Mercedes-AMG sportiest C-Class Coupe tested

Mercedes-AMG’s C 63 Coupe is billed as the sportiest C-Class ever, and there is no reason not to believe this. The sedan version is streets ahead of the old naturally aspirated model in almost every department. And it was seriously fast in a straight line as well as in the corners.

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So it was with much anticipation I was looking forward to getting my hands on a C-Class Coupe, but when the car, a C 63 non S version, arrived at our offices, it had been used for many laps around Kyalami at the Festival of Motoring, and was leaking coolant and not happy.

Now rather than risk an engine and also getting meaningless road test data at the same time, I contacted Mercedes-Benz SA and they collected the car for repair. Sometime later, the car returned minus the leak and all ready to go.

Okay, first you need to remember that the C 63 Coupe minus the S badge runs the same AMG 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine, but instead of 375kW of power and 700Nm of torque being made available, you get 350kW and 650Nm. Which is still plenty in anybody’s books, and certainly way more than the BMW M4’s 317kW, but the BMW comes in a full 290kg lighter than the Merc, and this counts when the two go head to head.

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I packed my Racelogic VBOX test equipment into the car and headed out to the Gerotek Testing Facility. When the electronic top speed limiter allowed me to run to 293km/h, I thought all was good. But it was only when I started the off-the-line sprint starts that I started to have some doubts as to whether this particular car was 100% okay.

My C 63 Coupe on test ran a 5.02 seconds to 100km/h, and 16.43 seconds to 200km/h, while the 1km mark was crossed at 233km/h. Which is fast for a luxury Coupe, but somewhat slower than C 63 S Sedan and the BMW M4 Coupe, which hit these numbers in 4.21 and 4.08 seconds, and 13.05 and 13.35 seconds respectively. And their 1km speeds were noticeably higher too, at 250km/h and 247km/h. So now you might understand my concern, but the car was sent back to me with a clean bill of health. What more can I say?

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But this is not a shootout, this has been done a million times already between these cars, and although one is always slightly quicker than the other, I honestly believe that you are not going to get a Mercedes-Benz driver out of his car and into a BMW because of a few tenths of a second. And exactly the same applies to the BMW driver, especially when you are paying comfortably over R1 million, before you play in the nice-to-have-but-pricey-options bin, to own either of these cars.

I am not even going to mention Audi in this test because they have seriously fallen off the planet with their old naturally aspirated RS4 Avant offering in this segment, especially since the two other German manufacturers have turned to turbocharging of the C 63 and M3 / M4 models.

Handling is as good as anything in this segment in the C-Class Coupe, and more than enough for the average enthusiast who tackles the odd mountain pass on the weekend. This is mostly thanks to the unique coupe aluminium four-link front suspension, redesigned rear suspension and fitment of a mechanical limited slip diff (the S model gets an electronic real limited slip diff) running on an AMG Ride Control adjustable sports suspension and dynamic engine mounts.

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And as is the case with all Mercedes-Benz products, all assistance systems available for the run-of-the-mill C-Class Coupe can also be ordered for the C 63 Coupe. So outside of the raft of traditional safety features such as airbags, ABD, EBD and any other acronym you can think of, the car now comes standard with the further advanced Attention Assist drowsiness detection system and Collision Prevention Assist Plus, which helps to prevent rear-end collisions.

The careful selection of high-class materials, their high-quality touch and feel as well as the meticulous workmanship lend the interior a high-class appeal. The instrument panel is trimmed with black Artico man-made leather. Crystal grey topstitching, the wing-shaped aluminium trim and the AMG-specific analogue clock in IWC design underscore the high-quality impression. Numerous AMG-specific controls underscore the sporty heritage.

Well, that’s the hardcore data part done and explained; it’s the more subjective part of styling where this C 63 Coupe really stands out above the competition. I love that the coupe Mercedes-Benz models look quite different from their sedan siblings. The coupe is wider at the front and rear and is also longer and lower, and this makes for one good-looking car.

Road Test Data

Model: Mercedes Benz C63 AMG Coupe

Gearbox: 7 Speed AMG Speedshift MCT Transmission

Engine: 4.0 litre V8 Twin Turbo

Power: 350 kW @ 5 500 – 6 250 rpm

Torque: 650 Nm @ 1 750 – 4 500 rpm

Licensing Mass: 1 785 kg

Power to Weight: 196.078 kW / Tonne

Power to Capacity: 87.896 kW / Litre

0-100 km/h: 5.02 Seconds

¼ Mile: 13.13 Seconds @ 180.37 km/h

1 Km: 23.67 Seconds @ 233.64 km/h

60-100 km/h: 2.72 Seconds (in 3rd Gear) / 3.75 Seconds (in 4th Gear)

80-120 km/h: 3.41 Seconds (in 4th Gear) / 4.87 Seconds (in 5th Gear)

100-200 km/h: 10.72 Seconds (from 3rd Gear)

True Top Speed: Limited to 293.83 km/h @ 6 100 rpm in 6th (Clock 296 km/h)

Fuel Consumption: 8.9 litres / 100 km Claimed (12.9 litres Test Average)

Fuel Tank Size: 66 litres

Fuel Range: 742 km Claimed (512 km On Test)

CO2 Emissions: 109 g/km

Vehicle Odometer:  1 990 Km

Test Temperature: 19 Degrees

Tyres Size: 255/35 R19 (Front) & 285/30 R19 (Rear)

Tyres Make: Conti Sport Contact

Warranty: 2 Years / Unlimited Km

Service / Maint Plan: 6 Years / 100 000 Km Maintenance Plan

Priced From: R1 268 700

Test Date:  8 February 2017

For more information and latest pricing, visit www.mercedes-benz.co.za