Mercedes-AMG C63

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE:front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe

ESTIMATED BASE PRICE:C63, $73,000; C63 S, $81,000

ENGINE TYPE:twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

DISPLACEMENT:243 cu in, 3982 cc
Power: 469 or 503 hp @ 6250 rpm
Torque: 479 or 516 lb-ft @ 1750 rpm

TRANSMISSION:7-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

AMG beat its path to high-performance credibility with a hammer. The German speed shop’s first street car, the 355-hp 1987 Mercedes-Benz AMG Hammer sedan,set the record for the world’s fastest production four-door at 178 mph, then set the pace for the subsequent 30-year parade of raucous, tire-shredding AMG brutes.But as of late, more civilized cars and the use of all-wheel drive suggest that today’s AMG swings its hammer a little more softly in exchange for greater chassis control and improved traction. That scares us, because—Dodge Hellcats notwithstanding—loud and brash machines like the outgoing C63 AMG coupe are increasingly rare
The new Mercedes-AMG C63 coupe doesn’t come off as a shouter at first glance. Twin turbochargers muffle the small-displacement 4.0-liter V-8, and the exhaust terminates in a quartet of peashooter tailpipes hidden behind the jumbo trapezoids in the rear bumper. Yet pin the throttle and this more efficient engine is almost as wild as the naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8 that it replaces. The high-output C63 S model packs a 503-hp sledge of an engine that pummels the concrete, while a seven-speed automatic thwacks through ratios and a bawdy, unmistakably eight-cylinder thunder blares. In true traction-be-damned AMG fashion, it sends all 516 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels..

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 111.8 in
Length: 187.0 in
Width: 73.9 in Height:55.1 in
Cargo volume: 13 cu ft
Curb weight (C/D est):3800 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/DEST):
Zero to 60 mph: 3.7-3.8 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 9.0-9.1 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.1-12.2 sec
Top speed: 155-180 mph

FUEL ECONOMY (C/DEST):
EPA city/highway driving: 18/25 mpg