Over the years I have been fortunate enough to drive to many of the Mercedes-Benz AMG range and I’ve never got out of one feeling anything less than impressed. The fact that all of them, bar the AMG GT and SLS cars all start off as perfectly normal, sensible road cars in the Mercedes range and then the mad scientists at Affalterbach throw away the original instruction manual and shoehorn in these nuclear warheads for engines.
The C63 is no exception to this rule. An entry-level W204 C class will come with cloth interior, 16″ wheels and a 4-cylinder petrol or diesel engine, but the AMG will come with all the toys, bigger wheels, better brakes, and most importantly a 6.2-litre V8 engine churning out a mighty 450bhp and 442lb-ft of torque. This is enough to propel the car from 0-62mph in just 4.5 seconds, pinning you back into your seat in the process.
I think the thing that makes the C63 so good isn’t necessarily the numbers – there are plenty of “good” cars out there with impressive facts and figures – but it’s the way the car feels when all that power is actually applied and the C63 does it in such a way that it makes you want to drive and drive and drive until the rear tyres are no more. As soon as you fire up that big 6.2-litre V8 you get a tingle right down your spine. There’s an awesome bellow followed by deep burble as the revs settle into idle. A quick blip of the throttle and the car shakes from side to side as the exhaust crackles and raws. It’s addictive, but it’s also only the start.
Driving the C63 is always a brilliant experience, and one I’ll never tire of. You sit in a nice and comfortable cabin surrounded by heated leather and all the gadgets you could ever need in a car and around town the car feels just like any other mid-sized saloon, it’s even quiet at low revs and the upgraded 7-speed MCT automatic gearbox in this facelift model means there’s no heavy clutch to manage in traffic . But it’s when the town ends and the open road begins that you’re instantly reminded of what it is you’re actually driving. As you give it some more throttle, you feel the rear hunker down a bit and then you’re off like a bullet from a gun. This car changes speed in a way that would only expect supercars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis, and as for the sound, who doesn’t love the thunder from a big shouty V8 on full chat?!
With this being a facelift model, there have been a few improvements to suspension and steering including front end suspension from the now-iconic CLK63 Black Series. As a result, the car feels a lot more balanced than the pre-facelift models so the steering gives a lot more back to the driver and you just have a bit more confidence in the car’s handling. This is all very good and much needed, but do not be under the impression that this has turned the C63 into a nimble and agile track weapon, it hasn’t, it’s just made it feel a bit more polished. This car is an animal to drive. Where it’s competitor, the E9X BMW M3 is all very serious and direct, the C63 just wants to have fun and make a lot of noise in the process.
This car absolutely loves lighting up the rear tyres and hanging its back-end out at any opportunity, which seems to be a running trend amongst AMG badged cars, and it’s so much fun to drive because of this. It’s almost impossible to drive this car without a great big smile on your face, it’s just a bit mad. If you want big power, big sound and a hell of a lot of fun, then the C63 AMG is the performance saloon for you. I can list the number of cars every daily drive everyday for the rest of my life on one hand, and one of them is the C63 AMG. More specifically, this era of C63 AMG.
In 2015 the W204 C class replaced by the current W205 and with that so was the fabulous 6.2 V8 engine with a smaller, more economical and earth-friendly 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 lump. The new engine isn’t a bad engine at all, in fact, it’s brilliant, but it has just taken away some of the magic the older naturally aspirated unit provided. The 6.2 has this beautifully raw sound and delivery, like driving a proper muscle car and the new W205 seems to be lacking that overall feel.
This particular C63 is currently available to buy through our Well Driven Approved page and the advert can be found HERE!