At last week’s New York Motor Show, Mercedes-AMG happened to also show off their facelifted C 63 Coupe, wearing the revised exterior and mild dynamic improvements that have been developed since the model appeared first in 2015. As a companion release, the Affalterbach outfit also outed the lesser C 43 variant.
Rounding out the high performance C-Class range, the C 63 Coupe and more powerful C 63 S Coupe feature the same M178 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 as before, in tunes of either 350kW or 375kW. In both the non-S and S, this engine is mated to a 9-speed torque converter automatic transmission which, lacking the 4Matic AWD system, is sent to the rear wheels with the help of an electronically-controlled limited slip differential.
With the 350kW engine tune, the C 63 Coupe can accelerate to 100km/h in 4.0 seconds, with the additional 25kW in the S accounting for a 0.1s improvement in sprints. They cars are, as you’d expect, hobbled by an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h and 290km/h. Unrestricted, though, we 300km/h is surely well within reach for either.
As with the rest of the updated C-Class range, you’d really need to place them side by side to appreciate any changes Mercedes has placed into the design. The AMG-specific Panamerica grille makes its appearance here, paired with lower side skirts and new lightweight wheels. Elsewhere, there’s a new rear bumper and a pair of redesigned tailpipes. Of course, none of these should have any effect on performance.
Both the C 63 and C 63 S come with a some new additions to the central screen’s interface, including new options to measure g-force in real time along with more granular representations of engine information, a race timer, and something called AMG Track Pace, allowing the owner to log lap times and sector times complete with graphically accurate tracking on the circuit.
Inside, these cars receive a new AMG sports steering wheel wrapped in a mixture of ARTICO faux-leather and grippy DINAMICA microfibre. As standard, these are matched to high gloss piano black and aluminium interior accents. New for this update, however, are trim options that extend to open-pore oak wood, walnut, or black ash for the centre console.
Buyers can also choose to replace these with carbon fibre inserts as well as choosing premium Nappa leather in a variety of colour combinations for the upholstery. Speaking of which, the Performance seats remain largely identical to the launch version of this C-Class Coupe-based AMG, offering the built-in air cushions to adjust side bolstering.
While AMG is pretty happy with the way their high performance machines are shaping up, but if recent comments published by CarAdvice are to become a reality, sentiments expressed by AMG CEO Tobias Moers strongly suggest that the next-generation of C 63 will no longer be purely powered by petrol but will be augmented by electric power. Presumably, much of the AMG’s portfolio will need to evolve to embrace hybrid power within the next few years.
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