Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Edition 507 | Spotted

The W204 C63 was an AMG icon; the 507 Edition ensured a suitably wild send off

Enough has been written about the 6.2-litre C63 that nothing more probably needs to be said. But much like old jokes or great songs, sometimes it nice to hear things repeated. Over and over again. The W204 was epic, of course, combining one of the all-time great V8s with three handsome C-Class bodystyles and a chassis that could just about keep a lid on all that power. It earned an awful lot of fans in the UK over its half a dozen years or so on sale here. Not all of them forecourt owners, either.

Perhaps now the old battleaxe serves to illustrate just how quickly things can change, especially at AMG. This Edition 507 was on sale in 2013, with the very last C63s registered in 2014. It was the same time the A45 AMG was launched, in fact, and the move to four-wheel drive hot hatches seemed a pretty drastic leap back then. This C63 only had its first MOT in 2016 and next year the four-cylinder hybrid one will be here. It's a wonder anyone can keep up.

Let's all be grateful that the C63 happened at all; even while it was still on sale the writing was very much on the wall for giant V8s in the UK. To mark its demise the Edition 507 celebrated that engine as best it could, with almost Black Series levels of power for less than £70k. All the Performance Pack C63s had received the internals from the SLS - a lighter crank, forged pistons and rods, all the good stuff - but the Edition 507 took it that little bit further. To 507hp, in fact. Or a nice, round 500 imperial horsepower. It's almost like AMG wanted Britain to love the '63 even more. Maximum power was made at 6,800rpm, ahead of the 6.2 ripping past 7,000rpm. With 450lb ft at 5,200rpm as well, the entire experience was completely intoxicating even by the standards of atmospheric V8s. The sheer capacity gave the engine torque, the lighter internals helped it rev; the M156, especially in this form, really was the best of both worlds.

You don't tend to see many Editions 507s, presumably because every owner is fervently holding on to a last-of-the-line great. But it also wasn't drastically different to the regular C63, even while it channeled a bit of Black Series, and many had already for their fill before 2013 came around. It's hard to imagine AMG churned out loads, either, and as it stands fewer than 200 Edition 507s are in the UK against more than 3,000 of the regular model.

This is a pretty rare Mercedes, then, if not quite as scarce as the 507 wagons, of which there are believed to be just 15 UK cars. This Coupe has covered just 21,000 miles with two owners (a father and son) and comes with a full main dealer service history. Somehow the wheels have remained unkerbed, too.

When new, it was suggested that almost £70k for a C63 without a limited-slip diff looked a lot, especially when some estates came out closer to £80,000. But those who took a punt on the 507 are now having the last laugh, as residual values have proved strong; you won't get in one for less than £45k (where the best standard C63s are comfortably less than £35k) and this low mileage example is on offer at £52,850. While nobody can predict with authority where values are going to go (we'd surely all be a lot richer if we could), it seems unlikely that an Edition 507 is ever going to be anything less than one of the most desirable AMG reprobates in history. Time to see what all the fuss is about, surely...

SPECIFICATION | MERCEDES-BENZ C63 AMG EDITION 507 COUPE

Engine: 6,208cc, V8
Transmission: 7-speed auto with wet clutch (MCT), rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 507@6,800rpm
Torque (lb ft): 450@5,200rpm
MPG: 23.5
CO2: 280g/km
First registered: 2013
Recorded mileage: 21,630
Price new: £68,470 (before options)
Yours for: £52,850