First Drive: Mercedes C63 AMG Coupé Black Series - California screaming

DJ · #1 11-18-2011, 11:05 AM

Mercedes C63 AMG Coupé Black Series: California screaming
517 track-tuned horsepower, wild looks and Laguna Seca - what more could we possibly want?
Text by CJ Hubbard - Teamspeed.com contributing Editor

What is it?
Hardcore track-focused version of the C63 AMG with less weight, more power and adjustable suspension.

Why should I care?
SLS engine components, tough bodywork and a tuned 6.2 V8 – it’s a credible alternative to the 911 GT3

How fast and how much?
6,208cc V8, 517ps@6,800rpm, 457lb ft@5,200rp, 0-62mph 4.2sec (3.9sec with Track Pack), vmax 185mph (limited)
US MSRP to be confirmed (€115,430)

The Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupé Black Series is one mean looking machine, but don’t let that fool you too much. As the fourth model to garner AMG’s ultimate performance label, yes, it’s a bit of an animal – but boy does it have a big heart.

That almost goes without saying when a car of such relatively compact proportions has a 517hp 6.2-litre V8 crammed under its vented aluminum hood. Yet the latest evolution of AMG’s chassis tuning philosophy delivers a driving experience that flatters far more than it punishes. This is nothing like the first Black Series, the fixed-roof SLK55 – a car that preferred to dominate, not submit – and is far closer in character to the sublime CLK63 Black Series. But there’s more to it than even that.

The body mods are wild. Those flexed front fenders are 28mm wider on each side, while the 42mm increase either side at the back covers a 78mm expansion of the rear track. There are new bumpers, chunky side skirts and a purposeful diffuser. You can step it up still further by optioning the Aerodynamic Package; fitted to all the cars we’re driving here at Laguna Seca, this includes a functional front splitter, aero flics and an adjustable rear spoiler – carbon fiber wonderland.

And its go, not show – good news as we head out onto such an undulating circuit. The aero parts halve lift at the front and zero it out altogether at the rear, keeping the C63 Black planted as you crest the rise over turn 1 at full chat. Then it’s hard on the brakes for the late apex turn 2. It’s at this point you’re glad AMG has also fitted the also optional Track Package, which alongside an active cooling system for the limited slip diff includes exclusively developed Dunlop rubber for the 19-inch alloy wheels.

To give you an idea just how sticky these tires are, AMG reckons they cut the 0-62mph time to 3.9 seconds – that’s 0.3 seconds faster than non Track Pack cars. Not that the C63 has any trouble whatsoever overwhelming them if you’re too heavy too early on the gas as turn 2 opens out. Which is to say even with the ESP Sport Handling mode thoroughly engaged – let alone with the stability control completely switched off – the Black Series will go pretty seriously sideways. Fortunately there’s plenty of space here, and you can gather it up without losing much forward momentum. Glorious fun.

So despite its moody appearance, the C63 Black quickly establishes itself as an amiable beast. Riding on all new adjustable AMG coilover suspension, the factory settings are softer than you might expect – as AMG now relies less on stiff springs and more on aerodynamics and other chassis components to deliver cornering stability. The result is a level of compliance that means you’ll be able to push the car harder over compromised road surfaces.

While the smooth asphalt around Laguna Seca isn’t the most obvious demonstration of this, the quality of the damping shines out as the Black Series shrugs off the compression through turn 6 just before you head up the hill towards the Corkscrew. As a powerful front-engined rear-wheel drive car it’s never going to develop the kind of corner exit traction of a 911 – hence the exuberant, tail wagging available on demand. But it carries speed through faster curves beautifully, and its suppleness conjures far more grip than seems feasible.

In fact, even AMG appears surprised at just how briskly the C63 Black will go round corners. In the hands of ex-DTM Champion and current AMG Ambassador Bernd Schneider, it’s lapping in the 1:36s – a full three seconds quicker than anyone had anticipated.

Let’s not forget the engine. In Black Series guise this naturally aspirated piece of automotive theatre develops 60hp more than the standard C63 – the remapped ECU aided and abetted by connecting rods, forged pistons and lightweight crankshaft borrowed wholesale from the SLS. There’s improved cooling, too, plus a vigorous 457lb ft of torque – all of which is enough to trouble the 155mph electronic limiter with such distain it’s been reset to 186.

The C63 Black never feels outmatched by the gradients around Laguna Seca, asserting its primal energy with a bellowing, guttural roar that would break the heart of many a supercar owner. This surging hunger is complimented by a wicked snap, crackle and pop on the overrun, and a satisfying thwock with every upshift.

Handling those gear changes is the AMG Speedshift MCT 7-speed paddleshift automatic. This is mildly frustrating in some respects, as unless you time your manual changes precisely it can leave you a little short of anticipated engine braking, or clatter straight into the redline. But for an easy life there is always the Sport+ auto setting, which does an astonishing job of getting the downshifts right on the way into corners and maximizing acceleration on the way out.

On the inside, the Black Series comes with fixed-back racing buckets as standard, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and plenty of black Alcantara. AMG has also ditched the rear seat to save weight (though you can have it put back if you want). One further innovation is the optional AMG Performance Media system – an incredibly detailed data logger that allows you to analyze your lap times moment by moment in light of parameters including throttle and brake pressure, g-load, steering angle and speed. It has enormous potential as a driver improvement tool.

But this car’s greatest trick is surely the way it so swiftly builds your confidence; it deals with the Corkscrew like there’s nothing to it, and offers just huge enjoyment in the process. While it might not have the outright precision of the obvious Porsche rival, its more elastic limits mean you can have a great time larking about – yet as Herr Schneider proves, the C63 Black Series can also set scorching lap times. What a car.

But then at around €115,000 for a C-Class, it really ought to be.

US pricing has not yet been announced.

DJ · #2 11-18-2011, 11:05 AM

Detail shots:

wtdoom · #3 11-18-2011, 11:28 AM

California Screaming !

What a fantastic title , absolutely brilliant mate . Brilliant .
Fully deserving of this car , the Beast is back ( in black ) .