FirstDrive/Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG:Estate cars aren't just a sensible family choice now that the Mercedes C63 AMG is on the scene, writes Kyle Fortune
I'm convinced the cleaners at AMG's Affalterbach HQ use vacuums and floor polishers powered by AMG's 6.2-litre V8 engine. I wouldn't be surprised if the coffee machine froths the milk for cappuccinos with the help of a high-revving naturally aspirated 451bhp V8, either. Because looking at the range it seems the power mad people at AMG will slot the sensational 6.2-litre V8 engine into anything that will take it. Thankfully we've not seen an A63 or B63 AMG, nor are ever likely to, but from the C-Class up it seems everything is fair game for madcap V8 power.
Even the estate cars are an option, with AMG slotting a 451bhp version of its 6.2-litre V8 under a power-domed bonnet of the C-Class wagon. There's something delightfully absurd about driving what should be a sensible family car at rocketship pace. When I floor the accelerator for the first time I'm hooked. There's a bit of protest from the rear wheels as the tyres try to cope with the V8's massive power and 600Nm of torque, but keeping the foot in has the C63 exploding forwards at a quite ridiculous rate. Its torque figure is produced at a fairly lofty 5,000rpm, and peak power at 6,800rpm, but that doesn't mean there's not plenty of urgency when the engine is in the lower rev ranges.
Quite the contrary, some 498Nm of the C63's torque is offered from 2,000rpm, meaning C63 will melt its tyres virtually anywhere in its rev range.
The V8 has to haul an additional 65kg around in the estate model. The result is a 0-100km/h time of 4.6 seconds, 0.1 seconds slower than the saloon - that tiny amount a small price to pay for the estate's 1,500 litre carrying capacity. The electronically limited maximum speed is 250km/h or, if you opt for one of AMG's performance packs which loosens the electronic limiter's reigns, 300km/h. At the saloon's launch last year I asked Wolf Zimmermann, AMG's managing director, development and production, what the C63 was capable of without the electronic nanny. Naturally, he wouldn't say, but was grinning knowingly when I suggested a figure in excess of 320km/h.
It's remarkable that the C63 estate is so easy to drive. Sure, it's a monster when you want it to be, but leave the 7G-Tronic automatic transmission in drive and Comfort and you could be driving any C-Class.
Clever as the seven-speed automatic is, with its rev-matching throttle blips on down-shifts, it would be so much more involving and enjoyable orchestrating the V8's glorious soundtrack with a proper manual transmission. Even with the automatic the C63 sings, with few cars making as good a sound as a Mercedes-Benz with an AMG engine under the bonnet, the C63 estate being no exception.
Unusually for an AMG the driving experience isn't entirely dominated by the powerplant. More than any other the C63 estate, and its saloon sibling, are AMGs to the core. The C-Class is the first car AMG has been involved with right from the model's conception, making for a far more complete performance car. So unlike AMG's dragsters of old there's real agility and poise to the C63.
The front axle has been moved forward and stiffened by 100 per cent, allowing the steering to deliver a crisper, more precise turn in. The wider track aids stability and wider wheel arches to accommodate the wider track and 18-inch wheels.
The standard brakes have sensational stopping power, but should you have money to burn AMG will happily take it for a set of carbon-ceramic discs, these necessitating larger 19-inch alloys. However, the ride is only just on the acceptable side of firm on the standard 18-inch rims, with the 19-inch pushing it into uncomfortable territory.
The mechanical alterations are backed with an extensive electronic arsenal to provide an enjoyable yet safe driving experience. A three-stage ESP that keeps things in check when you want it to, yet leaves you enough control to really explore the ability of the chassis. And there's surprising talent there, the standard C-Class basis is already right up with its BMW 3-Series rival, the AMG alterations giving the C63 dynamic ability to give the M3 a real challenge. Even in estate car guise.
The perfect car for the family in a hurry then? Absolutely, but just be sure to use the luggage restraining nets if you're intent on carrying anything and using more than part throttle.
FACTFILE
ENGINE: 6208cc naturally aspirated V8 petrol engine, putting out 451bhp @ 6,800rpm and 600Nm of torque @ 5,000rpm
PERFORMANCE: 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds and a top speed electronically limited to 250km/h