The 2012 C 63 AMG is dynamic, powerful and dramatic.
Since the 2008 Mercedes Benz C63 AMG went on sale, Mercedes has sold nearly 20,000 examples worldwide of the sedan and its not-for-the-U.S. wagon counterpart. Not bad for a hard-core enthusiast machine, but Mercedes still thinks it’s leaving something on the table. Enter the latest addition to the C-class AMG lineup, this C63 coupe. It just so happens that the C63’s biggest competition, the BMW M3, comes in coupe and sedan shells, too.
Gl Mercedes Benz C63 MG
Like Sedan, Like Coupe
Compared with the C63 sedan, the coupe is, well, short two doors and one seating position. As in the four-door, aggressive AMG styling cues start at the large, lower-grille opening and finish in back with a diffuser. The new coupe reaps the benefits of the sedan’s 2012 chassis tweaks, too. The wheels are aligned with increased negative camber, and every bushing has been retuned, as have the springs and shocks. The wet-clutch-pack engine-to-transmission coupler got the nod, thanks to its improved efficiency (fewer losses than a torque converter) and quicker shifts (as little as 0.1 second).
Let’s talk about that performance. Mercedes estimates that the C63 coupe, like the new C63 sedan, will take care of a 0-to-60 sprint in 4.4 seconds (4.3 with the Development pack). We think that’s just conservative Teutonic nonsense. The last two C63 sedans we clocked each ripped off 3.9-second 0-to-60 runs. One had the Development pack and the other didn’t, but both used the older-style automatic gearbox that’s now been replaced. It’s possible that the new MCT transmission could shave another tenth of a second off the 0-to-60 time, especially with its Race Start launch-control function, but we’ll find out for sure when we can load it with test gear and hit the track. When we do, we’ll also see about keeping Benz honest on its claim of an electronically limited 174-mph top speed for the Development pack version.
The C63 coupe features an AMG sports suspension with retuned springs and shocks and larger anti-roll bars; the layout is multiple links all around. The track is wider than the regular coupe’s by 4.3 inches up front and 3.2 in the rear; yes, the track increases are huge, but a wickedly modified front suspension and fat rear tires will do that. The brakes also are, naturally, upgraded from those you’d find on a non-AMG C-class coupe. The hot two-door has 14.2-inch rotors up front and 13.0-inchers in the rear.
Power from the 6.2-liter V-8 is unchanged. In standard spec, it puts out 451 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque; as before, the Development Package adds 30 hp (481 total) and raises the speed limiter from 155 to 174 mph. The new transmission, first seen in the SL63 and now spreading throughout the lineup, allows the driver to choose from four different driving modes and includes AMG’s Race Start launch-control function. The C63 would get a face lift like the rest of the 2012 C-class lineup was a given.
Post by Tram Nguyen
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