Without a doubt, the latest C63—rechristened Mercedes-AMG C63 rather than Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG—is a wonderful beast. We haven't driven the hottest C-class Benz yet, but with the base model putting down 469 horsepower and the extra-zooty C63 S throwing down a 503-hp gauntlet, there's no way it's not going to be great, massive gobs of fun, right? In our mind, there's just one way to make it better, and that's to give it a bigger ass. Meet the C63 Estate. We want.
On these shores, the only Mercedes-AMG C63 variant we'll see initially is the four-door sedan. A C-based Mercedes-AMG coupe will be headed our way, but because your parents and neighbors only buy stupid crossovers instead of station wagons, we'll never, ever see the awesomely utilitarian C63 Estate. (It is, as you would probably guess, based on the regular, also-Europe-only C-class Estate.
Allow us to turn the screws just a bit more with more details on the most capacious of C63s. Like the C63 sedan, the five-door will be available in regular and S spec, both of which are identical to their four-door counterparts save for their cargo-hauling derrières. The entry-level C63 Estate gets a 469-hp twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 (torque stands at a burly 479 lb-ft), while the S uses the same engine tuned for 503 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. The engine is code-named M177 and is very closely related to the M178 V-8 that powers the new Mercedes-AMG GT and GT S sports cars. (Read all about the engine here.)
The V-8 is hitched exclusively to an AMG Speedshift seven-speed automatic transmission that routes output to the rear wheels. The standard exhaust system boasts a single electronically actuated flap that, when the spicier drive modes are activated, lets rip an assuredly sturdy soundtrack. Both C63 and C63 S buyers can spec their cars with an optional sports exhaust system with two additional flaps and assuredly higher-volume tailpipe belches.
Visually, the C63 wagon is a thing to behold—and not just because of its drool-inducing body style. Mercedes-AMG might very well have borrowed Hans and Franz from State Farm for its styling team. As with the sedan, the wagon's front end has been pumped up relative to the pedestrian C-class. The aluminum front fenders are half an inch wider and the power-domed hood announces the M177′s thunder well before the engine lights and things get real.
As is becoming common with Mercedes-AMG creations, the C63 Estate's front fascia features two large, squared-off air intakes connected by a full-width opening and a single-bar grille with the three-pointed star smack-dab in the middle. Similarly, four AMG-typical square exhaust outlets jut out from either side of the bumper's lower diffuser element; a roof spoiler helps keep the wagon's tail planted at speed. The interior, again, mirrors that of the sedan's, albeit from the rear seats forward.
- 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC Wagon Tested: YES
- 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300 4MATIC Driven: Free at Last
- Mercedes-Benz C-class Research: Full Pricing, Specs, Reviews, and More
With performance claimed to be just a hair shy of the C63 sedan's, the forbidden-fruit wagon gives up almost nothing to its less-useful sibling. It can hit 155 mph, and the trip to 60 mph is said to consume just one extra tenth versus the four-door, which is said to do the deed as quickly as 3.9 ticks.
But cheer up (especially if you have a fat bank account)! AMG still sends the transcendent E63 AMG wagon our way! Maybe—please?—Mercedes-Benz USA could think about executing a VIN swap on a C63 Estate and letting us have a go for a long-term test. A buncha mooks like us can dream, anyway.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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