While the Estate is our favourite version of the C 63 family, the Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe is a fitting range topper. It’s more than just a two-door version of the saloon - it offers a more hardcore driving experience. A fabulous engine and chassis are neatly served up under a body that shouts brute force. A UK test against the BMW M4 is needed, but on this first taste we’d say it has the measure of the BMW.
We were blown away by the Mercedes-AMG C 63 saloon earlier this year, and the estate version tested soon after added a welcome dose of practicality into the mix. With such a good basis to begin with, surely the more desirable and svelte two-door C 63 Coupe cannot fail to impress?
Well let’s get to the answer straight away – it doesn’t. But there’s far more to it than that. While the C 63 Saloon and Estate impress with their impressive blend of stonking performance and space for five people, the Coupe has to offer a little more blood and guts; it has to give us something more raucous.
It’s for this very reason that Mercedes hasn’t just grafted on a pretty new face - the Coupe gets its own unique setup underneath. The track has been widened by 73mm at the front and 46mm at the rear, while there’s also tweaked dampers and an entirely new multi-link rear axle.
The body is suitably pumped up too, reflecting the Coupe’s position at the top of the C 63 family tree. The standard Mercedes C-Class Coupe only donates its doors, roof and boot lid – the rest of the AMG car is totally bespoke. So there’s an aerodynamic front bumper, bulging arches and aggressive back bumper with four squared-off exhausts.
The Coupe comes in two flavours: standard C 63 and a harder C 63 S. It’s the latter we got behind the wheel of, which sees power from the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 swell from 469bhp to 503bhp, while torque is increased to a thumping 700Nm. It’s not only more powerful than the 425bhp BMW M4 and the 470bhp Lexus RC F but more amazingly it trumps the Mercedes-AMG GT S for torque. The two-door supercar is a noticeable 50Nm down on the C 63 S.
This, naturally, translates to blistering performance. The twin-turbo V8 revs all the way to 7,000rpm and the power delivery is remarkably linear with barely any lag from low revs. From a standing start, 0-62mph is over in a scant 3.9 seconds and continues on to a limited 155mph. The V8 booms through the cabin and a sports exhaust comes as standard, which delivers delicious crackles and burbles from the exhaust as you come on and off the accelerator. The seven-speed gearbox fires up and down the ratios with ease, although turn the Dynamic Select knob on the centre consol to Sport+ or Race and the shifts become fierce.
The old C 63 Coupe’s fantastic naturally-aspirated 6.2-litre V8 may have gone, but the frenzied twin-turbo 4.0 V8 is a worthy replacement. What’s another welcome change is the way the new C 63 Coupe handles as it now feels like a more nimble and athletic sports car. While our rain-soaked test drive in southern Spain wasn’t the ideal conditions to put 503bhp onto the road, the Coupe did shine.
Corner hard and it feels fluid and balanced, but turn the Dynamic Select to Sport+ and the tail will squirm as you apply the power. Yet it’s easy to know what’s going on thanks to the electromagnetic steering: it's full of feel. Compared to the slightly snappy BMW M4, the C63 Coupe feels far easier to get along with, but still provides intoxicating performance.
Dial the car down to Comfort mode and it almost becomes relaxing. The seats are firm but comfortable and while there’s still a hard edge to the suspension and tyre roar is quite noticeable on the motorway, inside is surprisingly refined.
Acres of carbon-fibre trim, quality leathers and racy Alcantara only add an extra level of pleasure to the standard C-Class Coupe’s interior. Whether the blingy AMG’s cabin is a nicer place to sit than the M4’s more sober affair will come down to personal taste, but for the record, we prefer the Merc.
Key specs
- Price: £68,070
- Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo
- Power/torque: 503bhp/700Nm
- Transmission: Seven-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
- 0-62mph: 3.9 seconds
- Top speed: 155mph (limited)
- Economy/CO2: 38.2mpg/200g/km
- On sale: Now
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