38 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 24 APRIL 2 019
PERFORMANCE
AAAAB
The cold, damp surface of MIR A’s
horizontal mile straights served to
prove two points: that a pair of driven
a x le s i s i n f i n it e l y b e t t e r t h a n ju s t
the one when it comes to deploying
immense power to the road in less-
than-ideal conditions, and that the
C63 S Coupé is a devastatingly quick
car once it finds its footing.
Of course, Mercedes’ quoted
503bhp and 516lb ft mean neither of
those observations comes as much of
a surprise. However, the fact that this
most junior member of Mercedes-
AMG’s V8 line-up felt as though it
would happily continue to accelerate
long after it had punched through the
A r mc o t h at b o ok e nd s M I R A’s t r a c k
is telling. With the optional AMG
Driver’s Package, top speed is capped
at 180mph rather than 155mph,
although we’d not bet against the
C63 S nudging 200mph if freed from
its electronic constraints.
More objectively, with two testers
aboard the C63 S recorded a two-way
average 0-60mph time of 4.3sec
- 0.4sec shy of Mercedes-AMG’s
claimed time. In these conditions,
however, traction in the lower gears
was a precious commodity, and a
dry surface would undoubtedly see
that time tumble. Indeed, even in
the damp, the 100mph marker wassurpassed at 9.2sec, putting the
C63 S on a par with the identically
powerful Giulia Quadrifoglio, and
a mere 0.4sec behind the M4. Given
that both of those rivals were tested
on a bone-dry day, AMG can hold its
head up high.
The talent of the 4.0-litre V8 isn’t
limited to immense through-the-
gears performance; huge tractability
me a n s it ’s ju s t a s w i l l i n g t o de l i v e r
a tidal surge of in-gear acceleration.
L o c k e d i n fou r t h , ou r t e s t c a r
accelerated from 30mph to 70mph
in 4.9sec. The Alfa and BMW, on
the other hand, both took 5.4sec to
complete the same feat, which is
testament to raw cylinder-count.
On the f ly, the nine-speed multi-
clutch transmission is capable of
swapping ratios in an impressively
dexterous manner. However, its more
aggressive calibration meant some oft h at c i v i l it y w a s d i m i n i she d at low e r
speeds. Step-off in particular can be
clunky and lacking in f luidity, which
would be more acceptable were the
full-bore, redline upshifts more
clinical than they are.
HANDLING AND STABILITY
AAAAC
Straight-line speed is hardly in short
s uppl y for t h i s A MG, a lt hou g h for
decades the brand’s road cars have
l a c k e d t he s a me le v e l of t u r n-i n
precision and cornering composure
of fe r e d b y r i v a l s f r om BM W M a nd ,
in some cases, Audi’s quattro GmbH.
Any deficit is far smaller than it
once was, and perhaps even non-
existent as far as steering feel and
chassis balance are concerned. Make
no mistake: the reputation of the C63
S trades on its distended wheel arches
and the promise of a pulverising
V8, but this is, in fact, a surprisingly
intuitive, predictable and often
delicate car to drive quickly.Grip and poise dominate the initial
exchanges and, aided by its dynamic
engine mounts, the C63 S offers
p e rh ap s t he mo s t c l i n ic a l c h a n ge of
direction of any AMG model thus
far, AMG GT notwithstanding.
Driven calculatedly, it’ll cover
ground with the sort of spellbinding
pace and composure that has one
checking the speedometer every few
s e c ond s. T he s t e e r i n g i s pa r t ic u l a rl y
communicative by the standards of
the class, although still not quite as
l i ne a r i n it s ac t ion a s w e ’d l i k e.
z The C63 S can unsurprisingly struggle for traction in inclement weather, but let it off the leash and its electronic diff enables a confidence-instilling tail-happy playfulness
`
The C63 S underpins its
ability with a wellspring
of confidence
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