The New 2008 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

This C63 AMG, does not as good as the Lexus IS-F or the Audi RS4. But, it definitely has the power under the hood to give the M3, RS4 and IS-F a run for their money.

With 450 hp and 0-60 in 4.5 seconds, that really impressive, I must admit.

"does not as good as the Lexus IS-F or the Audi RS4"

..Erhmm what?

Give the IS-F a run for their money? I would assume the C63 is more expensive. So it should be the IS-F giving the Germans a run for their money.

I agree with you though Lexus. M3, RS4, IS-F, C63 are amazingly fast cars.

Agent63, its not about money. Its about "the best". People who buy these cars dont care about money. Its the same reason they stay at 5 star hotels--there be a nice value elsewhere, but they are not the best. Think The Four Seasons compared to say, the Marriot. Both are truly nice, but the Four Seasons is the best at what they do, therefore people pay a premium for a premium experience.

If it hit 0-60 in 4.5 seconds than it is much faster than the current Audi RS4.

It does 0-100 (62.1 mph) in 4.5, so expect 0-60 in the low 4s.

Faster until the road becomed Wet or Curvy, then the advantage of the RS4 & BMW becomes Clear.

This has been showcased many times in other vehicles
M5/RS6/E55
GT40/Pagai Zonda / F430

Always the most Powerful does not translate into the best to drive

I would be so sure of that .. the new C63 actually handles awesome. With or without the optional AMG Performance pack. (for track use)

Not as good as the IS-F Camary, what a Joke.

IS-F CAMRY!!!.. hahahaa

Lexus, I might appreciate your opinion only when you drive all three cars. In the mean time, keep your wise opinion to yourself.

Test driving it does Not count, or driving your father or friends does Not count either.

when you think top in this class you think M3, now this is going to shake things up a lot. The C55 and C32 never really did much to hurt the M3, maybe because it has 4 doors and the old M3 didn't. But now with there being a 4-door M3 version, the unheard of could happen, where an AMG c-class beats and M bmw??? It could happen!

Its sounds like it is only if you are the one driving.

How much is this "Death trap?"

looks good, but something is missing.

This is a sick car with a sick engine. History is repeating itself, Mercedes is putting the 6.3 in their smaller cars.. brilliant.

On a straight road, the M3 and RS4 will have to work hard to keep up.

true, but on a wet surface it will be the merc and the bmw that will have to keep up

wow. looks very clean. love the new more angular, less round shape of the front bumper and the wide body. almost has the presence of the cls.

the new c-class will no doubt be giving the m3 and rs4 a run for its money in term of sale.

It will most likely beat the RS4 in a straight line, but it wont be competition to the M3 until the M3 sedan is released.

sorry i think it will compete with both m3 the sedan and coupe

I can't wait to drive one!

why didnt you put more pictures??

Shut it already FuckBush!

FuckBush hahahah good one.

Your point being?

Don't forget the CTS-V is not in the same category as the C63, RS4 and M3. It's competing with the M5, RS6 and E63..

Who cares about caddilac?

Cadillac Can't ever compete German Legends ..
===

About the new C63 ,, It's is great , But M3 have the reputation in this class from early 90's and it's hard to get that from them ...

Hey guys, I'm in southern europe right now, and there are C classes everywhere. Also, I always thought the CTS-V to be competing with the C63/M3/RS4/IS-F. I usually associated the STS-V with the E63/S6/M5, etc.

I know, I thought the cts-v competed in this class as well, but according to GM's Bob Lutz's comments, the cts-v competes with the M5.

As for the C63, I'm glad they finally got a decent quad exhaust system. It looks good and will be fast in a straight line, but the question remains: how will it handle?

Where in southern Europe?

BTW, Motortrend got a chance to drive the new c63 amg. Their article on the car can be found at: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_0709_2008_mercedes_benz_c63_amg

Edmunds drove it and loved it.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=121540?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..1.*

Due to Euro pedestrian regulations the front-end of the C-class has been designed for safety. That's why it looks so strange. Notice the height of the hood all the way to the windshield. Normally it wouldn't have be styled this way. The final result - an ugly car.

Sorry Mate but id have to disagree with you there.

The Lexus IS/GS & LS all built their cars to the New Euro Spec

The BMW 3-Series and the new Jaguar XK also were built to the New Euro Pedestrian Safety Specs and they do not look as misshapped as this thing.

The problem is that there is no Harmony between the parts in this vehicle it just looks like something that was designed completley by the limitations of the MB parts-bin.

Ah yes but the XK has the pop-up bonnet.

I like how the C class looks anyway, I don't think it looks disjoined, unlike the GS, which IMO looks like 2 different cars shoved together.

This AMG looks great. It has power, handling and it's aggressive.

Looks very nice to me. Just sweet!

sorry, im gonna have to pull a bimmer fanboy and say no manual = who cares! and by the way geniuses the C63 has a 6.2 liter engine! same crappy interior, save for a slightly better steering wheel.

1) AMG have ALWAYS had automatics, it's a part of their philosofy.
2) the interior is nowhere near 'crappy', sit in one and touch the materials.. you will be blown away.
3) It's a 6.2 litre engine but their calling it the 6.3 because.. well you know why :)

They called it a 63 after the 300SEL 6.3 right? The world's first super saloon...I love that car, it's beautiful. And so powerful and fast for a car of its age.

also take note that the fender flares are bigger up front than in the rear. just terrible. almost as bad as the bangle butt.

as for the displacement, seems most mags say its 6.2, but im no longer certain about that.

It's a 6.2

I like it, generally. Interior seems a little dull all in black. I think I prefer the lighter, creamier colors that are available. Either way, this vehicle looks quite stunning.

I'd like to address two (2) issues posted here by a few. But before I get into that, can we "generally" agree that F1 is the benchmark of automotive technology and performance? I'm sure "most" , I repeat "MOST" not all,will agree.
1- The comment "true, but on a wet surface it will be the merc and the bmw that will have to keep up" is ridiculous. You could name many different surfaces that will favor many different vehicles. So if the Audi doesn't climb a steep dirt hill as fast as a Jeep, than the Jeep handles better? How about racing on snow, than a FWD Mazda 3 handles better than a Ferrari F1. And so on... how far can we take this? You know what? To be able to compare on common ground, we have to set guidelines, and those guidelines are based on which conditions happen more often. Dry roads. So what if twice a month, the Audi will beat the BMW or Merc. The other 28 or 29 days, it'll get killed.
2- Now to address the whole manual tranny issue. Why did F1 abandon manual trannies so long ago? They must be out of their minds... If sure you manual tranny mechanical geniuses know more than they do!!!! Todays sport-tuned automatics are much quicker, wake up guys.
I don't dislike Audi, just some of the fanboys, who'll say anything, even beyond reason, to defend their beloved brand..

Just like BMW faboys... or Toyota fanboys or pretty much any other fanboy.

You're absolutely right Hub, it's pretty sad.

Don't get to excited because the Lexus IS-F is coming out soon with 450+ hp of it own. And the new BMW M3 is coming out with V8 as well.

And isn't the new Audi RS4 due to be out soon? I figure the next gen Audi RS4 has to have at 450+ hp to regain it crown.

450hp plus in the IS-F?
Stop pulling figures out of nothing! It's 400 plus! IE 410 at most!
RS4? In about 3-4 years, probably.

http://www.lexus.com/fcv/is_f.html

"Inside you will find more than 400 horsepower [1], the most powerful gasoline engine we’ve ever made [2]. You’ll hear what’s in store the instant you turn the ignition and bring the IS-F to life. Its 5.0-liter direct-injected V8 engine delivers over 350 lb-ft of torque [1], along with a 0-to-60 time below 4.9 seconds [1] [3]."

I think we can conclude the new C63 is the King of the Hill in this segment. At least in sheer acceleration. I know it will be a brilliant handler but honestly it has to be VERY good to beat the new M3.

The Lexus IS-F? Oh please. It has not even been tested yet.

I love it. I dont know what you people are talking about, there is nothing ugly with this little monster.

It should be a heated race in the straights. The Audi RS4 churns out consistent 0-60 times in the low to mid 4 second range. Clocked as fast as 4.3 seconds with average hovering right around the 4.4-4.5 time of this C63 AMG.

The C63 will be the worst handler out o the trio of RS4, M3 and C63.

I will bet the sheer torque on this thing will allow it to narrowly defeat the M3 and RS4 in the straights.

The M3 will be the best handler by far with the RS4 in second and the C63 AMG in third.

If you want brute straight-line grunt with Mercedes grand touring philosophy get the C63 AMG.

If you want sheer brilliance in the curves with a pretty good kick in the straights as well get the BMW M3.

If you want stability and better handling than the C63 AMG but not as good as the M3, with an acoustic soundtrack ripping through your ears get the Audi RS4.

"The C63 will be the worst handler out o the trio of RS4, M3 and C63. "



And you're basing this on what? Quite trolling and posting trash. Have you read the reviews? Edmunds, Motor Trend, Autoweek etc. all have PRAISED the razor sharp handling of the C63 AMG.

Willis I agree--in the big scheme of all things automotive, the more a luxury car a vehicle is, the less handling there will be. Ranked in order of best handling:
1)BMW
2)Audi
3)Merc
4)Cadillac
5)Acura
6)Lexus
7)everyone else

1) The new M3 handling has been stated in many publications as "numb" feeling, very unlike an M3, but its the truth. Trust I own a bimmer and love them, this does sound disappointing.

2) The C63 has not seen any bad press about its handling, I have actually read that the most loyal BMW owner if blind folded would swear they are driving a M BMW. It is the first car disigned completly by AMG not Benz.

3) As for the IS-F, people have been posting it to have 450hp, thats is flat out wrong! Look at the damn lexus website it say 400 plus hp, mostly around 410hp.

Plus the rear IS-F exhaust is hideous.

Unlike the IS-F it looks good and has a genuine use.

"Central among the chassis changes is the adoption of the front axle from the CLK63 Black Series. Up in length by 1.3 inches over the standard C-Class and boasting redesigned wheel bearings, it adds true precision to the steering, imbuing the C63 with sharper turn-in and greater feedback than any other AMG model. "

How about you chew on that one, huh?

You want rice, LexusAdmirer?

Look at the Lexus IS-F. Now that has rice written all over it. The body kit of the C63 AMG isn't as overdone and tacky as the IS-F. You want to know what always cracks me up when I look at the IS-F? Those stacked rear exhausts. They look retarded, literally.

Boy racer? .. tosser!

DTM anyone?

I really think this new C looks awesome. Its refreshing, different, a change up. I just think MB copped out on the interior styling. Why would the put in a retractable Nav? WHO DOES THAT? I'm a huge BMW fan, but I can admit that the retractable screen in the Z4 looks crappy. I love MB too, but c'mon.... what nice $30k plus sport/lux car does that? It just looks bad.

Any guesstimates on the price?
M3 in the 55k to 65k range.
RS4 is in the 66k -75k range.
C63? more than that? or similar to RS4?
I want one bad...I was never fan of the C55 AMG cause the look was to conservative ( even compare to the S4) but this just looks awesome!!!

I bet this will sound amazing too..

It would be really fun when Lexus releases it Lexus IS-F and announce it would have 480-500 hp instead of the 450 hp.

My estimates of the hp in the IS-F=

LS460, 4.6l V8 380hp so 380/4.6= 82.6hp/l

IS-F= 82.6*5= 413hp.

These are just common sense answers, and I think they are close to the real numbers.

Listen kid, it's barely going to have more than an M3 or RS4.. I estimate 410-415 horsepower SAE maximum. 0-100 will come up in about 4.9-5.1 seconds. So basically this silly attempt from Lexus is already doomed to fail..

Why? It's not the fastest, it's not the most powerful, it's doesn't have a trick AWD system and it is - BY FAR - the ugliest!

This car will kick ass! Pure beast!

i think i need to get one of these... my car does 0-60 in 4.6 - 4.7... this thing must hit it in at least 4.2 .... ya i want to know the 1/4 mile time..oh and the price would be nice but im guessing closer to 66k ...

i agree i think this car will hit 60 in the very low 4's if im not mistaken the last generation amg c class was getting mid to high 4's this car should be extremely fast with that much power, cant wait to see the official times of this, the m3, and the ctsv

As i've said before, looks like Mercedes are coming back and don't intend to hold back. I think the competition really need to watch themselves.

Umm then what do you think about the Lexus IS-F?

I mean this is something different from the other AMG models. Even the AMG head says that they have researched the consumers and the consumers want flashy design because their younger.

This is not the best looking sedan but it sure is no rice.

Looks like german muscle car!

No doubt the performance will be there with the RS4 and M3, but I am not loving the body kit so much. I hate how the front fenders flares are wider then the back fenders flares. Interior is nice, but the RS4's is nicer, sportier looking.

Can't wait for the comparo between the 3 (RS4,M3,C63, I guess they can throw in the IS-F, for a good laugh)

Me too! I can't wait to test drive any one of them. Including the IS-F. and Don't forget about upcoming RS5 with twin turbo V8.

I wonder what would happen to an acura TSX if you put this engine in it or even the IS. I bet these chassis could not handle the torque of the AMG V8. Any bet you put this kind of engine in a TSX the chassis would be a wet noodle after a year. The speaks volumes about the chassis design of the current C-Class.

Very elegant lookins sports sedan.

Formula 1

I agree that if someone prefers to drive a manual then that's what he should get, no problem or judgement here. But if that same person (people here) says that he'll get more performance out of the car with a manual transmission today compared to the new C-Class 7-speed AMG Speedshift for example, he's gonna get a nice surprise very soon.

The exterior design is the hottest of all. if c63 came in a manual shift, it will take over the segment, wiping out rs4 and even mighty m3 will have trouble with this one. Please lexus fans, don't even comapare toyota isf with other european brands. in japan, even japanese people recongnize that lexus is just another brand along with mitsubishi and honda. japanese people know that lexus is just a toyota.

I want one!

Who cares? You won't be able to completely disable the traction-control and its Automatic Only?

only 7 speed auto??? if no manual at least do something special. ill pass LOL

What a beautiful car, Mercedes has done it again.

1) The new M3 handling has been stated in many publications as "numb" feeling, very unlike an M3, but its the truth. Trust I own a bimmer and love them, this does sound disappointing.

2) The C63 has not seen any bad press about its handling, I have actually read that the most loyal BMW owner if blind folded would swear they are driving a M BMW. It is the first car disigned completly by AMG not Benz.

3) As for the IS-F, people have been posting it to have 450hp, thats is flat out wrong! Look at the damn lexus website it say 400 plus hp, mostly around 410hp.

Plus the rear IS-F exhaust is hideous.