Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe - Review and Drive
Mercedes-Benz has finally released official details on the 2012 C63 AMG. Buyers can expect to be met with the same 451-horsepower 6.3-liter V8 under the hood, though an optional AMG Development Package can crank that figure all the way up to 481 ponies. Bolted behind that miracle mill is the company's seven-speed AMG Speedshift gearbox, though the transmission now comes with new mapping to squeeze as much efficiency as possible from the drivetrain. Mercedes-Benz calls the mode "controlled efficiency," and along with a new, more efficient power steering pump, the company says that the 2012 C63 AMG will boast a 10 percent nudge in fuel economy over its predecessor.
EPA figures are still pending, but Mercedes-Benz says that the sedan will clip off the 0-60 dash in 4.3 seconds with the optional performance kit. With acceleration like that, who needs fuel economy?
On the eve of the 2011 Geneva motor show press days, the performance division of Mercedes-Benz rolled out three stark white C63 AMG models -- a four-door sedan, a wagon, and a hush-hush, no-photos-allowed coupe that will be unveiled later this spring at the New York Auto Show. All three will hit the market together, first in Europe this July, followed by a U.S. launch, in September.
Like most of the world's top automakers, Mercedes-Benz has been increasingly feeling the heat from ever stricter emissions and fuel economy standards, which have been forcing the folks in Stuttgart to replace larger, naturally aspirated engines with smaller, more effic
ient forced induction versions. Fans of the C63 AMG were sure the super-sedan would suffer that fate in the name of saving the polar bears. Despite the pressure, disciples of the big piston can rejoice: Benz kept the 451-horsepower 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V-8 in the new 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, and it's more ice-cap friendly to boot.
The previous generation C63 AMG was a revelation to fans of midsize European performance sedans. The BMW M3 and Audi RS4 charm drivers with a mesmerizing combination of smooth, high-revving power; surgically precise handling; and Old World, hand-crafted German build quality. The C63 kicks you in the gut with torque and power-slides. Either you will love it or get the hell out of its way.
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