Mercedes C63 AMG Edition 507: PH Fleet
Will we ever have an AMG that sounds as good as the 63? We'll find out on Friday, until then...
A reduction in swept capacity of over a third will be something of a fundamental shift in mindset for AMG, which has always gone for the 'bigger is better ... then go a bit bigger just to be sure' mentality when it comes to engines. OK, so we've already had a twin-turbo V8. But that was 5.5-litre so hardly downsized.
Never mind the numbers, it's the noise that matters
Little doubt it'll do the numbers performance wise. But will it sound good?
The sound engineering that's gone into the C63 is, I think, absolutely perfect. There's a showy little blip of revs when you fire it up - I've taken to leaving the driver's door open of a morning when I first start up to bask in its glory - which is possibly a bit contrived. But other than that it seems remarkably free of the over stimulated theatrics performance car exhausts from hot hatches to supercars now feel it necessary to include. The C63 soundtrack is pitch perfect though. Loud enough to be noticeable without ever actually being unsociable enough to have people tutting, the way they might have if you were in a Subaru with a bean tin back box. Fire it up in a Waitrose car park and heads will turn, looking for the source of the noise. But it'll be a reflex action, not a 'who let that chav in here?' disgust. And they definitely wouldn't expect it to have come from the grey Mercedes estate either.
Dan convinced pal to buy a '63, still in good books
Boy, when you're pressing on though... The savage crack you get on full bore upshifts about one time in every five just makes me giggle. Some newer cars, A45 included, have been programmed to do it every time you change gear meaning the novelty is lost. The '63 will only do it every now and then, which makes it all the more exciting when it does happen. You'll probably now be thinking 'right then, where's the video...' A new clip is on the to-do list. Meanwhile here's the launch control one from a while back to hammer home the point.
Sod the numbers, just make sure it sounds good
Other observations on life with the 507? Well, in Comfort mode (my default for daily driving) the time consuming process of navigating the gear selector from P to D and 'soft' step-off actually makes for an embarrassingly slow departure off the line. I've not been parped from behind yet but no doubt a few have been mystified as to why I'm so slow away from the lights. There's always S or S+ mode but that's a bit savage for town driving. There's always the occasional Race Start option to liven things up of course. Or perhaps holding it on the brake and doing a proper rolling burnout up Teddington High Street.
Yes. That's what we need for next month. More noise. And some tyre smoke. On the case.
FACT SHEET
Car: 2013 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Edition 507
Run by: Dan
On fleet since: March 2014
Mileage: 10,343
List price new: £68,470 before options (£80,075 as tested, comprising Privacy Glass £330, reversing camera £390, Lighting Package £150, three-zone climate control £590, Keyless Go £665, AMG Performance Media £2,040, Comand Online with six-disc changer £250, DAB £335, Harmon Kardon surround sound £650, phone pre-wiring with roof aerial £290, Designo Magno Platinum paint £3,660, rear axle limited-slip differential £1,745 and 19-inch wheels £510)
Last month at a glance: Nope, novelty not wearing off one bit
Previous reports:
C63 arrives, Dan hasn't let anyone else have a go since
Look, it's thirsty ... of course it's thirsty
Photos: Dave Smith
I leave the door open too on startup
My car was winning the noise show at the Luxury Motor Show in Nottingham recently. Inchcape MB fired up their CLS63 and gave it a few revs too, but as lovely as the 5.5 sounds it really cannot live with the 6.2 for overall noise and sound.
My car is leased and I hate even thinking about the day it will go back, it will be like losing a member of the family
On the 'crack' noise, you can get it to happen on demand but you need to be in manual or S+ and do a 100% throttle and red line gear change.
I like S mode for the gearbox around town when you need to use first, but agree that S+ is too much. I actually think M is more fun than S+ as you get more control over the gearbox. S+ is likely to be great for the track but it holds onto the gears for too long for me when not needed.
I would like to be a passenger in my car a little more often to fully appreciate it. I plan to make quite a few GoPro videos before it's departure next year, and likely this summer when (and if) the weather is nice.
Happy to be a part of any C63 meet if it is not too far away from Nottingham.
I'm less subtle though, I just sit there and rev it before shutting the engine off
http://youtu.be/adGDrB7HFWw
Your comment about "starting it up in Waitrose car park" really struck home: I heard one start for the first time actually in a Waitrose car park and thought it was thunder...
I've never looked under one, but guess that the distance from the tail pipes to the back box must be quite long. My Saab 900 has that feature and it makes for a lovely burble.
do you have to go into park at the lights?
I can kind on my fingers the number of times I have used the actual handbrake, not really needed in an automatic except on steep hills.
Must confess though I think the AMG sonic v8 heyday was the Supercharged unit in the 55. The newer units have too much of a rasp to the exhaust note that just reminds me of dem Duke Bwoyz.
Must confess though I think the AMG sonic v8 heyday was the Supercharged unit in the 55. The newer units have too much of a rasp to the exhaust note that just reminds me of dem Duke Bwoyz.
In addition, spirited drives require both back windows to be very slightly down to let in a little more noise
In addition, spirited drives require both back windows to be very slightly down to let in a little more noise
It'll be a sad day indeed when it goes.
Graham
PS - Let me know when the C63 appreciation society meet up is!
It'll be a sad day indeed when it goes.
Graham
PS - Let me know when the C63 appreciation society meet up is!
I'm on my 2nd C63 and got to say I absolutely love these cars; the aggression, rawness and shear power. Oh and that noise :-D
I've added a couple of photos of my current one. 63 plate Coupe, AMG Performance Pack, Diamond White, Titanium 19's, AMG Performance Suspension (difference is night and day!), Harmon Kardon, Reverse Camera, Privacy Glass...
When's this owners meet up? I'm well up for it
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