Kuala Lumpur, Oct 3 — There’s a long-standing saying in automotive circles that “There’s no substitute for Cubic inches”.
This was the premise that American ‘muscle’ cars of the 1960’s to the 1970’s were built on. Muscle cars were generally less powerful family cars that had a large capacity engine plonked into them to make them more powerful.
They all followed the same basic rules.
1. There is no replacement for displacement.
2. There is no substitute for cubic inches.
Horsepower sells cars, but torque wins races. The basic idea was to get the biggest engine and stick it into the smallest car available at the time. The muscle car era was killed by rising petrol prices, emission rules and higher insurance premiums demanded by insurance companies.
Today, with the development and introduction of multiple cams, multiple valves, supercharging, turbocharging, and automotive electronics, even small capacity engines have the potential of huge horsepower and torque. We hardly see engines above 5.0 litres, but the basics remain – you can get much more out of a larger engine.
Mercedes-Benz have, for a long time, had their versions of ‘muscle cars’, which follow the same basic rules of sticking larger engines into base cars. Most of the work is done through their performance arm, AMG, and the models usually have the AMG suffix after the model name.
This brings us to the all-new Mercedes-AMG C63 S, which is officially announced as ‘available’ by Mercedes-Benz Malaysia. The C63 S is mooted to be the most powerful V8 model in its segment, with a 4.0 litre twin-turbo engine, yet with a rated fuel consumption of an impressive 8.2 litres per 100 kilometres.
(Editor’s note: Fuel consumption rated figures are obtained based on a series of tests performed based on set parameters, such as the NEDC which stands for New European Driving Cycle. These figures are good for comparing rated fuel consumption across automotive makes and models, and real world fuel consumption may vary.)
Simply put, it is a Mercedes C Class with a highly tuned 4.0 litre V8 plonked in.
“The Mercedes-AMG C 63 carries the typical AMG DNA. The AMG 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine impresses with its fulminating power delivery and highly emotional engine sound. In terms of output, torque and fuel consumption, the C 63 takes the peak position in its segment. It once again demonstrates our technological leadership in the high-performance segment,” says Mark Raine, Vice President, Sales & Marketing Passenger Cars, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia.
He added, “With around 40,000 units sold globally, the C 63 AMG in the 204 series was the best-selling AMG model. We are continuing this success story with the new Mercedes-AMG C 63, and are very proud to be introducing this to the Malaysian customers today.
Whether in terms of power, driving dynamics or appointments: the Mercedes-AMG C 63 sets new standards and will further reinforce our brand claim of “Driving Performance”. AMG customers can look forward to an extraordinarily dynamic driving experience.”
The 4.0-litre V8 biturbo M178 engine is hand-assembled in Affalterbach according to the “one man, one engine” principle. The newly developed eight-cylinder features two turbochargers mounted inside the V configuration, leading to a compact engine design; optimum responsiveness and low exhaust emissions.
Mated with the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission sending power the rear wheels, the M178 engine generates 510hp and 700Nm, enabling the C 63 S to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds. The top speed is electronically-limited to 250 km/h, but that restriction can be removed for customers who specify the AMG Driving Package, which sharpens the driving skills in an AMG-conducted training programme.
The MCT transmission was thoroughly revised for use in the C 63, and offers a choice of five driving modes, namely “Comfort”, “Sport”, “Sport +”, “Individual”, and “Race”. The driver selects the required transmission mode using the AMG DYNAMIC SELECT switch. The transmission modes define the gearshift times, and therefore noticeably modify the driving characteristics.
Matching its uprated performance, the C 63 has model-specific axles with high aluminium content, performance-oriented kinematics, electronically controlled shock absorbers and AMG-specific elastokinematics. With the AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension, the customer is able to choose between maximum sportiness and pronounced long-distance comfort in three stages at the push of a button.
To improve traction and vehicle dynamics the C 63 S has an electronic rear axle locking differential which helps to reduce slip at the inner wheel when cornering, (without using braking intervention, as compared to other systems.) As a result, the driver is able to accelerate out of bends at an earlier stage.
The car remains more stable when braking from high speeds, and the locking differential also improves traction when moving off.
For its specification, the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S is priced very competitively at RM698,888 on-the-road without insurance.
Early customers can choose to specify their vehicles in the special Edition 1 trim, which comes with various factory-fitted exclusive exterior and interior AMG accessories at RM723,888.
