C63 AMG Auburn NY

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Walkaround

It's remarkable how the Mercedes box has evolved into the aerodynamic C63 AMG. But that's what it looks like, an evolution of the box. It's still boxy compared to the new Jaguar XF sports sedan, whose 420-horsepower supercharged version is a competitor to the C63 AMG, although it costs nearly $10,000 more.

The C63 AMG is all sweeps and bulges, and profile. It's an AMG body, with almost no sheetmetal common to the Mercedes C350. It's clearly not your father's Mercedes. The nose, for example, is nearly four inches longer, in pursuit of high-speed aerodynamics. The roofline is low and windshield steeply, sleekly raked.

There are two eye-catching creases in the aluminum hood, like fat speed lines flowing back from the three-pointed star emblem in the grille. AMG calls them power domes, and, along with the oversize front fender flares, these bulges say the car is hot. The airdam under the grille in the front fascia is all business, with big dark openings, pencil-beam foglights, and wing tabs at the corners like you see on racing cars. There are nasty-looking shark-like gills just forward of the front wheels, but only the right one does anything, it sucks in air for the oil cooler. The shark on the left is toothless.

Chrome is limited to the grille and trim around the windows. And a thick ring around the foglights, making them like zits on the AMG's chin. There's also a silver-dollar-sized tri-star emblem on the otherwise beautiful sleek hood, located mere inches above the big tri-star in the center of the grille. You'd think AMG should be allowed to take the little one off their beautiful hood if they want to, but maybe not.

The lines under the headlights begin the upward sweep that picks up the pace at the oversized front fender flares, flies under the body-colored door handles, then tapers and ends at the high hips at the top of the cool LED taillights. Two twin-tip exhausts discreetly poke out under the rear bumper and through a black diffuser that helps keep the car on the ground at high speed. The 18-inch alloy wheels, painted titanium gray, are star-shaped, too simple we think, but the wide spaces allow a view of the massive brake calipers, and maybe that's the idea.

Interior Features

The front seats, especially the driver's seat, are certainly the most comfortable in the house, with integrated head restraints. The standard leather has nice grip, and the seats are thoroughly and perfectly bolstered, adjustable both for your back and sides.

The steering wheel is hot, three-spoke and flat-bottomed so there's more room for your knees. The leather is fine as it is, but with the AMG Performance Package you get grippy Alcantara. There are steering wheel controls, and the paddle shifters are good because you can reach them with your middle fingers when your hands are at 10 and 2 o'clock, resting on the bumps there. Or, if you grip the wheel at 9 and 3, the paddles fall right under your fingertips. We found we used the paddle shifters more in this car, because the shift lever position puts an awkward bend in your wrist.

There are nice pads to rest each elbow, on the door and center console, for relaxed driving. There's plenty of legroom in front, although there's no excess headroom for the driver if the seat is jacked up for best visibility. And there's a big dead pedal, curiously carpeted over the aluminum. There's aluminum trim on the center stack and around the shift lever, and in the doors. Carbon fiber is an option.

The AMG instrument cluster is disappointing, and puzzling. The new dials with red needles do not impress. The tachometer, especially, is small and not easy to read, as if engine revs aren't a priority in this high-performance sports sedan. The speedometer is larger and its numbers go to 200 mph, if that's a consolation.

Rear seat legroom is marginal, although not if the driver has his seat moved way back. The specs say 33.4 inches and that's not much: six inches less than in the Pontiac G8, for example.

The navigation system is easy to operate, but doesn't have enough street detail; if that detail is in fact there, we sure couldn't find it, not even with the help of a fellow automotive journalist who's a geek. Too many streets were just white lines, with a gray background, and the Arizona road we were on, a big and long two-lane, wasn't even on the system.

The air conditioning was okay for Phoenix in February, but we wouldn't want to be running errands there in summer. It was 73 degrees out, and it took nearly 15 minutes at max before it got too cold. The next day was 80 degrees, and it took 10 minutes at full blast for the cabin to get as cool (but not icy) as we preferred.

Read Review at NewCarTestDrive.com