Exclusive Drive: Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Drive

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c63 AMG DRIVE

Start the engine and you are greeted with a thunderous growl but it settles down into a nice idle. You get a good view of the road from the inside and thanks to the compact dimensions piloting this car in traffic is very easy. It is just as easy as driving a normal C class.

Slot the gear lever into D and you immediately notice that the engine is responsive and slight tap on the accelerator is enough for most needs. Put the car in comfort mode via the rotating knob near the gear lever and the gear changes happen at lesser rpm, the steering become light and the suspension soft. With this setting you can roam all day without getting tired. The suspension absorbs all the bumps nicely at low speeds and you never feel uncomfortable. You can also use the tip-tronic function to change gears via the gear lever. Like all Mercedes’s the refinement is top notch and cabin feels hushed.

By now you must be thinking what the hell I am talking? Just describing it as a normal Mercedes, Isn’t this car supposed to be sports car?

Yes, it is. Change the car setting to sports+ via a knob housed next to the gear lever and slam the throttle. The car moves forward like a rocket; you are firmly pushed against your seats and the G- forces you feel are hard to describe. The Seat belt retracts automatically to hold you firm against the seat.

The C63 AMG has a naturally aspirated 6.3 litre V8 engine so there is no turbo lag and power delivery is linear. The car has 457 bhp and 600Nm of torque. The best word to describe the performance is “shattering”. 0-100 comes up in around 4 seconds and another few seconds and you will be doing mind-boggling speeds. Driving this car, you will always end up wanting for more road. Speeds of 180 are easily achieved and we had to brake hard due to lack of open road.

It is worth to miss a meal in order to drive one and for the record we actually did that, skipped our lunch and it was worth it. Impressed, aren’t you? If not then there is launch control for the rubber burning start and the sporty sound from the engine to drive you crazy. In addition you also have the paddle shifter to select the desired gear and to have more fun. The engine revs well and visits to the redline are not uncommon. The feeling of driving this car is just awesome, it is hard to describe and is best experienced on your own.

For the record there are 4 modes in total namely comfort, sports, sports+ and Launch control. Selecting the different modes alters the engine response, suspension settings and the steering feel. The car is very stable even at very high speeds and the grip from the tyres is too good. The electronic front seats are fantastic and the steering wheel is nice to hold. It is sculpted and fits into your palms well. Another commendable property of the car is that the suspensions doesn’t crash even in sports+ mode and unlike other sports cars the ride isn’t bone jarring and is comparatively comfortable.

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VERDICT

You got to understand that this is not an out and out sports car like a two door one. It doesn’t look as appealing as a two door sports car and it can’t match the handling of one either but it has its own strengths. The performance is shattering and the car is fun to drive. It does all this without being uncomfortable. Infact the car is practical and you can even use it every day for your daily commute and can have fun when you find an open road or on weekends. The car is well built and interiors are of high quality. It has four doors and you can take your family along with you in comfort. It has all the gadgets and technology needed to keep you safe and happy. So should you buy one? If you want a car to have fun in and want it to be practical then you definitely should. It costs a whopping 88 Lakh Rupees on road Goa but it is worth every bit of it.

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Shattering performance
Comfortable ride
Edgy styling
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Nothing much.
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SPECIFICATIONS

  • Length: 4591 mm
  • Width: 1770 mm
  • Height: 1447 mm
  • Wheelbase: 2760 mm
  • Ground clearance:
  • Weight: 1730
  • Engine: 6.3 V8
  • Displacement: 6208
  • Gearbox: 7G – TRONIC
  • Power: 457hp@6800rpm
  • Torque: 600Nm@5000rpm
  • Tyre size front: 235/40 R18
  • Tyre size Rear: 255/35 R18
  • Tank capacity: 66 ltrs

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A Special thanks to Alcon Mercedes and the Manager for letting us drive this powerful machine.

To feel the car just drop in at Alcon Mercedes, Porvorim

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[map lat=”15.560247″ lon=”73.801217″ id=”ALC-1″ maptype=”ROADMAP” address=”Survey No. 20/1, National Highway 17, Sangolda, Penha-de-Franca, Goa” infowindow=”Alcon Mercedes-Benz”]