Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of picking up my grandmother from her home in Sitiawan and sending her to my aunt’s house in USJ. Normally, this would have been work cut out for a crossover or SUV test car, as she usually hauls half a house worth of goods with her wherever she goes.
Instead, I decided to demonstrate that sedans are still more than capable of the job. Along with my grandmother and I, were my aunty and cousin. So that’s 4 adults, clothes for a nights’ stay, and half a house. What practical sedan did I decide to move all of this in?
A Mercedes-AMG C63. Of course.
What else would you do with 700Nm of torque but move cargo? We have speed limits in this country, you know.
To be clear, this isn’t just a C63. It’s a C63 S Edition 1 Sedan. We feel some explanation is necessary, so we’ve broken the name down into bite-sized chunks.
- Mercedes-AMG: The performance arm of Daimler was responsible for engineering the car
- C: It’s based on the W205 C-Class platform
- 63: It has a handbuilt (one man, one engine) 4-litre bi-turbo V8
- S: An additional 34 hp and 50 Nm of torque output compared to the standard model (which isn’t officially brought in by MBM. Why have a standard C63 when you can have a C63 S, right?)
- Edition 1: A rare variant that adds red seat belts, red + black leather interior trim, ‘Edition 1’ etched steering wheel inside, and 19-inch cross-spoke forged alloy rims, gloss black exterior trim, red front grille and wing mirror accents on the exterior.
- Sedan: It has four doors and seating for 5
And since my grandmother had a lot to say about the car, I have decided to add her comments here in quotation marks.
Design
The exterior of the C63 S is somewhere between wild and mature. On the one hand, they’ve refrained from sticking a CLK-GTR spoiler. The body kit actually is very subdued in its appearance. Yes there is an overall increase in the car’s aggression, but it still rocks the distinguished silhouette of a W205.
But being an ‘Edition 1’ model, there’s are red accents on the grille, around the edge of the rims and on the wing mirrors. Add to that black sticker accents above the side skirts and what you have is a small degree of ‘blinginess’. Personally, I would do without these stickers, but the rest of the enhanced bodykit and accents look great. It’s almost sleeper-like in how subdued it looks considering its output.
“Wow, the [seat] belts are red. Like karate.”
The interior is also a mix of prestige and flamboyance. On the one hand, there’s still the same gorgeous flowing panels we find in the regular C-Class as well as an analogue clock from IWC Schaffhausen.
But then you have the RED everywhere to remind you that AMG had their way with the cabin too. The carbon-fibre insert? Red accents weaved into it. Stitching around the cabin? Red. Bucket seats? Red accents. Seatbelts? Red. The colour of safety. RED.
To be fair, there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s a sporty car, and the colour does help accentuate the fact. It’s just strange seeing such a distinguished and elegant interior being transformed into anything else.
Performance
“Bucket seats? Why is it a bucket?”
There are plenty of quality reviews (by more qualified drivers) of the AMG C63 S doing what it does best, tearing up B-roads. And while we will address performance briefly, we were more concerned with what the car was like as an everyday driver.
Our drive to and from Sitiawan, Perak was kept at very reasonable, very legal speeds. We did gun it once in a while to perform overtaking manoeuvres or to get out of trouble, but generally, things were kept around the 110km/h mark.
At that speed, the C63 S isn’t quite the nightmare as many make it up to be. Our 264-kilometre journey took us 3 hours and 17 minutes, and our average consumption was 10.8L/100km. It’s not too far off the official figures, and the difference can be explained by the fact that we were hauling half a house with us, the traffic conditions, the hilly landscape and the hot weather.
But of course we have to talk about what happens after sending grandma home.
Plain and simple this is a supercar with 4 doors. It is made to turn corners, not ferry tired businessmen. Acceleration from any speed is neck-breaking. Steering is exceptionally sharp and accurate. And if the technical mastery of AMG wasn’t enough, there’s still the emotional aspect to savour. The deep baritone of the AMG sports exhaust is a constant reminder of the kind of power you’re moving around with. In Sports+ mode, the drama is further enhanced. The beast develops a form of Tourette’s syndrome – barking and shouting in tongues at every little change in input. I kinda love it.
Value and Perspective
“How much is this car? Hundred thousand? Two hundred? Don’t tell me it’s three hundred thousand. SEVEN HUNDRED? You give me also I won’t want. Can buy a house with that kind of money.”
RM700,000 for a C-Class doesn’t immediately scream ‘value’, even when you consider it’s fully imported. But to look at the C63 S as a mere variant of the C would be a complete mistake. AMG reengineered the thing to their spec. AMG builds the engines by hand. AMG’s unique multi-clutch transmission gets shoved in here. The tyres and rims are worth a small fortune. The carbon-fibre weave, the upholstery – it’s all made to a greater degree of quality and exclusivity. And think about this: you’re getting a supercar you can transport your grandmother in for half the price you’d normally expect to pay.
It’s cheaper than an M3 in its standard form, but add RM25K for the ‘Edition 1’ package and you get the finery to match the firepower of its main rival.
When you think about it that way, RM700,000, even for the standard C63 S, is a real steal.
Mercedes-AMG C63 S Edition 1 Specifications
Engine: V8 Biturbo
Capacity: 3982cc
Gearbox: 7-speed AMG Speedshift MCT
Max Power: 510hp @ 5500rpm
Max Torque: 700Nm @ 1750rpm
Top Speed: 250km/h (limited)
0-100km’h: 4 seconds
Price: RM698,888 (without Edition 1 upgrade)
