I was in the mall the other day, shopping for perfumes with my wife. She’s very kind by letting me choose the scent, since I’m the one that has to smell her. She picked up a particular bottle and spritzed, but I immediately vetoed it. I knew right away – an ex from 20 years ago used to wear it; scent and memory work hand-in-hand. Allow me to tie this into cars, because as soon as I sat inside the Mercedes C63 AMG – boom.
Brought me right back to what Mercedes used to be.
2013 Mercedes C63 AMG Quick Take
Get one:
A better V-8 than BMW or Audi could muster. Modern-car fast. Still looks the business. Great steering.
Don’t get one:
A transmission that never texts you back. Rough and disconnected ride. Not as vibrant a drive as an M3.
Soul Score: 8
Wow, cars were so good ten years ago.
The 2013 Mercedes C63 AMG Overview
If I tell you “holy trinity”, you’re probably going to think of that trio of supercars from Top Gear. But there is another group that should usurp that name: the Audi RS 4, the BMW M3, and this Merc.
V-8s in a small sedan? The world had never seen such a thing before, because V-8s were for big boys with 5s and Es on their trunks. Of course, these weren’t just V-8s – they have been placed in the hall of fame a decade after release. All glorious in their own right, Mercedes chose a slightly different path by plopping in an engine that displaced 6.3 liters. More power was a given. More sound was a wonderful surprise.
The game of mix and match continues. The C63 is automatic only, and rear-wheel drive only. It also weighs a lot more than the M3 (4,000 lbs!), and how nice of them to include a sedan and coupe option.
Looks good, no? I think so, with those chrome wheels and distinctive Mercedes visage. I would have never considered this car when I bought my E92, because M3s got you chicks and C63s got you dads. But now, I am a dad (and much more objective) – so is the C63 really the misunderstood weird German cousin to the more precise M3 and RS 4? Time to find out.
Performance Score: 8. Rough, loud, proud
I must admit that once I drove this car, my perception of it totally changed in both good and bad ways. Mercedes still makes a C63 – it’s a…God, I can’t even type this with a straight face.
Deep breath.
It’s a 2.0- liter four cylinder with a hybrid powertrain. L-O-L.
If the current one lost the plot, perhaps sniffing this C63’s scent will bring you back to a better time.
Engine
We’re never going to admit this (well, I will now, but don’t tell anyone, okay?), but E9X guys have always looked at C63 owners with envy. No, really – have you heard one with an aftermarket exhaust? Whoa, momma!
Funny thing is, you don’t even need an exhaust, because Mercedes gave this 6.3-liter V-8 plenty of life right from the factory. 481 horsepower is achieved at 6,800 RPM, with 443 lb-ft coming online by 5,000 RPM. You know what that means? You need to rev it more than you think, and that makes driving it a lot of fun. It doesn’t rev as freely as the S65, but because it’s more powerful you don’t really miss the frenetic pace.
There is no way to deny the power this engine puts out – quarter-mile in 12-flat. 3.7 to sixty. No turbos mean no lag, just smooth, delicious power everywhere. 67 more horsepower than an M3 makes you a tiny dot in their windshield if the road stays straight.
A normal C63 has “just” 451 horsepower, but because this one came equipped with the Development Package, it gets some mechanical bits from the Mercedes SLS flagship. Who the hell even ordered the car without it? Please, anything but more horsepower!
And sound. Sigh. This is Thor’s hammer hitting Wolverine’s Adamantium claws. Current Mercs like the SL 63 are only slightly better (louder, whatever), but right out of the box, it’s one of the best-sounding engines I’ve experienced, and it’s as loud as a Dodge Viper at full bore.
Sound ze alarm!
Transmission
Love fest over, because it’s here where the C63 starts to develop some issues.
The seven-speed automatic is the only choice, and absolutely fine for daily duty as it keeps the V-8 subdued until called upon. When you do summon it though, you must wait. Is it three lamp rubs? I don’t know – but it takes a beat too long to grab a lower gear once you pin the throttle.
This can be solved by using the paddle shifters on the steering wheel, which offer more responsive snaps. But like the Lexus IS 500, you’re not going to drive around all day clacking away, raising the point of why these automatic transmissions aren’t just automatically good.
Steering and chassis
We say Mercedes, V-8, 4,000 lbs, and we tend to think of a soft luxo-barge. The C63 is never soft.
Ever.
We can start at the steering wheel, which offers the same sort of initial response as BMW’s rack, but is more direct and, to Mercedes credit, heavier. It’s appropriate for a beastly car like this, and it’s the best of the German coupes.
The ride is firm. Perhaps we can mention here that this example has 113,000 miles on it, but the owner had given some of the components fresh blood before the drive. The car is simply just harsh everywhere – very un-Mercedes like. Both BMW and Audi offer a much better balance. The tire setup isn’t even that aggressive (Continental Extreme), and with no adaptive suspension option, you’re left with the waterboarding setup Mercedes decided upon.
We don’t need adaptive suspensions – a simple proper tuning job would be fine.
Speaking of, push this thing harder and feel that heavy nose pull you through turns – a weight distribution of 54/46 is totally believable. There’s a reason I see 1,000 E9X’s on a Saturday afternoon track run, and maybe one of these.
For 2012, Mercedes revised the suspension with new shocks and bushings that supposedly helped keep the car in line a bit better. Whatever – the grip and body control just isn’t there like in an M3, regardless.
Brakes
Very good – perhaps the best of the bunch. These cars were right before the dawn of gigantic braking systems, but no one told AMG. Six pot calipers in front grip cross-drilled discs, and if they don’t work any better than the brakes in the M3 or RS 4, at least they look like they do. Remember that this car is big and heavy, so bigger brakes aren’t the advantage you might think.
This is a German muscle car in spirit and performance, much more so than the others. It’s fun in its own right, but the best part of the experience by far is the engine.
Utility score: 8. A Coupe that cares
I see no reason to rate this C63 any differently than the other two inside. Start in the back seat, where the roof line is still round enough to not cut off your head, and the scalloped seats offer enough butt room to take your least favorite couple to dinner.
“Oh Mike, can we take the Mercedes tonight?”
Up front the chairs are terrific, and I must say I’m surprised that they so closely resemble the thrones in current Mercedes products. Plenty of bolstering, with a long bottom cushion. Perfection. Soft, buttery leather that has stood the test of time is a bonus.
The truck also works well, and because the C63 Coupe is a bit more stylish all around than its sedan-based bro, I’d say stick with the two-door.
Fuel Economy: 6. Power is pain
One thing you will notice is that this engine has 2.3 more liters of displacement than both the Audi and Bimmer (and more juice), so prepare to pay at the pump. EPA says 13 city, 19 highway. Even on its worst day, the S65 is a more efficient engine.
Not that I care.
What are you gonna do – not rev the snot out of the C63? Sorry, but for an extra visit or two to the local Shell each month, you’ve got yourself a deal. Now they did manage to improve the V-8’s fuel economy in later models, and the new four-cylinder C63 isn’t rated yet. But you already know what I’m going to say, don’t you?
If you’re worried about paying for fuel, you’re in the wrong car.
Features and Comfort: 6. Plastic Performance
It’s not very nice in here. Sorry, but Mercs of this era just seem chintzy and cheap. Still, a few selling points exist.
Sporting wood
We shall weirdly start with wood trim – why is it in a car such as this? Mercedes isn’t the only one to do it; BMW have you the option on the M3 as well. But it looks terrible, fake, and sticks out like a sore thumb on the dash.
There isn’t as much leather as you might think of in here, which is a shame because Mercedes makes the best. Nothing on the dash or doors really, just black Tonka plastic. Elsewhere, check the dash. Holy buttons, Batman. I don’t even know what they all do – half the silver ones are blanks.
Didn’t we spend enough to kill all the fake buttons on a Mercedes?
The HVAC knobs seem odd too, and sometimes hidden behind the shifter. Sorry, ergonomics matter when you’re diving fast. Or just driving.
The infotainment is still useful, but by this point BMW’s iDrive was far superior in layout and graphic quality – this is a 2013, not a 2008 remember. Should have been more updated. Finally – look up. No carbon roof, instead a gigantic sunroof with a sheer shade, ensuring you’re always gonna roast on a hot day.
If you sit inside a current Merc (I know I get the expensive ones, but still), you’ll see a greatly improved dash layout and much higher build quality.
Chrome dome
I think the C63 has aged well overall, but all that chrome gives it away. I’m a chrome fan…in moderation. It’s everywhere here, and though a classic Mercedes might warrant the treatment, this car begs for black trim to make it even more menacing.
Not the wheels though – leave those alone. I love them.
Quad pipes out back let everyone know you bought the big boy, and the subdued shade this one is painted – Steel Gray Metallic – matches the reserved look well. That’s good, because if you’re in the mood for Fire Orange or San Marino-type hues, you’re in for a disappointment. Mercedes only makes varying shades of white or black, with a brown thrown in for good measure. Even Audi was more colorful.
The 2013 Mercedes C63 AMG is a classic car with modern day performance
It’s funny to call it classic, I know. But if you don’t consider it to be one yet, give it another decade. By then the batteries will have completed their invasion, and we’ll all be saying “remember when?!”.
Well, hopping in this car will certainly help jog your memory. Oh yea, Mercedes used to look like bath tubs inside! Oh yea, they handle terribly! And, oh yea baby, that motor. With the depreciation out of the way, you can now obtain one of these rockets for less than $30k, slap on an exhaust, and make everyone in your town hate you. It is an anti-social car, and I’m an anti-social kind of guy.
Of the three among the C63, RS 4 and M3, which is best? We’ll see, because they all get 8s in my book. Site. Whatever. For now, just know that each car does some things better than others, with skill sets rarely overlapping. But before you jump on that E92 bandwagon, take a spin in this car and squeeze the V-8 for all it’s worth.
Guaranteed it’ll make you smile.
2013 Mercedes C63 AMG Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE
Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, four-passenger, two-door coupe
PRICE
Base: $62,330
As tested: $67,280
POWERTRAIN
6.3 liter naturally aspirated V-8
472 horsepower @ 7,100 RPM
395 lb-ft @ 4,800 RPM
Seven-speed automatic transmission
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 108.9 in
Length: 185.3 in
Width: 69.7 in
Height: 54.6 in
Curb Weight: 3,996 lbs
FUEL ECONOMY
14 combined / 13 city / 19 highway
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