The 2015 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S is one fast car

It's all about the performance, and this true AMG car delivers

Lee Bailie / for the toronto star

Essentially, the car’s personality becomes considerably more aggressive the further one scrolls through the driving modes from Comfort to Race.

By: Lee Bailie Special to the Star, Published on Fri Apr 17 2015

FARO, PORTUGAL—The 2015 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S is a car completely lacking in pretention.

One look at its handsomely crisp and tightly creased form, complete with 19-inch wheels, massive brakes, quad exhaust outlets (finished in chrome!) and smattering of AMG badges, tells you all you need to know about this car’s intentions.

AMG engineers have indeed created one hot piece. So confident are they in its performance bonafides that they managed to convince their bosses to turn a few copies loose on a race track.

I’ll get into my experience at the Algarve International Circuit — a daunting, undulating 4.4 kilometre circuit that’s hosted a variety of top European motorsport from GP2 to MotoGP — a bit later. Before I relate my white-knuckle experience, however, a bit more on the C 63S itself, set to being landing in Canada in April.

In a greater effort to build AMG’s profile as the performance arm of Mercedes-Benz, both the forthcoming GT coupe and the C 63 S are properly referred to as Mercedes-AMG cars, with no Benz. This isn’t just a naming convention either. AMG cars are different from garden variety Mercedes-Benz vehicles and the engines that power them provide a good example of the organizational separation.

The 4.0-litre biturbo V8 that powers both cars is completely the responsibility of AMG, from design and development to production. These motors are assembled by hand in Affalterbach, Germany, and all bear a badge with the engine technician’s signature.

Like the GT motor to which it is closely related, the engine in the C 63 S features two turbochargers that are not mounted on the outside of the cylinder banks, but instead are located on each side of the V inside. AMG engineers refer to this feature as “hot inside V” and claim it allows for a more compact engine design, improved responsiveness and lower exhaust emissions.

It also makes the C 63 S one very fast car, with a seat-pressing 510 horsepower and 516 lb-ft. of torque. Mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic (officially entitled the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT-7) that drives the rear wheels, it can rocket to 100 km/h from rest in 4.0 seconds. The top speed is an electronically-governed 250 km/h, but can be expanded to 290 km/h with something called the AMG Driver’s Package.

AMG further ups the ante through the inclusion of five different driving modes, which the drive can adjust through a button located on the centre console. The modes — Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Individual and Race — dramatically alter the car’s driving dynamics, especially in Race mode. Without getting unduly technical, the driving modes alter the performance characteristics of the car, such as transmission shift points, steering effort, suspension damping and even the sound of the exhaust.

Essentially, the car’s personality becomes considerably more aggressive the further one scrolls through the driving modes from Comfort to Race.

Most of the time I spent behind the wheel of the C 63 S tester (not including track time), the car was set to either Sport or Sport+. The differences were more noticeable than I was expecting.

In Sport mode, the suspension settings were firm and the transmission upshifts allow the revs to climb first, which made for a fairly spirited driving experience.

But the C 63 S became more hair-trigger in Sport+. In this mode, the beast is awoken. Engine idle speed increases from 600 to 800 rpm for quicker getaways, the three-stage adjustable exhaust flaps open sooner, making the turbocharged V8’s presence known, gear shifts become faster, particularly at high speeds, and the steering boost is dialled back for more precise feedback.

In short, this is one fun way to experience the C 63 S. One should bear in mind, however, that keeping the car within posted speed limits in this mode is a challenge to say the least. It is very much at home on a race track, however, as I discovered here.

It’s the ideal setting to experience the car in Race mode, the point at which all of the car’s dynamics are turned up to 11. In addition to the Sport+ settings, Race mode also changes the car’s ESP (electronic stability program) to Sport Handling mode, which means some drifting is possible before the system intervenes.

During my three laps (sadly, that’s all there was time for), the C 63 S was an absolute delight to drive.

The V8 howled with delight as I mashed the accelerator while tearing down the long front straight, eclipsing 200 km/h in the process, before putting the car’s massive 402 millimetre (15.82 inches) carbon ceramic disc brakes to the test, scrubbing off enough speed to make the first corner.

In Race mode, things can get a bit wild and woolly. Despite the presence of electronic nannies (ESP), getting sideways at turn in under hard acceleration isn’t a hard thing to do. I am happy to report that when this does occur, straightening things back up isn’t hard to do either — the C 63 S has your back.

Although I wasn’t pushing it to its absolute limits — I’m no race car driver — the C 63 S can take a good thrashing with ease. Handling, braking, accelerating . . . you won’t be disappointed.

You’ll notice I haven’t really spent any time talking about the car’s aesthetics, but can you really blame me?

With the C 63 S, it’s not about how it looks — and it looks just fine to these eyes — it’s about how it performs. That’s the allure of a car like this. That said, the car is well-equipped, offers a pleasingly straightforward interior finished in high-quality materials with very comfortable leather-wrapped sport seats, a thick-rimmed steering wheel and an easy-to-use infotainment system.

In this regard, it’s like most other late model products sporting the Silver Arrows badge, save for all of the AMG branding it comes with. But the C 63 S probably had you at 4.0-litre turbocharged V8, didn’t it?

2015 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S

Freelance writer Lee Bailie is a regular contributor to Toronto Star Wheels. For this story, travel and other expenses were paid by the manufacturer. For more Toronto Star automotive coverage, go to thestar.com/autos . To reach Wheels Editor Norris McDonald: nmcdonald@thestar.ca

Price: not yet available

Engine: 4.0L turbocharged V8

Power//Torque (hp/lb-ft): 510/516

Fuel Consumption (L/100 km, combined): 8.2-8.4 based on European testing

Recommended fuel: Premium unleaded (91 octane)

Competition: Audi S4, BMW M3, Cadillac ATS-V

What’s best: Lustrous power, knife-edge handling, brilliant exhaust note

What’s worst: No manual transmission available

What’s interesting: A true AMG vehicle, not just a branding exercise.