It takes just one clockwise turn of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe's weighty black and chrome fob. With that sole click, the C63's hand-built, all-aluminum 6.2-liter V-8 welcomes its commander in one of the most evocative ways possible: by barking raucously. Over uneven L.A. pavement, the C63's athletically inclined three-link front suspension and wider axle matched to a stiffer sprung and dampened multilink rear setup returned a bumpy, yet responsive ride. Put against the harder current-generation 2011 BMW M3 Competition Package, the Merc's ride is a tinge more civilized, enough that your co-pilot won't complain on an extended road trip. Front and rear track widths grow in the name of grip by an enormous 4.3 and 3.2 inches respectively, but on city streets, this hardly made a difference aside from giving it a lower, more seductive stance that caught a number of discerning stares.AMG's styling squad is obsessed with subtle details. Three badges -- two pasted on both front fenders, and one opposite of the alphanumeric designation on the trunk -- are the only blatant "I'm special" signs posted on the 63. Other hints are its bulging hood, Autobot-like nose, chiseled side sills, and a sculpted rear diffuser. It's also hard to miss the six-piston 14.2-inch front brakes, quad exhaust, and brilliant LED DRLs. Look even closer and you'll spot the unique grille, darkened headlight housings, and a miniscule carbon-fiber rear spoiler. The C63 continues AMG's clean, simple, and to-the-point design mantra so well that it easily gets overlooked as something more sedate.Pushing the Coupe on our figure eight proved supremely fun. So fun, in fact, that MT test team hot shoes Carlos Lago and Kim Reynolds tormented the track multiple times just to experience the 63's extraordinary stick and responsiveness. (Side note to potential owners: You'd better think about investing in a Brazilian rubber company, stat.) Its best time of 24.9 seconds at 0.78 g average is something to be proud of, but a cheaper, less potent 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca edges the Merc out by a few fractions (24.6 seconds at 0.81 g average). With a 0-60 mph time of 3.7 seconds, the torquey C63 slaps a twin-clutch BMW M3 in the face (4.2 seconds) and then laughs out loud to the finish line. It bested both to a stop from 60 mph with a distance of only 105 feet.Like the rest of the crew, associate road test editor Lago didn't find much to dislike about the AMG, but did mention he wasn't fond of how easily it switched into tail-wagging oversteer. Indeed, going easy on the fun pedal allows the car's full performance potential to be tapped. Summon all of the C63's 443 lb-ft too early while exiting a corner and you'll be doing your favorite Formula Drift impressions before you realize it. And although sticky, the available 18-inch Continentals were relatively small (235/40R-18 front, 255/35R-18 rear) and could be wider to improve lateral gluing. Then again, that's what the Black Series is for.With the C63 AMG Coupe, Mercedes-Benz has dealt a potent, V-8-packed punch to its M, V, Quattro, and F archrivals, months ahead of any next-generation competition. It has also set a high bar. Now if they could only all sound this good...Front engine, RWD, 4-pass, 2-door coupe 6.2L/481-hp/443-lb-ft DOHC 32-valve V-8 Wednesday, 26 October 2011
First Test: 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe
It takes just one clockwise turn of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe's weighty black and chrome fob. With that sole click, the C63's hand-built, all-aluminum 6.2-liter V-8 welcomes its commander in one of the most evocative ways possible: by barking raucously. Over uneven L.A. pavement, the C63's athletically inclined three-link front suspension and wider axle matched to a stiffer sprung and dampened multilink rear setup returned a bumpy, yet responsive ride. Put against the harder current-generation 2011 BMW M3 Competition Package, the Merc's ride is a tinge more civilized, enough that your co-pilot won't complain on an extended road trip. Front and rear track widths grow in the name of grip by an enormous 4.3 and 3.2 inches respectively, but on city streets, this hardly made a difference aside from giving it a lower, more seductive stance that caught a number of discerning stares.AMG's styling squad is obsessed with subtle details. Three badges -- two pasted on both front fenders, and one opposite of the alphanumeric designation on the trunk -- are the only blatant "I'm special" signs posted on the 63. Other hints are its bulging hood, Autobot-like nose, chiseled side sills, and a sculpted rear diffuser. It's also hard to miss the six-piston 14.2-inch front brakes, quad exhaust, and brilliant LED DRLs. Look even closer and you'll spot the unique grille, darkened headlight housings, and a miniscule carbon-fiber rear spoiler. The C63 continues AMG's clean, simple, and to-the-point design mantra so well that it easily gets overlooked as something more sedate.Pushing the Coupe on our figure eight proved supremely fun. So fun, in fact, that MT test team hot shoes Carlos Lago and Kim Reynolds tormented the track multiple times just to experience the 63's extraordinary stick and responsiveness. (Side note to potential owners: You'd better think about investing in a Brazilian rubber company, stat.) Its best time of 24.9 seconds at 0.78 g average is something to be proud of, but a cheaper, less potent 2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca edges the Merc out by a few fractions (24.6 seconds at 0.81 g average). With a 0-60 mph time of 3.7 seconds, the torquey C63 slaps a twin-clutch BMW M3 in the face (4.2 seconds) and then laughs out loud to the finish line. It bested both to a stop from 60 mph with a distance of only 105 feet.Like the rest of the crew, associate road test editor Lago didn't find much to dislike about the AMG, but did mention he wasn't fond of how easily it switched into tail-wagging oversteer. Indeed, going easy on the fun pedal allows the car's full performance potential to be tapped. Summon all of the C63's 443 lb-ft too early while exiting a corner and you'll be doing your favorite Formula Drift impressions before you realize it. And although sticky, the available 18-inch Continentals were relatively small (235/40R-18 front, 255/35R-18 rear) and could be wider to improve lateral gluing. Then again, that's what the Black Series is for.With the C63 AMG Coupe, Mercedes-Benz has dealt a potent, V-8-packed punch to its M, V, Quattro, and F archrivals, months ahead of any next-generation competition. It has also set a high bar. Now if they could only all sound this good...Front engine, RWD, 4-pass, 2-door coupe 6.2L/481-hp/443-lb-ft DOHC 32-valve V-8 
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment