2017 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe

Muscle cars ride high on the Motor City’s list of most significant achievements. The idea is simple enough for your average gum-chewing, class-skipping teen to grasp: Way too much power combined with a bare minimum of the stuff that slows you down.

Insurance companies and emission controls may have killed off the Pontiac GTOs, Plymouth Road Runners, and Oldsmobile 442s that roamed America half a century ago, but the muscle-car strain was never rendered extinct. Today, any stylish coupe with a bad attitude and a cramped back seat is the ideal showcase for a carmaker’s hottest engine.

Always eager for an opportunity to nudge archrival BMW out of the passing lane, Mercedes-Benz and AMG are the latest co-conspirators to exploit the muscle-car format. Take one fresh C-class compact coupe, slap a hand-built twin-turbo V-8 under the hood, and you’ve got a speed demon with a Swabian accent itching to dare Shelbys, Hellcats, ATS-Vs, and M4s.

The Mercedes-AMG C63 starts life with 469 horsepower and a $67,925 base sticker. Those seeking to investigate maximum rear-tire meltdown will want the still more powerful $75,925 S edition reviewed here. Indulgent options-checking jacked the as-tested price to just over $100,000, pretty much offsetting the “minimum of stuff” part of the muscle-car formula. The $5550 Premium 3 package contains Mercedes-Benz’s COMAND infotainment system bundled with a dozen or so driver-assist items that may be of minimal interest to devout throttle abusers. The shrewd alternative is Premium 2, which provides COMAND without the extra gear for less than half the cost. The $5450 carbon-ceramic front brakes, the $1600 forged wheels with summer performance tires, the $2500 performance seats, and the $1250 performance exhaust system all make perfect sense. We’d also recommend spending $990 for the optional head-up display to help keep eyes on the road during trying times; the remaining $7320 for the optional gear on our car mainly added flashy trim that could be skipped.

Mercedes and AMG dug deep to make the most of this new-for-2017 model. In contrast to its predecessor, this is a voluptuous coupe, not a clunky two-door variant of the C-class sedan. Slightly smaller than a Chevrolet Camaro or a Ford Mustang, the C63 shares its nose with the mainstream four-doors but sports its own skin from the windshield back. A kinship with the Mercedes-AMG GT sports car is evident in the C63’s flanks.

6.3: Just Another Name for Big Horsepower

Like other badges appended to cars wearing the three-pointed star, the 63 in this car’s name bears no relation to displacement or any other attribute of the actual vehicle, but it is historically significant. The first V-8 Mercedes introduced in 1963 for its 600 limousine was a 6.3-liter design. Paying homage, AMG revived the hallowed digits for the first engine it engineered and manufactured beginning in 2006, even though that mill displaced only 6208 cc. Those naturally aspirated M156 and M159 V-8s powered some of the most illustrious sports cars and sedans in history, and tears were shed over their passing two years ago.

This V-8, code-named M177, is a worthy successor to the hottest naturally aspirated engines ever sold by Mercedes or AMG. It shoulders that legacy with grace and the aid of a pair of turbochargers. Also designed and manufactured by AMG, the engine is a hot-V design with twin turbos nestled between the cylinder heads to take maximum advantage of exhaust-pulse energy and to minimize plumbing. In S trim, the 4.0-liter V-8 delivers a hearty 503 horsepower at 6200 rpm, 516 lb-ft of torque from 1750 to 4500 rpm, and an exhaust beat to die for. The intensity begins with the first punch of the start button and continues unabated at most throttle positions with three computer-controlled exhaust-system flaps managing the noise. There’s a whip crack at every upshift and endearing flatulence on the overrun. Craftsman Koray Akdeniz at AMG’s Affalterbach assembly plant built this V-8. We know because his signature is on a plate atop the engine.

Unlike the muscle cars of the ’60s, this coupe is well equipped to make use of its 500-plus horsepower. AMG widened the wheel tracks at both ends and fitted electronically adjustable dampers, variable engine mounts, and a computer-controlled limited-slip differential. Staggered-size Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires (255/35 in front, 285/30 in back) are mounted to 19- and 20-inch forged-aluminum wheels. What Mercedes calls a Speedshift automatic transmission has seven speeds, paddle shifters, and a wet-starting clutch in lieu of a torque converter for lower rotating inertia and a quicker response. Rear wheels are located by a multilink setup attached to a rubber-isolated crossmember that attaches to the unibody at four reinforced locations.

Drop the Green Flag

The C63 S scored straight As at the test track, topping such rivals as Cadillac’s ATS-V and the Ford Shelby GT350. A handy Race Start launch-control program provides the quickest path to 60 mph, with that vital figure arriving in a snappy 3.8 seconds. The acceleration race against BMW’s M4 (equipped with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic) borders on epic. While the Bimmer beats the Merc to 60 mph by 0.1 second (in 3.7 seconds), the C63 S takes command by 70 mph. The two cross the quarter-mile mark neck and neck in 12.0 seconds flat, though the Mercedes is gaining ground with 121 mph of velocity versus the BMW’s 119. Both rivals are governed at the top end, the BMW limited to 163 mph while the Mercedes is allowed 180. Top-gear acceleration is essentially a wash: The BMW wins the 30-to-50-mph dash by 0.1 second, and the Mercedes hustles from 50 to 70 mph with an identical advantage.

Both cars roll on Michelin Pilot Super Sport radials, one of the best street tires money can buy. In braking, the BMW wins by one foot with a 150-foot stopping distance from 70 mph. In spite of the Benz’s slightly wider rear rubber, the BMW also reigns on the skidpad with a full 1.00-g grip limit versus the C63’s also impressive 0.98 g.

These nearly identical performance profiles are surprising when you consider the BMW M4’s major strategic advantages: superior front-to-rear balance and nearly a quarter-ton less curb weight. In spite of extensive use of high-strength steel in its unibody, plus aluminum for the front fenders, hood, and decklid, the C63S is a porker, weighing in at 4102 pounds. At least that’s less than the fastest muscle car in the land, the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, which weighs 4493 pounds yet is able to rip to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds thanks to the 707-hp supercharged V-8 residing under its hood.

While the attention AMG engineers invested in the C63 S’s rear axle is effective at keeping the rubber burning and this coupe pointed in roughly the right direction, the downside is an unbecoming character trait. The links that connect the rear wheels to the body structure are so focused on their locating duties that they pipe the road noise erupting at the tire contact patches straight into the cabin. That results in a rattling and banging din over rough pavement that was more than enough to excite a nasty buzz in the dash. Our suspicion is that the AMG chassis tuners neglected to check their calibrations on the bad roads that are rare in their homeland but unfortunately common in the infrastructure-challenged U.S.A. Shame on them. And shame on us.

Race Mode Meets Semi-Autonomous Driving

Aside from that single flaw, this muscle car is a pal to live with. Steering effort is light on-center, but effort builds quickly, and response is nearly instantaneous. The sport buckets provide superb support in every direction, and the rear perches are usable for short distances by anyone limber enough to squeeze through the tight entry portal. The trim combo of dark and light perforated leather is a stunning fashion statement, nicely coordinated with matte-finish metallic trim and a brilliant silver weave adorning the center console. While the 7.0-inch center screen reads clearly, entering your menu selection is frustrated by the oversensitive clickwheel/touchpad controllers. A color head-up display keeps the driver informed of the car's velocity, the posted speed limit, the transmission gear, and how hard the engine is crowding the redline.

We applaud the courage shown by any manufacturer bold enough to offer a choice labeled Race in its driving-mode menu. As if to negate that braggadocio, this C63 S also included the latest driver-assist aids, among them adaptive cruise control, collision-avoidance braking, and lane-keeping assist with full hands-off steering capability. They all work reasonably well but qualify as stuff that slows you down. Any driver who stoops to such assistance deserves immediate expulsion from the sacred muscle-car society.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe

PRICE AS TESTED: $100,585 (base price: $75,925)

ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 243 cu in, 3982 cc
Power: 503 hp @ 6200 rpm
Torque: 516 lb-ft @ 1750 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 111.8 in
Length: 187.0 in
Width: 73.9 in Height: 55.2 in
Passenger volume: 86 cu ft
Cargo volume: 11 cu ft
Curb weight: 4102 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 3.8 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 8.3 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 14.0 sec
Zero to 150 mph: 19.6 sec
Zero to 170 mph: 29.7 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 4.3 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 2.3 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 2.6 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.0 sec @ 121 mph
Top speed (governor limited, mfr's claim): 180 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 151 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.98 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 17/23 mpg
C/D observed: 16 mpg