The Mercedes-AMG C63, one of my all-time favourite cars, is no longer what it was. What!? No way, I hear you cry. Well, yes, because its legendary 6.3-litre V8 engine which gave this car its irresistible aggressive personality is no more. In fact, it shouldn’t really be called a C63 anymore because under that bulging bonnet sits a 4-litre, twin-turbo V8.
Perhaps it should be called the C4…or perhaps not because that’s an explosive…but hang on…on second thoughts, having just driven the amazing looking Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe Edition 1, explosive is a word that suits what is an astonishingly macho piece of kit.
Anyway, moving swiftly on, any thought that ditching the 6.3-litre naturally aspirated engine and replacing it with the twin-turbo 4-litre powerplant would be a negative thing is quickly blown out of the water as soon as you sit in this car and push the ignition button.
The engine bursts into life with a deep baritone burble which just whets the appetite for the madness that follows. It really is impossible not to eulogise about a car that sounds and looks like this – okay the yellow stripe is a bit dodgy but that is there because this C63 is inspired by the Mercedes DTM, German Touring Car which has the same matt grey and yellow stripe colour scheme. Some will love it, but go-faster stripes don’t do it for me, particularly on a car that really doesn’t need any help to go quicker than almost every other sports coupe of the road.
Everything about this car screams motorsport from the stealth-like matt paint, aggressive yet stylish diamond-mesh front grille, A-wing front apron and power-bulge bonnet, lovely black wheels and the carbon-fibre trims on the wing mirrors, side sills and an absolutely gorgeous rear with its carbon-fibre splitter with integral exhausts and rear spoiler.
This is truly a car that turns heads for all the right reasons. It is longer and wider than its predecessor, has wider wheels for better traction and sits 15mm lower than the saloon version of this beast.
The interior is just as impressive, with Nappa leather performance seats which have increased lateral support, DINAMICA micro-fibre trimmed sports steering wheel and lovely trims, and that yellow makes another appearance in the heavy stitching on the leather.
The carbon-fibre trim in our test drive car left you in no doubt that this was a machine built for speed.
The infotainment system is what you find in all the latest Mercedes with the choice of operating it with a touch-pad controller or circular dial on the centre console which I found far easier to use. The car’s systems and configuration are accessed visually via the large colour screen which dominates the dash, sitting just above the brushed metal air con pods. These screens have been around for a while now but it still looks as though it has been stuck on the dash because there is nowhere else to put it. Mercedes need to find a better way of integrating the screen.
Apart from that minor irritation, this really is a spectacular cabin and sets things up nicely for the most important part – the performance.
The engine has 510bhp and 700nm of torque and is married to a seven-speed automatic gearbox which puts the power down to the rear wheels. There are paddle-shifters offering a more engaging drive but I wouldn’t bother much with those because you will be too busy holding on to the steering wheel for dear life when you open this beauty up.
It has a 0-100kmh time of 3.9 seconds and if you have the bottle to hold your foot in this ballistic missile on wheels will catapult you to an electronically limited top speed of 250kmh with an appropriate sound track from those exhausts to accompany what is a raw adrenalin rush. Without question this is the most fun you can have in a sports coupe without actually taking to the race track, and this car would be at home on a circuit because there is a Race setting on the drive mode selector. The other modes are Comfort (why would you bother?), Sport, Sport+ and Individual and you can also adjust the suspension.
In Sport+ the ride can be a bit harsh over uneven surface but there aren’t too many of those on the UAE’s excellent roads and the drive experience in this setting really does get the hairs on the back of your neck bristling.
It is an easy car to drive and handles magnificently thanks to its chassis and suspension design. It never feels scary, even in Sport+ and Race mode, if you are mad enough to try that on normal roads, but it demands total respect because the temptation to push this baby to the edge of the envelope and beyond is almost irresistible.
As mentioned earlier the AMG C63 has always been on my top ten list of cars but this Sport Coupe Edition 1 really takes it into a different stratosphere. It has to be the best sports coupe currently on the road and certainly earns its stripes.
