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.

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.

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

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.

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.


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.

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