Mercedes C63

The deep metallic bark of the six point two litre V8 bounced back from the rock wall of the winding Adelaide hills climb, the rear of the coupe squatting and squirming briefly under full power as the traction control  engaged, propelling me with thrilling and  astonishing willingness through the first corner.
The well weighted steering offered excellent feel and feedback as the ascent continued along Anstey Hill road, the throttle responding  instantly to every point and squirt manoeuvre through the twists and turns.The short straights linking them, devoured in a glorious, surge of noise and speed.Overrun provided a crackling beefy gurgle from  the four exhausts.

Just a tap on the enormous AMG brakes hauling the car rapidly down for entry into each bend with laughable ease.The new Mercedes C63 is no lightweight, but the poise of the suspension overcame any concerns about the heft of the car and how it would handle the going.The seven speed AMG speedshift gearbox made short work of the changes, the steering paddles proving an easier way to shift than batting sideways the uniquely Mercedes lever on the console.

A zero to 100 time of four and a half seconds reminded me of similar jaw dropping  urge from the stunning four point two litre V8 of the Audi RS 4, one of the world’s best naturally aspirated sports engines,with its own spine tingling signature V8 howl.

With 336 Kw and 600 nm under foot, fuel consumption when pressing on is somewhat alarming but not unexpected…18 to 19 litres per 100 kilometres appeared on the gauge during the spirited hills drive.However those who can afford the 154 K asking price won’t be worrying  too much about the cost at the pump.

Around town with light throttle openings I achieved around 13 and a half litres per 100 ks,, a very creditable effort considering what lies beneath the bonnet. Ride and engine management is multi adjustable as you would expect.

A small knob on the console allows for comfort, sport, sport plus and manual gear change mode.In comfort mode I was impressed at how comfortable the car actually was, especially considering the 44 psi recommended tyre pressures!

Why Mercedes persists with that dreadfully anachronistic foot operated parking brake is a mystery apart from providing the American market with their generally preferred  method of holding a vehicle  stationary.It does however provide some exercise for the left leg.

The interior of the black test car spared the confines of a cave with a glass roof, the front of which is a tilt and slide job, and there’s a mesh blind to minimise the sun’s glare. .Thankfully the unrelenting black theme inside is relieved by nicely contrasting touches of red leather on seats and door panels.

A well padded armrest and console, much appreciated after sampling some competitors offerings that feature little soft relief for arms and elbows.Entry into the rear seat, while usually a task in any coupe large or small was made more difficult in this case by the glacially slow electric operation of the front seats.

Very frustrating if in a hurry to load passengers and get going..But Mercedes is not alone in this respect, among others,Holden’s Monaro seat operation is equally tardy.At least the Merc seat returns to its set position once the button is engaged.In typical Germanic fashion the pews are rather firm, but not uncomfortable.It’s just a matter of getting used to seats that actually hold you in place during hard cornering.

I also like the Mercedes seat adjust buttons, on the door and not the seat itself, it saves a lot of fumbling looking for the right adjustment.      

I don’t mind the Benz cruise control wand, it’s very intuitive and easy to use…;the control itself able to hold the car to the set speed without too much effort or creep.Setting radio stations on the central panel can be a chore using the console mounted “mouse” but once mastered the quality of sound from the Harmon Kardon system is worth the effort.

Visually the coupe is outstanding,with its black wheels and enormous red  disc rotors, drawing many admiring glances wherever I drove it..The supermarket car park often proved difficult to leave as I was besieged by shoppers wanting to know more about the car.

The engineer who hand assembles each of the AMG V8s proudly, ( and rightly so) marks his handiwork with a signed plaque atop each engine cover.The C 63 will make every owner feel special, and is just at home taking to the hills in warp speed mode as it is on a shopping run. It throws down the gauntlet to its competitors in every way.Peter Sellen