First Drive: Mercedes-AMG C63 S
P S Balakrishnan
1 min read
Jun 05, 2015, 11:38 PM
A car with a superhero complex. Yes it does sound a bit dramatic but the Mercedes-Benz C-Class in it's AMG performance avatar has oodles of character and its not hidden behind a mask. But all the madness and oomph is right beneath the hood and built into its body. This is the Mercedes AMG C63! Yes they've dropped the suffix Benz from the name and that will be the signature style of all future AMG models. The older model was a legend by itself in the performance car segment and this new generation version has been beefed up to take the BMW M3 & M4 and the Audi RS5 head on.
The gorgeous C-class design hasn't been tinkered with much but there is ample change to let you know it's an AMG! Reshaped front and rear bumpers, new side skirts, front AMG grille pattern. The C63's nose is longer than the regular sedan and the stance is quite aggressive but not over the top. At the rear, the sporty rear diffuser, chromed quad-exhaust tips, and an integrated trunk-lid spoiler blend well with the character. Globally the car is available in 2 variants, the C63 and the C63 S, the latter is the one lined up for India. The S version gets more performance dynamics and that's we are testing out on the legendary Portimao circuit.
And one of the big reasons we were quite keen to get this car on the track was to check how the new biturbo 4 litre V8 performs, the same engine also powers the new AMG GT incidentally. The earlier naturally aspirated 6.2 litre V8 engine was quite a beast and the new C63 is equally potent and does look to offer a supercar experience and did manage to come quite close. The base AMG C63 delivers 476 horsepower and 650 nm of torque, while the India-bound C63 S puts out a 510 ponies and 700 Nm. And yes, we did experience all of that out on the challenging Portimao track. The V8 engine comes mated to multi-clutch, seven-speed automatic transmission which is quite precise on this rear wheel drive.
Acceleration on the S model is slightly faster than the regular AMG C63 to reach 100 km per hour in just 4 seconds. We also drove the C63 out on the roads outside the track to get a true feel of the car in daily road conditions. The C63's Ride Control sport suspension with three-stage adjustable damping can be tuned for either ideal long-distance comfort or track-style feel. The speed-sensitive sport steering is lots of fun and the carbon ceramic disc brakes provides good stopping power. The ride quality is decent with the 'Comfort' mode offering the best soft ride but that doesn't say much as the smooth tarmac is hardly the kind of roads the car will see in India.
Keeping you comfortable inside the beast the plush and luxurious interior of the C-class now a bit more in the style of a true AMG. Meaning the dash boasts of black, hand-crafted leather with crystal grey stitching, race style seats, flat-bottomed steering wheel and touches of carbon fibre. The AMG-exclusive analogue clock and the AMG Dynamic Select switch next to the touchpad are quite eye-catching. Most of the interiors can be customised depending on customer preferences but suffice to say it would be tough to go wrong with this beauty.
Expect the C63 S to hit the Indian roads by the end of the year and it could be priced around Rs. 1.2 crore directly against the BMW M3. Now that will be a monstrous battle worth waiting for.
The gorgeous C-class design hasn't been tinkered with much but there is ample change to let you know it's an AMG! Reshaped front and rear bumpers, new side skirts, front AMG grille pattern. The C63's nose is longer than the regular sedan and the stance is quite aggressive but not over the top. At the rear, the sporty rear diffuser, chromed quad-exhaust tips, and an integrated trunk-lid spoiler blend well with the character. Globally the car is available in 2 variants, the C63 and the C63 S, the latter is the one lined up for India. The S version gets more performance dynamics and that's we are testing out on the legendary Portimao circuit.
And one of the big reasons we were quite keen to get this car on the track was to check how the new biturbo 4 litre V8 performs, the same engine also powers the new AMG GT incidentally. The earlier naturally aspirated 6.2 litre V8 engine was quite a beast and the new C63 is equally potent and does look to offer a supercar experience and did manage to come quite close. The base AMG C63 delivers 476 horsepower and 650 nm of torque, while the India-bound C63 S puts out a 510 ponies and 700 Nm. And yes, we did experience all of that out on the challenging Portimao track. The V8 engine comes mated to multi-clutch, seven-speed automatic transmission which is quite precise on this rear wheel drive.
Acceleration on the S model is slightly faster than the regular AMG C63 to reach 100 km per hour in just 4 seconds. We also drove the C63 out on the roads outside the track to get a true feel of the car in daily road conditions. The C63's Ride Control sport suspension with three-stage adjustable damping can be tuned for either ideal long-distance comfort or track-style feel. The speed-sensitive sport steering is lots of fun and the carbon ceramic disc brakes provides good stopping power. The ride quality is decent with the 'Comfort' mode offering the best soft ride but that doesn't say much as the smooth tarmac is hardly the kind of roads the car will see in India.
Keeping you comfortable inside the beast the plush and luxurious interior of the C-class now a bit more in the style of a true AMG. Meaning the dash boasts of black, hand-crafted leather with crystal grey stitching, race style seats, flat-bottomed steering wheel and touches of carbon fibre. The AMG-exclusive analogue clock and the AMG Dynamic Select switch next to the touchpad are quite eye-catching. Most of the interiors can be customised depending on customer preferences but suffice to say it would be tough to go wrong with this beauty.
Expect the C63 S to hit the Indian roads by the end of the year and it could be priced around Rs. 1.2 crore directly against the BMW M3. Now that will be a monstrous battle worth waiting for.
AD
Related News
AD
Popular Models
Latest Cars
AD
Upcoming Cars
AD
AD
Latest News
Sarthak Mahajan | Sep 11, 2026Kia Carens CNG, Carens Clavis CNG Bookings OpenKia India has commenced pre-bookings for the CNG versions of the Carens and Carens Clavis. Both models will be offered with a 60-litre CNG tank, while prices are yet to be announced.2 mins read
car&bike Team | Sep 10, 2026Maruti Suzuki Baleno Facelift Full Prices Revealed: Tops Out At Rs 9.99 LakhPrices start at Rs 5.99 lakh with the Baleno offered in five key trim levels.2 mins read
car&bike Team | Sep 10, 2026Mercedes-Benz GLC Electric India Launch By End-2026; Bookings Open In OctoberThe GLC Electric will be locally assembled in India.2 mins read
Sarthak Mahajan | Sep 10, 2026Hyundai Launches Lounge Editions For Alcazar, Creta And Creta ElectricHyundai Motor India has launched the Lounge Edition across the Creta, Alcazar and Creta Electric. Prices start at Rs 19.22 lakh for the Creta Lounge and go up to Rs 25.22 lakh for the Creta Electric. The Alcazar Lounge sits in between, priced at Rs 21.81 lakh.1 min read
Sarthak Mahajan | Sep 10, 2026Jawa 42 All Stars: In PicturesThe Jawa 42 All Stars will eventually replace the standard Jawa 42 and gets several key changes.1 min read
Sarthak Mahajan | Sep 9, 2026BGauss C12 MaxR Launched At Rs 1.46 LakhBGauss has launched the C12 MaxR electric scooter with a 3.8 kWh LFP battery that offers a certified range of 178 km.2 mins read
Bilal Firfiray | Sep 10, 2026Mahindra XEV 9S Review: 3 Reasons To Buy It, And 3 Reasons To AvoidEveryone keeps telling me that the Mahindra XEV 9S is not the electric XUV 7XO. I disagree.1 min read
Shams Raza Naqvi | Sep 8, 20262026 Maruti Suzuki Baleno Review: Heart Matters, Or Does It?The updated Maruti Suzuki Baleno is here and it gets some significant changes some of which have got the opinion divided. We drive it.7 mins read
Abhishek Nigam | Sep 7, 2026Simple Wave First Ride Review: Space, Pace And More SpaceThe Simple Wave is here to rewrite the rules of the family EV scooter segment. We scoot around to tell you whether it will create waves or not!7 mins read
Janak Sorap | Sep 4, 20262026 Ducati Monster V2 Review: Raising The BarWith the fifth iteration, the Ducati Monster gets a lighter chassis, a new 890cc V2 engine, sophisticated electronics and tweaks to the suspension, all to make the 2026 version so compelling.7 mins read
Shams Raza Naqvi | Sep 4, 20262026 Lexus ES 350h And Lexus ES 500e Review: Luxury Meets CapabilityWe got behind the wheels of the new Lexus ES twins which were launched in India earlier this year. Which one suits you more? Lets find out1 min read