Benz has gifted the AMG treatment to its new-gen C-Class coupe, but this isn’t just a two-door C63 S sedan – it’s an even tougher, burlier, better performance car.

WHAT IS IT? Yet another variant of Mercedes-AMG’s excellent C63 S line-up, joining the sedan and wagon launched last year, and to be accompanied by a C63 S convertible later this year.

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MAIN RIVALS BMW M4, Audi’s ageing RS5 Coupe (expect a Frankfurt 2017 debut for the new one, and a V6…) and Lexus’s RC-F coupe if we’re simply comparing cylinders and doors.

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PLUS: A level up on the already superb sedan; sweeter suspension tune; greater poise and confidence. MINUS: Rear seat feels even smaller than the previous coupe’s, but is still useable; curiously heavier than the sedan

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Beneath its sleeker, sexier bodywork ­– and not all parties agree here – hides a significantly altered and noticeably improved C63 S. Not that there was anything wrong in the first place; it’s just that this broader and burlier two-door version is simply better.

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Up front, the C63 S Coupe features 255/35ZR19 Michelin Pilot Super Sports (10mm wider than the sedan’s), while at the rear, chubby 285/30ZR20s fill the Coupe’s rear arches. So the rear rubber is not only 20mm meatier than the sedan’s, it’s also mounted on 20-inch rims. Mixed width and diameter. The C63 S Coupe must be special.

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Other differences are purely down to opposing body types. I adore the sedan’s side profile but can’t quite love its droopy taillights (I prefer the wagon’s derriere), whereas the Coupe is much more elegant, at least in standard form.

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SPECS Model: Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe Engine: 3982cc V8 (90°), dohc, 32v, twin-turbo Max power: 375kW @ 5500-6250rpm Max torque: 700Nm @ 1750-4500rpm Transmission: 7-speed automatic Weight: 1725kg 0-100km/h: 3.9sec (claimed) Fuel economy: 8.7L/100km Price: $162,400 On sale: Now