Here’s why the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S is all the car you could ever need, for under half a million…

PORTIMAO, PORTUGAL – The easiest way I can think of to explain this AMG stuff is this: when a Mercedes has been worked over by its AMG division, it’s as if it’s been possessed by demons. That tells you why a C 63 is a C-Class with an altered appearance and a scary voice, and why it’s capable of phenomenal feats of strength.

That was certainly the case with the last C 63 AMG, and it pretty much sums up the new Mercedes-AMG C 63. Note the subtle name change, for it brings with it a subtle shift in philosophy.

For starters the last C 63 looked like a steroid fiend in a t-shirt two sizes too small. This new car is more subtle, taking the handsome, elegant shape of the C-Class and applying a buff, spornosexual makeover.

There are AMG’s trademark “power domes” on the bonnet, a grille unique to the C 63 and a front bumper with large air scoops and radiators behind every one of them — an engineer told me the car has eight coolers in all for the engine.

As before, the car has its own front suspension set-up with a wider track, so the flanks bulge out slightly to accommodate the extra width.

19-inch wheels are standard and through their spokes you can see AMG-labelled calipers over the big brakes (cross-drilled, every one of them). There’s a four-tailpipe exhaust (each tip marked with “AMG”, of course) and a tiny wing on the bootlid.

Add a couple of “V8 Biturbo” badges to the front fenders, throw in black mirrors, and your guide to spotting a new C 63 is mostly complete.

Inside, there are typically racy touches like bucket-style seats, and optional swathes of carbon fibre trim.

The instruments set the tone for a bit of illicit fun, with a speedo that reads up to 320km/h, and mock carbon fibre backing for the main dials.

I think it’s nicely restrained overall, although some customers might have wished for a bit more brashness.

But under the bonnet there’s also a more measured approach to things than before. In the past, to make an AMG the engineers would keep adding engine to a Mercedes and conveniently forget to say “stop”. This new car takes a downsized approach, its eight cylinders now displacing 4.0 litres (compared to the last car’s 6.2).

Yet, ther are two turbochargers to compensate, and then some. This time ’round you can have a C 63 with 469bhp or, if you’re the kind of who eats his steak red and dripping, go for a C 63 S with a meaty 503bhp.

On paper, both cars are capable of fireworks. They’re basically as quick to 100km/h as, say, the Lamborghini Gallardo was. The C 63 takes 4.1 seconds to sprint past that benchmark, doing so with laughable ease, which is fairly mind-bending considering it’s basically a luxury sedan at heart.

The C 63 S is only 0.1 seconds quicker to 100km/h, but on the road you can feel the extra urgency that its more torquey engine provides. It warps the scenery a little more intensely, and just feels that bit more alive than the C 63.

MORE: Not turned on by speed? Read about the regular C 200 here. Or the C 250.

Indeed, pricing for both cars in Singapore isn’t out yet, and there could well be a $50,000 gap between the C 63 and C 63 S by the time the tax men are done, but if you ask me you might as well raid the piggy bank for the faster car.

Apart from the ability to bend your face a bit more when you put the hammer down, the C 63 S oozes much more of the hell-raising personality of its predecessor.

It has a standard performance exhaust system with an active flap that lets you free the V8’s wonderful howl. While the standard C 63 is subdued enough to make you feel like you’re missing out on what its predecessor had to offer, the C 63 S and its rumbly, crackling exhaust note just adds a layer of raunchiness that every AMG car should have.

There are other worthwhile hardware differences between the two cars, too. The C 63 S has an electronic rear differential (as opposed to the C 63’s mechanical one) that maximises rear traction actively (instead of waiting for a wheel to start slipping). That allows you not only to blast out of corners with surprising surefootedness, but enables a hilarious new feature in the form of “Race Start”.

That’s basically a launch-control system that allows the rear wheels to spin 10rpm faster than the front ones, which AMG’s engineers have calculated as the fastest way to get underway.

Watch us muck about with it here: 

The C 63 S even has active engine mounts that can soften up for comfort. Engage a sporty mode and the mounts stiffen progressively, to tighten up steering response a teeny bit by preventing the engine from rocking about and exerting some inertia while you aim the Mercedes this way or that.

Perhaps that’s why it feels so reassuring around bends. The suspension’s been masterfully done, so the car never really crashes over street bumps even if you’re in the harshest Sport+ setting, and yet the Mercedes doesn’t lean heavily through the high speed stuff or otherwise lose its composure, even when the tarmac gets all lumpy.

The steering is quite possibly the best I’ve tried in any Mercedes. It’s quick and easy to judge, and so full of feel that you’re never left wondering just how much grip the front tyres have left.

Mind you, there’s a lot.

AMG cars traditionally eat their tyres but the C 63 works beautifully with its rubbers, and consequently it feels like it’s working the driver as well. Through corners it’s just more fluid and  graceful than its predecessor was. If anything, the old C 63 AMG always felt a little bit like it was itching for a fight, particularly in the way the tail end wa
nted to come ’round and kick you in the face.

MORE: GLA 45 AMG – A crossover with a dark side  

Of course, if you turn off all the safety systems, the C 63 S will still drift. Surprisingly though, it doesn’t seem to relish smoking its rear tyres as much as the previous car. It’ll indulge your desire for tail-slidey stuff if you like, but overall it’s one of those cars that feels much better if you try to drive it smoothly.

That’s in line with the car’s makeover. It’s ended up with a lot more depth than before, with better on-road manners than ever. Driven gently (and with the exhaust flaps closed), the C 63 S can keep its engine hushed to the point that you seldom hear more than a creamy wuffle.

That makes it instantly a car of greater depth than the previous C 63, which wanted to raise hell everywhere it went.

MORE: Meet the baby of the AMG family

If you can, spring for the C 63 S, which is far better at offering the full AMG experience than the basic car. Better yet, try the Estate, which is basically to cars what the Stealth Bomber was to planes.

It even has the throatiest voice, because its body shape doesn’t downplay the snarling exhaust as much. It’ll probably cost a good half million or thereabouts, but honestly it’s pretty much all the car you would ever need: five seats, plenty of cargo room, quick as a Lambo and a killer on the track.

And yes, you really ought to take your C 63 S to the circuit. It has demons that need to be exercised from time to time, after all.

NEED TO KNOW
Mercedes-AMG C 63

Engine 3,982cc, 32V, twin-turbo V8
Power 469bhp at 5500-6250rpm
Torque 650Nm at 1750-4500rpm
Gearbox 7-speed automatic
Top Speed 250km/h (limited)
0-100km/h 4.1 seconds
Fuel efficiency 8.2L/100km
CO₂ 192g/km
Price $TBA
Availability June

NEED TO KNOW 
Mercedes-AMG C 63 S

Engine 3,982cc, 32V, twin-turbo V8
Power 503bhp at 5500-6250rpm
Torque 700Nm at 1750-4500rpm
Gearbox 7-speed automatic
Top Speed 250km/h (limited)
0-100km/h 4.0 seconds
Fuel efficiency 8.2L/100km
CO₂ 192g/km
Price $TBA
Availability June

Also consider: BMW M3

Don’t like blue? Why not have your C 63 S in white!

Don’t like white? There’s always “Iridium Silver”