| 07-27-2014, 07:50 AM | #1 |
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Got A New Car...Starts With C And Ends With AMG! (Review, Pics And Video Included)
Upon selling my Mercedes-Benz S550 a few months prior, I knew “the new car” itch would kick in momentarily. Low and behold not even a few hours after selling her, I’m looking into an iconic car I had lusted over for a half a decade, BMW M3. I had been dreaming and salivating over M3’s since I was a child. When the E9X M3 released I fell head over heels for it and have been lusting for one ever since.
Just happened so that I got the opportunity to drive a fully equipped 2009 E92 M3 with DCT I immediately jumped at the chance and drove 2 hours away to drive it. This specific vehicle was in Jerez Black with cream colored interior and had the ZCP rims on it. The car was in excellent condition and looked muscular and sleek. My childhood memories came rushing back as I started the car and pushed the ///M button (I knew the interior and layout of the interior like the back of my hand due to hours upon hours that I had spent watching reviews and reading articles) and immediately all the settings up to maximum. Off I went, the throttle was very responsive and the revs would shoot up at lightning speeds. I immediately noticed the lack of kick until the car was high up in the rev range, just as I had expected. The brakes on the M3 had amazing bite and the steering wheel was thick, weighted and sharp. The exhaust note was not as loud as I had expected and only when the car was in the upper echelons of the rpm did that notorious V8 shriek come in After putting the car through its paces I thought to myself “My life’s goal is complete, I don’t think I will ever get the opportunity to drive a better and more enjoyable car than this. This may be the one”. MAN WAS I WRONG! Enter the 2012 C63 AMG Performance Package. I had heard a lot of positive things about the C63 AMG but did not expect it to be this enjoyable and thrilling to drive. This specific W204 C63 AMG Sedan was in Obsidian Black Paint and had black interior. It took less than five minutes of driving the car for me to know I HAD to have it. Exterior: Mercedes-Benz updated the exterior and interior on the 2012 model year C63 AMG and it was quite the comprehensive overhaul. Unlike BMW’s LCI update, which changes the tail lights and calls it a day, Mercedes-Benz went and reworked the front bumper. added LED daytime running lights, curved LED headlamps, an aluminum hood with an extended bulge, a revised grille, LED tail lights, and a beefier rear diffuser to name a few. The car looks understated and butch. The unsuspecting person may pass it off as a C-Class sedan, unless they know their stuff. Which is makes it so damn amusing. If there ever was a coke sniffing wolf in sheep’s clothing, this is it. Interior: The interior too has been updated and refreshed. The facelift C63 has a reworked dash, center console, three-spoke multifunctional steering wheel, a new COMAND interface, more carbon fiber trim, revised button layout on the center console and host of other upgrades make the cockpit and cabin feel luxurious and purposeful. The leather is great and the seats are so bolstered I feel like I am in a $500,000 supercar simply because of how I have to get in and out of it. All the buttons and controls feel top notch and durable, except the door locking knob that sticks out when the doors are unlocked, that looks and feels like it came out of the rejected goods bucket from a toy manufacturing plant in China. Alas I’m being nit picky here. I really love the analog dash with the physical tachometer and speedometer as opposed to the all digital screen ones they have on majority of cars now. Of course Mercedes-Benz has cleverly added a TFT display in between the gauges so I can tinker with all my vehicle settings. From checking my tire pressure to changing if I want my interior lights to stay on for a few seconds once I leave the vehicle. It’s all there and easy to use. Oh and let’s not forget the AMG screen, that’s where I get all the important information like a digital speed reading, gear indicator as well as oil and coolant temperature. The added Performance Package (P31 Package) also comes with an alcantara steering wheel, carbon fibre rear lip spoiler, 19” rims and red brake calipers all around. All that and I haven’t even started talking about the performance goodies yet. Technology and Gadgets: To my surprise, the C63 comes loaded with a lot of electronic gizmos and features. The Harmon Kardon Logic 7 sound system is phenomenal and along with the common stuff like a backup camera and key-less go, the car also has active lane assist, which sends a pulsing vibration through the left or right side of the steering wheel if you are veering out of your lane without signaling (gets annoying so I turned it off), adaptive cruise control, drowsiness sensor (who the hell could possibly be falling asleep in this car?) and blind spot assist, which alerts you if there is a vehicle in your blind spot via small exclamation marks illuminating when it senses a vehicle. I don’t much care for “assist” features. Most importantly, I can turn it all off if I want. Performance: If the “ordinary” C63 AMG wasn’t bonkers enough with its 451 Horsepower and 443 pounds feet of torque, than the Performance Package one ups an already tire slaying psychopath of a car. With the Performance Pack comes an additional 30 horsepower, upping the total figure to a hair raising 481 hp and torque remains the same at 441 pounds feet, all thanks to the forged pistons, connecting rods, and lightweight crankshaft which are directly lifted from the SLS AMG. Wait, there is more, Mercedes has also fitted the C63 Performance Pack with two-piece composite brakes that are cross drilled and slotted as well as a revised suspension mated to a sport Limited Slip Differential, which oddly was not standard on the “Plain Jane” C63. This Performance Pack will do 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds as tested by MotorTrend. Suspension: As if a normal C63 wasn’t stiff enough, the hooligans at AMG went and stiffened it up even more. When going over a pothole the car’s door hinges rattle due to how stiff it is. When on a smooth surface it is decent, but the moment you hit a pothole or even a ripple in the pavement, pucker your ass because you will feel it. It’s not a deal breaker, and a small price to pay if you ask me. Steering: The C63 is one of the last car’s that still has the “oldschool” hydraulic steering and it is so much better for it. The feedback through the amazing nappa leather and alcantara wrapped steering wheel is phenomenal. You are always confident in its ability to tell you exactly where you are and where you will be. BMW used to be known for its steering feel in the olden days but now they have lost that competitive advantage, the C63 definitely carries that mantle in this segment. Brakes: The upgraded brakes on the Performance Pack are bigger and have even more bite. They clamp down to bring this burly beast to human speeds. The car always feels planted under heavy braking and brake feel is solid and predictable. Tires: With so much torque and power on tap I do wish AMG had put wider tires on this thing because even without the added 30 horsepower, the car always overwhelms the rear tires. I highly doubt my tires will last more than 10,000kms/6,200 miles. Transmission: For 2012 Mercedes has updated their clunky automatic gearbox that was offered from 2008-2011 and have replaced it with their MCT SpeedShift (a multi-clutch set-up, minus the torque convertor). The result is not a true dual clutch transmission like that of the M3, but definitely miles better than what Mercedes offered prior to the facelift. The shifts in comfort mode are composed and it really functions like a buttery smooth automatic. Go in to Sport Plus or Manual Mode and the transmission does a complete 180, it becomes more aggressive and is capable of banging in shifts in 100 millisecond increments along with blipping the throttle on downshift. The C63 transmission gets a lot of flak from people primarily because many have not experienced the current MCT SpeedShift transmission. If you directly compare it to a true DCT in terms of crisp and precise shifts, than you will come short, but for the split personality needed to juggle smoothness and comfort along with fast and aggressive shifts, this MCT does it much better than any DCT. Now let’s get to the part you have all been waiting for... Engine: This nuke of a 6.2 litre naturally aspirated engine is one of the best engines that has ever graced this earth. It is simply a masterstroke and is the life and blood of what makes this car such a pleasure to drive and experience. Mercedes-Benz kept their big boy pants on and kept the humongous hand-built engine in the car (due to fitment, thank god) even though the rest of their AMG vehicles now have the 5.5 litre bi-turbo, which to me a step backwards, but that’s the way it goes in this day and age. This thing makes so much torque and from so down low in the rev range that you feel the car wants to tear your face off and eat it, until you grab the next gear, at which point it wants to do it all over again. I would not be surprised if the car is slowly changing the earth’s axis of rotation every time I put my foot down. The power delivery and throttle response is phenomenal and is hands down the best I have ever experienced. Sound: Who has heard a 100 angry lions roar in unison? What was that, none of you have? Alright, than listen to a C63 AMG Performance Pack under acceleration, it is the same thing. It makes its intentions clear the moment you push the start button. It growls to life, immediately makes your heart rate increase. No doubt this car wants to eat your newborn children and it lets you know that by the cracks, bangs, pops and growls it produces. Rev the car beside an older person and you will give them a heart attack. The maniacs at AMG somehow got away with keeping this insanely loud exhaust note(for a luxury street legal performance sedan) on the C63. It is pure unaltered aural pleasure. No exhaust synthesis and sound pumped through the speakers here (do you hear that BMW?). Just an old fashioned naturally aspirated 6.2 litre V8 singing at full tilt. It makes me feel like I am the conductor of an orchestra. It is exhilarating and smile inducing every-single-time I get on the throttle. The sound of this car is reason enough to buy the car. I applaud the guys at AMG for pulling it off. If you ever get a chance to give the C63 AMG a go, especially the facelift model, do yourself a favor and snatch the opportunity with both hands for you will not be disappointed. For those of you who are debating whether you should get one or not, I suggest you take the checkbook out as fast as you can because this car to me signifies the last testament and the ending of an era. Here are a couple iPhone videos of a cold start and an acceleration run. Last edited by Razzy; 07-27-2014 at 10:03 AM.. |
| 07-27-2014, 10:00 AM | #5 | ||
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| 07-27-2014, 12:46 PM | #6 |
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Outstanding review! I very much enjoyed reading that. Awesome photos, too.
And congratulations on the new beast! You will grow to love it more as the miles rack up. I have had mine for nearly a year now and I am still in love with those cold starts.  PS - If you need any tire recommendations, let me know. You will go through them fast and I have tried a few different brands at this point.
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Current: '20 X253 GLC300 SUV Gone: '20 W205 C43 Sedan Gone: '18 W205 C43 Sedan Gone: '13 W204 C63 Sedan |
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| 07-27-2014, 12:56 PM | #7 | |
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The car is definitely a beast and I absolutely adore it. I'm running Continental DWS tires. Lets see how log they last. I will contact you once I require some input once these run out. I'm planning on getting the car on a dyno, doing a few pulls and getting the eurocharged tune done. Have an appointment this week. Any input on that? Also, your car looks great. That silver is classic Mercedes-Benz. The sedans look soo much better than the coupes in my opinion. It's the opposite of the M3's. |
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| 07-27-2014, 04:31 PM | #8 | |
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Initially, I purchased an OE Tuning handheld unit and tune and right when I was getting ready to install the tune, OE Tuning's website disappeared for a week and I could not reach anyone there (neither by phone nor via email). I did not feel comfortable using them as a tuner after that experience. Fortunately, I was able to receive a full refund since the product was unused and I initiated the return within 30 days. When back to square one, I emailed Eurocharged at 1:00 AM on a weeknight and received a response in 10 minutes. That sold me right there. I am running Continental ExtremeContact DW "max performance" summer tires right now and they are some of the best tires I've ever owned. They hook up wonderfully (even in OEM sizing) and ride very quietly/smoothly. They're better than the Continental ContiSportContact 5P tires that the car came with and on par with the Michelin Pilot Super Sports I have on my E550. And thank you for the kind words!
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| 07-27-2014, 11:54 PM | #11 | |
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