-litre (6,208-cc) V8, no turbos, no bull. It revved to 6,800 RPM and delivered a baritone soundtrack to rival some of the best muscle cars. No rude braps, those; they were deep, meaningful notes that made your inner speed-demon smile. That was half a decade ago. Evolution has hit hard, and, while competitors have lopped off cylinders and reduced displacement, compensating power gaps with forced induction, Mercedes found a way to do just two out of three and deliver all the goods and more.
Four litres, that’s 36 per cent less displacement than the older engine, but with the same number of cylinders. Let me take you back to the W204 before we proceed. There may not have been a 63 and a 63 S, but we did get a 457-PS 63, a 507-PS Edition 507 and even a 517-PS Black Series — the highest performance version. In the W205 C 63, power is up to 476 PS, with this, the C 63 S, getting 510. That’s three more than the Edition 507 and just seven short of the ultimate — the C 63 Black. Before we forget, torque has gone up, too, and by a considerable amount. Where the old C 63 managed 600 to 620 Nm, this one has 650 Nm in standard guise, and 700 in S guise.
Of course, this isn’t all about power. It’s the whole deal. The W205 C-Class was first tested using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), with the model being generated using hundreds of terabytes of data. The car was lighter and more aerodynamic, and promised cleaner, more efficient performance in terms of air-flow and fuel consumption. The AMG C 63 was the next step: hand-built engines and the use of turbochargers located inside the ‘V’, or ‘hot inside V’. The big change, though, are the cylinder dimensions.
Where the old M156/159 use a 102.2-mm bore and 94.6-mm stroke, the new M178/179 engines (also seen in the AMG GT/GT S and G 500 4×4²) use a slightly shorter stroke, at 92 mm, but a bore of just 83 mm, making the new engine a long-stroke, revving lower than the mad old 6.2 6.3 V8. Don’t fret; you still get massive power thanks to the twin turbochargers. Being located inside the V means less distance for the exhaust gases to travel and less spin-up delay for the compressors. All these factors mean better engine response and little or no turbo-lag. Being paired to the AMG SpeedShift sport transmission with rear-wheel drive, it feels more exciting than it sounds.
History and science lessons done, the new C 63 S is a beautiful automobile. The longer bonnet, swoopier cabin and well-rounded boot make it reminiscent of the larger S-Class; more of a family resemblance than ever before. The headlamp and tail-lamp clusters, in particular, make it very difficult for a novice to tell the difference from a distance. Until the additional details and sheer difference in size become evident.
The handsome new 2016 AMG C 63 is hardly a muscle car to the eye. It’s dressed in a smart metal suit, that’s pressed in the German countryside and doesn’t bark at others interrupting their conversations; unless prodded. Dismissing those drawn parallels, it’s larger than its predecessor — which qualified on pole as a German muscle car — and has a lot more features and creature comforts as well. There are several reasons which make it a compelling buy.
One, it seats four, even five, in proper comfort, with a proper roof-line that doesn’t look like it intends to decapitate rear-seat occupants. The new aero work, from the grille and its silk-metal garnish to the air-dam with its dressed carbon-fibre splitter, are all subtle hints of its sporty credentials. Then there’s the power dome on the bonnet that speaks of the extra cylinders underneath. All said and done, the difference in styling is not too far from the regular sedan, unlike the W204 that had more obvious visual clues. Look at the wheel-arches, they’re identical to the C 220’s; no flared, more aggressive curves. In fact, the AMG model even runs the same track, unlike the W204 which had both front and rear wheels further apart. Although the 19-inch wheels wrapped in mixed rubber fill them up well.
Draped in carbon, the interior of the AMG C 63 S is definitely unlike the four-cylinder models. The leather-wrapped chopped wheel with alcantara inserts and matte-aluminium trim feels light, but well-weighted. The trim reaches across the cabin, lending it an elegantly sporty feel. None of the raw, snug feelings from its similar-engined more expensive smaller counterpart in here. The black leather seats with the seal of Affalterbach embossed on the head restraints held me well in the tightest of corners. Room at the rear, too, is good, but that’s not what this car is about now, is it?
The primary contenders around the globe have always been the BMW M3 and the Audi RS 4 (which, for the past two generations, has only seen an Avant body style). Then they went and made two- and four-door versions and created an entirely different palate of flavours, or is it a palette, really? The same brush painted additional rear doors on some and even changed the name; the M4, for instance. It seems like only yesterday that I took the mammoth 6.2 6.3-litre C 63 AMG for a spin. That was four years ago. This one feels different, in tune with the changes, but, dare I say, better.
Urgency? It’s there. The last C 63 we had here in India was 53 PS and 100 Nm down on this new C 63 S. The additional 2,226 cc (one whole Audi Quattro) the old V8 had was as much about bark as it was about bite. Even so, this full-blown four-litre eight delivers on numbers and decibels. The mode selector helps keep volume levels in check. Spin the rotary knob from ‘Comfort’ to ‘Sport+’ and the C acknowledges with an almost grizzly-bear-in-the-back ‘Grrrr!’
Steering tightened, suspension stiffened — further — and teeth clenched tighter, we began attacking the corners that lay ahead. Planted. Absolutely planted was the C 63 S through the bends. I must admit my foot wasn’t mashing that well-dressed aluminium pedal in the right corner, but there was no hint of oversteer, and it carried good speeds through the corners, only letting a few tyre squeals through as it clawed its way around. Tempted as I was to test the limits of grip further, it was evident that it would hold itself well and stay composed through almost all the madness I was planning. Not wanting to put Pre-Safe to the test, I refrained from any unneeded shenanigans.
Let’s get to the other numbers. The C 63 S is, of course, imported as a CBU and that means a price tag of Rs 1.3 crore, before local taxes. The V8 delivers the goods, but the price you pay for the bass-solo rivalling soundtrack is four km/litre in the city, and a surprisingly pleasant 8.5 km/l on the highway. Not bad at all for a still big V8 with 510 horses on tap. Just goes to show that sometimes two out of three ain’t all that bad. Mercedes-AMG got it spot-on. It’s like a lesson to enthusiasts, car-makers and green peas alike: less displacement and lower fuel consumption can still be achieved with eight cylinders. And, just for that, I give it a full-blown two thumbs-up!
