The new generation of the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S discards the characteristic V8 and remains significantly heavier. We tested it in Ascari
Complex hybrid technology is to blame for the V8’s demise, but maybe even balance weight with performance? In this test of the Mercedes C 63 S Performance we are going to verify it.
And it is that we not only have to say goodbye to our idolized V8, but now it throws more than two tons of empty weight. The Mercedes established its legend long ago. The V8 is his legacy, so is this a cursed model?
Well, from the outset, it doesn’t seem like it: it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds and runs to 280 km/h, come on, you don’t realize that it only has four cylinders under the hood. Not to mention how he moves around the Ascari circuit with Bernd Schneider at the wheel…
Yes, Bernd Schneider himself, who was once crowned a five-time DTM champion, is our main driver today. We know the track fairly rudimentarily as the corner combinations are both new and familiar.
We’ve been here before, but really wanting to hit such a selective track is a life’s work. So we spent more of our first stint trying to differentiate this heavy machine from what we’ve driven on this circuit before: dynamic sports cars, agile mid-range coupes. Exactly: the C 63 fits here ambitiously.
The AMG C 63 SE Performance is a heavyweight… on paper
It is true that it has to deal with its basic weight of more than two tons, but in practice it almost feels audacious. The word “driveable” almost comes to mind, although we know that this combination of conventional combustion engine and plug-in hybrid system has its drawbacks in practice.
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The weight categorically separates him from the usual opponents. For example, the BMW M3, which in itself was already considered “fat” when it was introduced; but after the C 63 it appears almost as a featherweight among the heavyweights. According to DIN, the AMG tips the scales at 2,036 kilos, which means well over 2.1 tons with the driver.
And all of that must be balanced by a svelte two-liter four-cylinder. We basically know it by the A 45 S, but in the C-Class they take it up to 476 hp, exactly at the full power of the predecessor without “S”, which had twice as many cylinders. Added to this is 150 kW (204 hp) from the electric motor. They make 680 hp of system performance.
Three basic insights are needed to understand what AMG is trying to instill in us here. Point one: weight is completely irrelevant. To this we say, logically: no, it is not! But if you look at the distribution of the components, we can understand it.
The engine at the front has become lighter, and the battery and electric motor have been added at the rear; in general, this makes the whole load heavier, but the behavior tends to improve.
Number two: consumption. The WLTP value promises 6.9 liters for the first 100 kilometers with a fully charged battery. So far we have to believe him, but we will only be able to find out what it looks like for the second hundred kilometers when the battery is empty in later measurements.
It sounds dodgy, but it works worthy of its name.
Question three refers to sporting virtues, not boring forward sprinting, but cornering talent. This is where we had our biggest concerns. Yes, from the outside the C 63 sounds like a hand blender gone crazy: a lot of effort and acoustically uninspired.
But inside we love it with its acoustically amplified exhaust sound, for which the developers use a microphone to pick up the actual sounds in the muffler, intensify them, and direct them into the cabin.
And of course, the performance on the track should not be neglected either: the front axle in particular seems surprisingly light, in fast corners the C 63 pleases with a neutral or slightly oversteering response. The e-boost is particularly effective on the first lap with a fully operational battery.
We can use kickdown to increase up to 150 kW of electrical power, strategically at optimally calculated points, according to the layout. For this purpose, AMG wants to set up a complete database that can be accessed ‘online’.
In this way, the car “tells you” exactly where and for how long to kick to achieve the best possible lap time. Just like in Formula 1 in qualifying mode.
The maximum E-Boost of 204 CV is clearly noticeable
After three fast laps, weight comes into play. But the C 63 S surprised us in a positive way on the selective Ascari Circuit, especially when it came to balance in fast-changing corners.
The slight tail of the predecessor and its enormous oversteer are a thing of the past. Now it is more relaxed and a clean line is synonymous with success.
Factors to decide the purchase
The four-cylinder isn’t the problem: the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 S pushes uncompromisingly, if you stick to the car’s acceleration logic. The acoustics inside are great…not so from the outside.
