MotoramicMercedes-AMG unwraps its brutish new C63, now with turbos and 503 hp
The 451 hp, 6.2-liter V-8 in the outgoing Mercedes C63 AMG is dead. It's been replaced by something smaller, more efficient and more politically correct. Yes, we were sad about this too – until we read the specs: The 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 now sports a 4.0-liter twin turbo V-8, enough torque to snap a cruise ship in two, and 503 angry German stallions. Who's crying now?
In its top trim, the C63 S boasts 503 hp and 516 lb.-ft. of torque (more than the new 911-fighting Mercedes-AMG GT with which it shares basically the same engine). Even the base C63 now churns 469 hp and 479 lb.-ft., and takes just 4.0 seconds to propel to 60 mph; the C63 S completes that same sprint in 3.9 seconds. (Both those times are likely conservative on the German automaker's part.) Like with the AMG GT, the engine rides on dynamic engine mounts that adjust in stiffness to compensate for different driving styles. And the turbos reside inside the V-8's valley for compactness and better response.
When the car goes on sale in the U.S. next March (at a price not yet revealed), it will do so initially only in rear-wheel drive form.The C63 S will arrive as standard with an electronic locking differential while optional carbon ceramic brakes can be fitted, and the C63 will sport a mechanical locking diff. Both feature adaptive suspension and exhaust flaps that promise to retain the inimitable AMG burble we all love.
Fuel efficiency is said to be improved by 32-percent over the outgoing C63, and while a healthy portion of that is down to the smaller engine displacement and tipping the scales at a svelte 3,615 lbs., some of it can be attributed to a feature called "Gliding Function." Here, when off throttle between 37 and 99 mph, the engine decouples from the drivetrain to save additonal fuel.
Mercedes is following its arch nemesis' suit in switching to turbocharging, as BMW added a pair of turbos to its C63 rival, the M3. And that change has mostly been well received. Mercedes will be hoping for some similar love, especially as this remains the same basic rig in the new AMG GT. These are two especially important cars for Mercedes, not least because they are the first to feature the Benz-less AMG name tag. And while Karl Benz mightn't have approved, it does make AMG's latest workings sound even more racy.
