Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance Driven On Track: No V8, No Soul?

The most powerful four-cylinder petrol engine has arrived in India, packed inside the long hood of the newly launched Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance. Yes, it’s the same C 63 which swapped its obnoxious yet beloved V8 engine for a more efficient petrol hybrid powertrain. You can drive it home for a transfer of Rs 1.95 crore (ex-showroom) for the standard version, which will also buy you the opportunity of getting behind the wheel of the C 63 on the Nurburgring race track in Germany as well!

While that Nurburgring experience is reserved for the new C 63 buyers, Mercedes took us (journalists) to the Buddh International Circuit (ex F1 track) in Noida, UP,  to get an understanding of what the new C 63 is all about. Mind you, this isn’t a first drive review and the author isn’t as well-versed with performance vehicles as your veteran journalists. So this is more of an experience-based story, which happens to feature the AMG C 63 S E Performance. Let’s go:

Baby S 63

There she was, idling away (rather quietly) in the pit side as we made our way through the garages of the circuit. All you need is a quick glance to immediately fathom that this isn’t your regular, comfy and easy going C-Class. The performance vibes were very loud indeed, especially with the F1 edition pack, which brings in a bunch of aero inserts and red finishes. 

All the vents and air curtains you can spot are very much functional, including the one on the hood. However, the quad exhaust pipes aren’t, but at least they look damn sporty. That bootlip spoiler further adds to the sporty quotient and all in all, the C 63 S E Performance looks like a baby S 63 with very similar visual changes.

We were told that while you can get the additional skirts and aero inserts with the standard C 63 too, you can’t have the red accents as they are limited to the F1 edition models. 

Inside the cabin, you get the same layout as the C43, which is the same as the standard C-Class’s. But of course, being an AMG, it gets AMG-specific bits all around, and as part of this ‘F1 Edition’, you also get red-weaving for the carbon fibre along with an F1 Edition plaque near the passenger side vent. The AMG sports seats are exclusive to the F1 edition as well, and offer a great balance of comfort and support. Although, you might want to opt for the standard ones if you’re a little on the bulkier side.

Creature comforts and safety kit is what you’d expect from a Mercedes costing north of Rs 2 crore (on-road), and even the finish of the entire cabin is top notch with an amalgam of materials like Alcantara, Nappa leather and carbon fibre. Sweet!

Need 4 Speed

Four cylinders is what this new generation of C 63 has lost. But there have been big gains all around, literally. The 2-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine is paired with a hybrid unit, which isn’t there for efficiency, but for performance. It gets a small 6.1 kWh battery pack, paired with a rear mounted electric motor which is good enough for a boost of 204PS. 

So when the battery charge is enough and you’re going full pelt, the 9-speed automatic and the 4 Matic + all-wheel drive system have to somehow manage to put the combined output of 680 PS and 1020 Nm down on the tarmac. Mercedes claims a 0-100kmph time of 3.4 seconds, and we managed to do it in 3.5ish seconds. But the latter was with three people onboard, so we’ll believe Mercedes’ claimed time. 

There’s a host of clever F1-derived tech too, like the electric motor in the turbo charger, which helps eliminate any turbo lag. More about that later. But courtesy of its hybrid nature, starting up the C 63 feels very… electric. It comes to life silently and the engine doesn’t rumble until you go heavy on the throttle or switch between the driving modes – of which there are plenty. 

Of course, being on a track, we slotted it straight into its most aggressive S+ mode as we made our way out of the pit lane. Immediately, the exhaust got louder, the seat belt tucked me in tighter and the screens in front of me turned red. Talk about creating a sense of occasion…

Corner 1

An occasion it was indeed. And before I knew it, we were already out of the pitlane, nearing the first corner and I had to start looking for the right line. It wasn’t a race or a timed lap – as I was vividly reminded by the instructor before getting in – but you can’t tell an enthusiast not to carve the best line they can. That’s exactly what I tried doing – just that it was nowhere near the actual racing line. Going forward, the first lap was all about getting used to the car. And to be honest, I felt right at home, despite the car being stupendously quick. The backstraight saw us pushing the car to nearly 270kmph, and the C63 gets this ‘Boost’ feature, which is similar to Formula 1 cars where drivers have to deploy their battery energy tactically. 

 

 

 

 

 

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In the C63’s case, you can deploy it either for a qualifying lap or for endurance. The system has the layout of the track pre-installed within the screen, which then provides you with a literal strategy, giving you a prompt for when to deploy it. And you actually can feel the additional boost even post the 200kmph mark!

Talking about cornering and handling, the BIC is a rather technical track with both tight and long corners – something which isn’t ideal for a car weighing north of 2 tones. However, Mercedes has thrown a lot of work into making the C63 a competent handler and it shows. Despite me messing up my braking points at multiple places, the car still managed to find the grip to turn into the corner every time and felt rather obedient to my inputs. It’s got a 50:50 weight distribution and rear-axle steering, which definitely aids in cornering. 

I won’t get into the nitty gritties of the suspension feeling soft or stiff, because I haven’t really driven a lot of performance cars, but what I can tell you is that the car felt planted and stable around the corners. Its limits were well beyond my capabilities, which were scratched when the expert from Mercedes took us around for a hot lap.

The standard steel brakes felt nice and hard in the beginning, but became rather squishy after half a lap. Still, there wasn’t a dip in braking performance, but if you’ll find yourself doing a lot of track days, the optional carbon ceramics would be a great investment. 

Turn up the volume!

Admittedly, the C63 has lost a bit of its rowdy character that was associated with the V8. It’s still damn loud and engaging inside the car, but that sound isn’t natural. You’re fed the exhaust notes via the speakers and you can tell because the car is actually quieter outside than it is on the inside.

It’s even got a soft limiter so you can’t really get involved in any revving shenanigan with your mates. I loved the deep fart-like sound you get while shifting between the shifts though, it feels like you’re really slotting home the gears aggressively. 

Verdict?

As I mentioned earlier, this isn’t a full fledged first drive review, but rather an experience. So no, this isn’t a verdict. But what I can say is that the C63 S E Performance is a properly compelling package in terms of on-paper specifications and numbers. And those numbers translate into the real world too, just that they don’t feel as visceral like they used to. 

The demise of the V8 has got enthusiasts lamenting, and for a good reason. In this new avatar, the C 63 doesn’t feel like a muscle car anymore, but rather a sophisticated sports car. Sure, the deafening sound had always been the defining character of the C63, but it has progressed from that into a more refined performance vehicle – one that can handle damn well.

So if all you want is a near-supercar-quick, four-door, four-seater sedan to boast your 0-100kmph times with your friends – but one that can also take you to your office in sheer luxury – then the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance seems to fit the bill just right. RIP the sound though!