The current generation Mercedes AMG C63 S is a car for which I have very high expectations. It’s been heralded by Jonny Lieberman of Motor Trend as the best vehicle in the super-sedan set. It mixes the modern formula for power—turbocharging!—with the classic V8 formula. It’s learned to dance through the corners while still being an unabashed hooligan. A thug in a Savile Row suit, this AMG purports to offer both knuckle-dragging excitement and champagne swirling sophistication.
And so, this nasty, yet refined, luxury brute has become the car I most frequently imagine as the replacement for my V8 M3. I expect the AMG to be equally accomplished in mundane driving as in pulse-quickening hoonage. And I envision being surrounded by the finest materials and interior design while the V8 serenades me with automotive orchestral music.
(The recent release of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio has introduced another potential successor to my M3.)
It is with all these hopes and preconceptions that I approach the test car, a black C63 S sedan with silver wheels, and slip into the driver’s seat. I’ve sat in this seat before in a prior visit to the showroom. It is a lovely place to be, a substantial level-up in design and materials versus what BMW puts in its F80 M3 and F82 M4. The Mercedes C-class has beautiful sweeping aluminum accents, high-quality surface materials—carbon fiber in this car, but I actually like the optional open-pore wood better—a sporty steering wheel with Alcantara grips and sensuously sculpted seats swathed in supple leather. Audi used to set the benchmark for automotive interiors; I’d say Mercedes is now the standards bearer.
There are some things about this cabin that I question. The standard seats have aggressive side bolstering but are too wide to support my slim frame. Perhaps there is an adjustment I’ve overlooked; if not, the optional sports seat should remedy the problem. At least I’m sitting low to the ground in this car (just like in the M3). The Alcantara grips at 3 and 9 on the steering wheel will be good at keeping sweaty hands from slipping, but I wonder if they will wear well. The paddle shifters affixed to the back of the wheel are smaller than anticipated and warmer to the touch. Their warmth makes me think they’re plastic, but they’re probably aluminum. Finally, the swoopy interior design results in a larger and more intrusive center tunnel, which makes the cabin tighter and less airy than the large chassis suggests it should be.
I check the legroom on the rear bench to see how practical the C63 is as a family car. I have an inch of clear air between my knees and the back of the driver’s seat. This is an improvement over my M3. However, the headroom is worse, and my head is in firm contact with the ceiling. Kids and adults under 6’ 0” should be comfortable in the rear. Rear-facing baby seats should fit too, or at least they’ll have similar space as what is found in the E90 M3.
Back in the driver’s seat, I fire up the C63 S. A deep burble emits from the engine. The noise is more baritone—and dare I say truckish?—than that of my M3’s S65. AMGs have always sounded more muscular than their M counterparts (especially now that the M4 uses the S55 I6).
I find that the AMG’s automatic gearbox works transparently as I pull out of the lot and onto city streets. It avoids the E90 M3 M-DCT’s slightly herky-jerky engagement from a standstill. In fact, the slow speed behavior is so good that I think it must be a traditional torque-converted automatic: later internet research reveals that the AMG Speedshift MCT 7-speed Sports Transmission (whew!) lacks a torque converter and actually uses a clutch for starts. In very short order, I switch into manual mode and control the shifting via the steering wheel paddles. Each click on the paddle results in an immediate shift. The MCT is as responsive as any DCT I’ve driven.
The car is brand new, and well within its break-in period, so I’m keeping the rpm under 4.5k. Even at low rpm, I manage to spin the cold tires with the first jab of the go pedal. I’m asked by the sales representative in the right-hand seat to take it easy for a bit until the engine and transmission warm-up.
Having mechanical sympathy, I take the time to cruise the gently curving suburban boulevards and explore the ride quality. Mercedes’ softest suspension setting delivers a tight yet comfortable ride: no big jolts disturb the cabin. Switching the adjustable dampers into the Sport+ firmness, some bumps come through harder, but the ride quality is still as good as the E90 M3’s normal setting. Mercedes has achieved the archetypal sports-luxury balance.
Another thing I can explore while waiting for the fluids to heat up is the loud button on the center console. Adorned with a graphic of twin tailpipes, pressing this button toggles the engine note between silent-running and vocal-but-not-actually-loud. (Hmm, maybe it should be called the silent button?) I don’t see the point of driving a V8 AMG and not hearing the exhaust, so I keep the car in its louder setting.
Finally, the digital gauges report that the engine and transmission are warm. I jump on the throttle for a few accelerative blasts. It’s a struggle to observe my artificial 4.5k rpm redline. I thought the C63 S experience would be dominated by the power, but, surprisingly, at low rpm, the AMG never feels brutal or ferocious. Other cars, like the E90 M3 or current Camaro SS, have hyperactive throttle pedals when driven hard in their most track-worthy modes: Every quick throttle change pitches the chassis to and fro. Not in the C63 S. The AMG’s power arrives as smoothly and then carries forth linearly. I’m sure the turbos contribute to this gentle power ramp-up (and lack of razor-sharp throttle response), but otherwise, the delivery feels naturally aspirated. Frankly, it is disappointing that the C63 S’s urge is not as violent as the Camaro’s or M4’s. Still, I should remember my E90 M3 initially came across as lazy too, and it took exploring the highest reaches of the tachometer before I found the manic side of its bimodal sports-luxury personality.
The acceleration runs let me sample the transmission’s Sport+ behavior too. Each upshift is thumped home. The jolt in the back feels theatrical, but theater can be good in a car meant to excite and delight. The MCT’s downshifts don’t produce the exuberant engine blips as I get in my M3, but the AMG’s shifts are perfectly executed. I’d worried in the past that the Mercedes’ transmission could detract from the C63 S, but it turns out gearbox is a real asset to the car.
My test loop only covers sweepers and straightaways, so I never get the chance to really load up the suspension with lateral Gs. As such, I don’t really feel like I know the cornering behavior of this car, other than to say it is composed when doing 50 mph between gated subdivisions. I also don’t really get to know the steering. In the dealer parking lot, it was a little lighter than I expected, but the weight and ratio feel good out on the street. Frankly, the steering did not leave a strong impression on me and was mostly off of my mind during the drive. In a modern car, steering that escapes my notice is actually a good thing. Most modern steering systems tend to detract from the driving experience rather than improve it. In the C63 S, the steering is acceptably good.
My short drive over, I take one more walk around the C63 S to soak in its presence. I like the look of this car, even if the lack of bespoke body panels—no flared wheel arches—make it really hard for me to spot a C63 in LA’s sea of C-classes. Still, the exterior, like the interior, is elegant yet muscular.
Will the C63 S do family duty any better than my E90 M3? I open the trunk and, dismayingly, find that it’s shallower and smaller. What did Mercedes do with the extra three inches of chassis length? Perhaps the C63 S is not really an option if the E90 proves too small for our family of three.
I feel like I sampled the C63 S’s luxury persona today. I like the polish, comfort, precision and sound of this vehicle. Yet, the brash emotionality I expected from this brute was missing. Hopefully, that flavor is just hidden in the C63 S’s sporting persona. I need some hard driving to find out if there is a caged beast hidden in this fine black suit.
Mike's Steering Column 