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We put the latest Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance through its paces before its market introduction to gauge whether the move to a downsized engine works or whether Affalterbach has committed the biggest cardinal sin in automotive history. Ah, the C63! Yes, it took the baton from the already impressive W203 C55 AMG, but instead of a 5.4-litre V8 (270kW and 510Nm) normally aspirated engine, the W204 C63 made do with a sledgehammer that is a 6.2-litre (336kW and 600Nm) naturally aspirated V8 powerplant.
I can vividly recall the launch (circa 2008) of the latter in the Free State. We flew into Bloemfontein Airport, where a gaggle of Merc C63s awaited us. The plan was simple: we would drive from Bloemfontein to Welkom’s Phakisa Raceway and drive the models around the oval track as quickly as possible to our heart’s content. To this day, that ranks as one of the most memorable media launches of my career—certainly one for the books. Since then, I have driven almost every iteration of the W204 C63 generation, mostly blunt instruments with colossal power, culminating in the hardcore yet sublime Black Series (380kW and 630Nm) derivative. Yes, indeed, the latter model not only had more power but also had a stiffer chassis setup and a more aggressive differential that allowed lurid sideways driving antics.
2015 saw the arrival of the W205 C63 S, replete with a downsized 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 with 375kW and 700Nm. This saw a bump up in power, but mostly that torque figure, but the engineers had one challenge: getting that signature V8 engine note fine-tuned for fans of the model. While the exhaust note was fruity enough, it just wasn’t as intoxicatingly guttural as the W204, which remains a firm favourite among C63 aficionados. So, when the news broke that the next generation W206 C63 would be hybridised, it was met with some choice words, but it was the fact that the combustion engine would go from a V8 to a four-cylinder engine with a 2.0-litre displacement that has been met with much trepidation.
As officially the first publication to get our hands on this latest, locally produced C63 S E Performance, we wanted to answer the above question: has the downsizing phenomenon worked here? Does the vehicle deliver handsomely on the performance front? Moreover, would this model appeal to previous-generation owners? To ascertain some of these, we duly took the vehicle to our test track and put it through its paces. Mind you, the vehicle was meticulously run-in (for 1,500km) so that we could exploit the full potential of the powerplant.
Speaking of which, the model boasts a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with 350kW and 545Nm, augmented by a 150kW and 320Nm electric motor powered by a 6.1kWh lithium-ion battery, propelling the rear wheels. As a result, the total system output is a staggeringly impressive 500kW and 1,020Nm driving all four wheels through a 9-speed automatic transmission. The claimed 0-100km/h time is 3.4 seconds, but we managed to achieve a slightly quicker time of 3.34 seconds at our test track. That is quite rapid for a compact sedan—at least as far as its pecking order in the range—that weighs 2.1 tonnes. The top speed is 280 km/h (with an optional AMG Driver’s Package). We registered 257km/h down the main straight on our race track before deploying the anchors, so that top end is feasible. Stability at over 200km/h plus is also noteworthy, with the C63 displaying very little dithering or waywardness of the nose, instead tracking true to the chosen trajectory.
A very complex car to decipher, the new C63 S E Performance has eight driving modes, five levels of electric battery recuperation, and four functions for the electronic stability control. While the battery pack will give you around 13km of electric drive only, it is mainly designed to supplement the combustion engine and give you extra performance, particularly at the bottom of the rev range, while the turbocharged engine is still getting into its stride.
Dial everything up to Race mode and the ESP to Sport or off and experience an absolute rocketship-like performance disposition. It bangs through the gears with clear alacrity, sending you down the road at quite a rate. Thankfully, this new C63 is not a one-trick pony, as the engineers have done a great deal to the chassis tuning to ensure that it tugs through corners with poise and confidence-inspiring grip levels. There’s a neutral, delicate yet playful nuance to the handling that will run rings around any C63 that came before. So, then, an impressive piece of kit, right? Yes, there is no discounting the C63’s breadth of talents, but there’s a huge elephant in the room—the lack of a thundering V8 under the bonnet.
You see, previous-generation owners of the C63 and admirers alike were drawn to the model not by its performance per se but rather by its thumping V8 powerplant. But that is now gone, and I reckon that Mercedes will need an altogether different strategy to market this new model. It remains an impressive feat of engineering that will be spoken of in the hallowed halls of motoring chronicles in the future. However, as it stands, the C63 has its work cut out for it to find its niche and, at a lofty starting price of R2,476,800, it is priced some R300,000 north of the BMW M3 Competition M xDrive and R100,000 dearer to Audi’s RS 6 Performance, the latter of which plays in an altogether higher segment of the market.
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