Not since the CLK63 AMG was discontinued three years ago has Stuttgart had an answer to Munich’s M3.
Sure, the C63 sedan would happily get in the ring with an M3 sedan, but ‘real’ M3’s, in my mind anyway, have always been coupés with sharper and sportier looks than the sedans could pull off.
The recently-launched C63 coupé revisits this two-door AMG fight with the boys at M, and right off the bat it becomes obvious that someone at Affalterbach (the home of AMG) convinced the designers that they needed to think more Nurburgring than Autobahn in design terms.
And the results are staggering.
SAY HELLO TO YOUR DARK SIDE
Our test unit, as you can see, was devil red (it’s actually called fire-opal red) with big black wheels and various other AMG Sports Pack jewellery. Which really is very say-hello-to-my-dark-side, not to mention getting the same reaction from onlookers as, say, Merc’s SLS. People love the look of this car; it’s very DTM (German Touring Car series which Merc races in) and probably doesn’t sound too far off a DTM car either.
The “normal” C-Class coupé range, launched last year, was already an eye-opener in terms of design and was one of our favourite lookers of 2011. Letting the AMG boys loose on an already handsome package has simply raised the bar - but who knew they’d be this radical?
The reality is that this 63 does look more hardcore than the M3, and I think even the hardcore M fans would have to agree. My only small criticism - no frameless doors.
NEW SEVEN-SPEED MULTICLUTCH TRANSMISSION
Mechanically the C63 coupé is identical to its sedan 63 sibling, with the same 336kW, 6.2-litre V8, but in either body guise buyers now get a more modern seven-speed auto ‘box. Instead of a torque converter setup, the C63 now gets an AMG-designed Speedshift MCT seven-speed with multi-clutch technology that can bang through gears even quicker than before. Mercedes says 100 milliseconds to be precise.
Even more exciting, should you have around seventy extra grand after ordering the car, is the AMG Performance Pack which, besides tightening and sharpening this and that, pushes power up to a tidy 358kW. Our beasty in red had this little upgrade, which at our test facility realised a five second 0-100km/h time (Merc’s sea level claim is 4.3 secs) and the quarter coming up in 13.4. The zero to hundred is about half a second quicker than our original figures for the V8 M3, but to be fair the M3 pushes 49 less kilowatts and the manual M3 we tested obviously had no launch control.
My subsequent little dice with an M3 verified these findings.
SPORT+ IS YOUR HAPPY PLACE
As before, drivers have four gearbox settings to choose from: Controlled Efficiency “C” mode, sporty “S”, the more aggressive sports plus “S+” and “M” (manual) modes. Then there’s the launch control, called Race Start “RS” in Merc speak, for best off-the-line action with optimal traction.
Depending on your mood Sport+ is your happy place, it keeps the 63 in assault mode and the throttle blips on down changes - which will bring a smile to your dial.
The suspension, across the C63 range, has also been updated with stiffer shocks and springs, all four wheels are adjusted for more negative camber, and anti-roll bars have been thickened. Our test car was well-planted, but I felt still a little on the tail happy and twitchy side. Our 18.6 litres per 100km fuel consumption over 758km was a little eye-watering too.
Then there’s that sound. That cold growl at start-up in the morning sent shivers down my spine, every time. Not to mention the throttle blips in Braveheart mode or the apocalyptic roar at the end of every gear.
There’s a very cool AMG menu for features such as a lap timer, oil temperature, and gearbox and traction settings you’re in.
It’s not perfect though. The panoramic sunroof was cool but the net below it let in lots of sun and, although the sports seats were really comfy and slide forward automatically to let passengers in the back, there’s no seatbelt extender to help you reach the seatbelt.
VERDICT
The M3 is reaching the end of its life cycle, with the new 3 Series launch in SA imminent. Which is a good thing as it gives BMW a chance to catch up to the look and feel of this car. Where the M3 may be a porn star, this C63 coupé is definitely more on the S&M side. It’s badass, in your face, bring it on - kinda like the Lady Gaga of the car world.
Well worth the R923 700 price tag (before the performance pack) if you ask me. Make sure you get it in red. With black wheels. - Star Motoring