£39k Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe | Spotted

Thuggish V8 pomp for Golf R money? Sold

It's practically impossible to not fall for AMG's C63 Coupe. Go on, try it. The V8 brute is too unique in today's world, too broad-shouldered and too luxurious to not have us all smitten at once. Naturally, that AMG biturbo V8 has always been a key part of the appeal, giving the rear-drive performance C-Class something its six-pot rivals, the Audi RS5 and BMW M4, can't respond to. But for many - us included - it's actually the AMG's surprising approachability that ensures its legendary status. As far as rewarding driver's cars you can use in comfort every day go, it remains a special offering.

Now, you might be wondering about the Lexus RC F Track Edition that we drove late last year. It did, as our review suggested, feel like it could run the AMG close for character. But the Japanese coupe's best asset - the naturally aspirated eight-cylinder in its snout - can't match the AMG 4.0-litre for outright punch due to its lack of blowers. Nor does the uprated chassis of the Lexus provide quite the broad spectrum of adjustability offered by the Mercedes' suspension. There's a unique appeal to the RC F and its comparably traditional underlying setup, there's no doubt about that. But technically speaking, the AMG stands above it.

The C63 Coupe is the pricier offering by about six grand, though, plus retaining an atmospheric engine presently gives the Lexus a USP that may win it as many buyers as it loses. Indeed, Lexus's current V8 is only set to get more special as it'll be succeeded by a twin-turbo unit in the next generation, a path Mercedes has been on with its eight-pot since the GT arrived in 2014. It'll soon depart it, with the arrival of a hybrid four-cylinder for 63 models from 2021 - meaning like the RC F, the C63 is looking increasingly important during these times of great change. We suspect there'll be far more tears shed when the AMG V8 dies than when Lexus adds turbos, though, for obvious reasons.

The good news right now is that the used car market Gods haven't cottoned on to the 4.0-litre V8's numbered days just yet, perhaps partly thanks to the wealth of 63 models out there ripe for used ownership. And although the cost of options means very few C63 Coupes leave the showroom priced below £70k (in fact many cost several thousand pounds above it), today's only four-year old Spotted is practically a half price example. With 12,000 miles having been accumulated since 2016, it still looks like a newish offering. And with so few design differences compared to the very latest C63 two-door, it amounts to a fresh-faced car with an asking price that dips just beneath the £40,000 mark.

Some of you may have noted that this figure is only five grand more than the Giulia QF we found in the classifieds a couple of weeks ago, a car that would have been cheaper to buy when new and - in the case of this particular one - is of nearly four-times the mileage. Aside from the fact it's not the hairy chested C63 S, the only real let-down for this C63 is arguably its colour and wheel combo. Silver paint and rather ordinary-looking five-spokes don't exactly scream 476hp twin-turbo performance car, but then again, that V8 does. Plain-looking as it may be on the C63 scale, this is one car that doesn't need help in confirming its intentions. For less than a specced-up A45, today's Spotted looks like a true bargain.

SPECIFICATION - MERCEDES-AMG C63 COUPE

Engine: 3,982cc, V8, twin-turbocharged
Transmission: Seven-speed MCT automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 476@5,500-6,250rpm
Torque (lb ft): 479@1,750-4,500rpm
MPG: 28
CO2: 230g/km
First registered: 2016
Recorded mileage: 12,000
Price new: £68,719 (2019 price)
Yours for: £39,989

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