The New Mercedes Benz C63

Mercedes Benz C63 AMG Saloon

Mercedes-Benz has announced prices for its C-Class flagship models, the C 63 AMG saloon and estate. Available to order now and on the road in spring, the latest additions to the highly acclaimed range will retail at £51,317 for the saloon and £52,567 for the estate, increases of just four and 4.5 per cent respectively over the previous generation C 55 AMG. That’s despite a substantially more powerful engine and enhanced equipment levels.

Prodigious performance is delivered courtesy of AMG’s new 6208 cc V8 engine, which produces 457 hp at 6800 rpm – up 90 hp on the 5.5-litre V8 of the C 55 AMG. Even more outstanding is the torque delivery which peaks at 600 Nm, a figure unprecedented in this class. What’s more, the driver always has more than 500 Nm on tap between 2000 and 6250 rpm, ensuring supreme flexibility throughout the rev range.

On the road that translates into a 0 to 62mph figure of 4.5 seconds for the saloon and 4.6 for the estate (C 55 AMG 5.2 and 5.4 seconds respectively), while top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph. As you might expect, there’s a delicious V8-sound track to match – all thanks to AMG’s race-winning heritage.

The engine is perfectly complemented by the seven-speed AMG Speedshift Plus 7G-Tronic transmission which features Sport, Comfort and Manual shift modes. Shift speeds are around 30 per cent faster in Sport compared to Comfort and 50 per cent faster in Manual mode using the steering wheel mounted shift paddles. There’s the added satisfaction of an automatic blip of the throttle as you downshift manually, which helps to maximise stability, particularly when braking into a corner.

The latest AMG models are more clearly differentiated than ever before, with a wide road hugging stance accentuated by flared wheel arches and two prominent power domes on the bonnet signalling the cars’ latent power. A honeycomb grille, large front apron, side skirts and a rear apron with black diffuser insert complete the assertive look. The standard light alloy wheels are titanium painted 8.0 x 18 five-spoke items at the front and 9.0 x 18 items at the rear. Optional 19 inch multi-spoke items are also available at £600.

A decidedly sporty interior features AMG sports seats with integral head restraints upholstered in luxurious Nappa leather with cross-piping and AMG badging. The small diameter AMG steering wheel has a flat lower edge and perforated leather trim and the trademark AMG tube-style instrument cluster adopts AMG specific lettering together with a 6.3 V8 logo in the rev counter.  Front seats are fully electrically adjustable with memory, including adaptive backrests with side bolster and lumbar adjustment.

As an alternative to the standard aluminium trim elements, carbon fibre trim is an option at £1520