2017 Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe: Source Of Motivation

MALAGA, Spain – Could a car that boasts 500 horsepower be considered a rational purchase? It shouldn’t, but it could. It all depends on how you analyze the situation.

You see, the mighty Mercedes-AMG GT S and its magnificent, hand-built, 503-hp, twin-turbo V8 costs $150,000 before taxes. On the other hand, the just-as-potent 2017 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S gets the same engine for almost half the price. And that is how you justify the C 63 as being a rational choice, making it the perfect car to use as a source of motivation. The C 63 Coupe says “if you work harder to get that promotion, and I know you can, you could own me.”

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Road rage

To battle the likes of the BMW M4, the Lexus RC F and the Cadillac ATS-V, the first thing a car needs is power. That’s not a problem for the 2017 Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe, which revs up 469 hp as well as 479 lb-ft of torque that peaks from 1,750 to 4,500 rpm, all managed by a seven-speed automatic gearbox. That’s almost twice the power of the more docile 2017 Mercedes-Benz C 300 4MATIC Coupe. According to the manufacturer, the C 63’s brute strength provides 0-100 km/h times of 4.0 seconds.

That may be enough muscle for anyone who doesn’t own an F1 license, but more can be found in the C 63 S Coupe, which is equipped with the same engine. In this case, however, output rises to 503 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. The C 63 S shaves 0.1 second off the 0-100 km/h time and gets a higher – though still electronically limited – top speed of 290 km/h instead of 250. The C 63 S is the one we drove.

Yet performance is only part of the C 63’s thrill factor. That V8 engine’s sound is just plain incredible, made possible thanks to the optional Performance exhaust system, which I personally wouldn’t do without.

Burping at the table

Mash the throttle, and the V8 roars as its revs climb and the car’s speedometer needle leaves a vapour trail. Every upshift at wide-open throttle is accompanied by an exhaust belch that’s just so rude, yet so intoxicating. Lift the throttle, and the engine spits and backfires, as if it’s swearing because you’re not going fast enough.

The car’s four drive modes include Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual – no Eco mode nonsense here. Comfort provides the most tolerable ride quality, the latter being quite enjoyable on the highway. Sport and Sport+ modes include more reactive throttle response, longer delays before upshifting and a firmed-up suspension. We must point out here that although the ride was choppier on the open road with one of the Sport modes activated, it actually wasn’t bone-jarring. As for Individual mode, it allows the driver to tweak the various settings and personalize the driving experience.

Track lover

Driving the 2017 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupe through small towns and cruising down the open roads surrounding Malaga was fun, but there was no way to legally and safely exploit the car’s potential in public.

Happily, we were also treated to experiencing the C 63 S on a closed circuit. The private Ascari racecourse, located about 100 km from Malaga, was perfect for the task at hand. The 5.4-km long circuit includes hills, dips, chicanes, tight corners, long sweeping curves and straightaways, and it didn’t take long for me to determine who had better track skill between the car and me. It wasn’t me.

The C 63 S can build up speed very quickly, and all that low-end torque needed to be prodded delicately as I was exiting tight bends, or else the tail would kick out. Race mode, which is included only in the C 63 S Coupe, reduces the stability control system’s intervention even more compared to Sport+.

The car has sharp reflexes, yet its steering felt a little uncommunicative at very high speeds, while the massive brakes made the C 63 S stop on a dime, but with a slight wiggle felt through the chassis while I was decelerating to tackle a slow corner. Nothing to worry about, but the Mercedes-AMG GT S, with its more dynamic suspension tweaking and lower centre of gravity, is arguably a more rewarding track car.

Sitting in the lap of luxury

The 2017 Mercedes-AMG C 63 also boasts a cockpit that’s dressed to impress. It includes heavily bolstered seats with contrast stitching, leatherette and sueded upholstery or full leather trim in black or two-tone colour, a meaty flat-bottomed wheel with Alcantara inserts and elegant silver accenting. An AMG Carbon Fibre trim package can be added as well.

As one would expect from a compact coupe, rear-seat room is generally insufficient for adults, especially in regards to headroom. And the COMAND infotainment system isn’t the most user-friendly setup on the market, lacking a touchscreen and programmed with a menu layout that’s time-consuming, even after mastering the multifunction knob.

Overall, it’s hard to find any major drawbacks in this car. Well, unlike the ATS-V and the M4, no manual gearbox is offered, but that should turn off very few people. And while the C 63 Coupe can arguably be considered a rational purchase, it will be more expensive than the Mercedes-AMG C 63 Sedan, which gets the same powertrain, but with a more accommodating cockpit. The difference between the two might not be noticeable, but the C 63 Coupe has a sportier rear suspension, a wider track and a lower ride height than the sedan, so it basically offers a more dynamic drive.

The C 300 4MATIC Coupe will arrive next spring, to be followed in the summer by the new C 63 and C 63 Coupes. The C 450 AMG Sport 4MATIC and its 362-hp twin-turbo V6 will also be launched next fall, and is a halfway effort between an “ordinary” Benz and a true AMG.

Pricing has not yet been announced, but we expect the 2017 Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe to start at nearly $80,000 before freight and delivery charges, while the C 63 S Coupe will be listed at just below $90,000. So print out an image of this car, frame it and place it in front of your family portraits on your desk. From now on, this will be your greatest source of motivation for working harder.