When it comes to premium compact German super sedans, the BMW M3has ruled the roost pretty much since Day 1 (even though the first four-door production M3 didn’t arrive until the second-generation E36 M3 arrived). Try as they might, with differing formulas, Audi and Mercedes-Benz haven’t quite been able unseat the Bavarian buzzbomb at the top of most casual enthusiasts’ consciousnesses.
This is not to say, however, that the pretenders to the M3’s throne are bad cars. Far from it, in fact. Take the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG: It’s got a booming 6.2L V8 that serves up a metric cornucopia of muscle and an exhaust note that's equal parts Andrea Bocelli and atom bomb. Match that up with a tarmac-strangling stance and you have a grin-inducing one-two performance punch. And for model year 2012, it’s found multiple ways to make your smile wider still.
Visual changes are more evolutionary than revolutionary, since it still rides on the same W204 platform of the original C63 AMG. The headlights, hood and grille have been reshaped slightly, and the front fascia features new mesh-grilled openings for engine and brake cooling. You also get deeper side skirts, rear lip spoiler and a more aggressively-styled rear bumper with a diffuser and cutouts for the quad exhaust tips. The C63 AMG rolls on 18” AMG wheels finished in Titanium Gray and wearing high-performance tires.
Of course, the bigger news is under the skin. The aforementioned handbuilt V8’s output is unchanged (451hp in standard form, 481hp with the optional AMG Development Package and 443 lb.-ft in both trims), but the transmission to which it’s connected is new. The C63 AMG now utilizes theAMG Speedshift MCT 7-speed automatic transmission, which uses a wet multiplate clutch instead of a torque converter to act as the mediator between engine and gearbox. The net result is improved response and, more importantly in times like these, a claimed 10% increase in fuel economy. Put that in your “medicinal” pipe and smoke it, Sierra Club.
But what about the important numbers? Well, for starters, 0-60 mph happens in just 4.4 seconds (4.3 with the Development Package). More interested in terminal velocity? You’ll be happy to know that it’s 155 mphfor the standard version, and 174 mph for the upgraded version. For a four-door sedan that seats four normal-sized people (five in a pinch) and has a trunk big enough to blow a couple tax refund checks at BevMo!, that’s nothing to sneeze at. But even if you do have to evacuate your sinuses, the sophisticated COMMAND Online infotainment system probably has a function that detects rapid nasal pressure discharge and issues a matter-of-fact “Gesundheit!” from the digitally captured voice of a native speaker. Or maybe it just shows you a 3D representation of your present location. We’re cool with either.
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