Mercedes-AMG C63 review – A proper Affalterbach hot rod - Engine and gearbox

Available as a Saloon, Coupé, Cabriolet and Estate, the C63 offers massive performance and your choice of style or practicality

Evo rating
Price
from £60,460
  • Fast and sounds great
  • Ride is firm and engine isn't as characterful as previous C63's

Engine and gearbox

Its new hot-V 3982cc twin-turbo V8 has a lot to live up to replacing the remarkable naturally aspirated 6.2-litre engine AMG enthralled us with for all those years. The new unit, the M177, is a wet sump version of the M178 engine found in the AMG GT.

Turbocharging can rob an engine of much of its aural character, significantly reducing the exhaust note and completely muting the induction noise. By combining the exhaust ports of both banks of cylinders into each turbo, a hot-V configuration removes the typically lumpy off-beat noise that a cross-plane crank V8 is known for. But Mercedes has compensated for all of this with a rambunctious exhaust, that despite the odds, has a definite V8 burble at idle and a raucous blare at full throttle. Pleasingly, anyone who has heard the old naturally aspirated 6.2 V8 will certainly recognise some of its character in the soundtrack of the new car.

It’s a little more subdeued in Comfort where there is a bit of gas rush (think Megane R26 R) complementing with the woofle. But once the valves in the pipes opened up in Sport and Sport+ mode (or when you press the exhaust button) the noise is back to being appropriately bold for a AMG. The noise is then also complemented with some angry rasps on gearchanges.

The gearbox is the seven-speed MCT speedshift auto rather than the dual clutch from in the AMG GT that we might have expected. However, the auto’s shifts have been improved significantly when compared to how it was in the old C63. The main bone of contention in the past was the delay between pulling a paddle and an actual shift, now any such delay as been all but wiped out. A certain crispness and sense of mechanical involvement is still lacking compared to the best dual-clutch ‘boxes but it’s hard to fault the performance.

Partnership
Need to sell your car?
Find your best offer from over 5,000+ dealers. It’s that easy.

To be honest, such is the torque on-tap from low revs there’s little need to flex your fingertips and work the aluminium paddles to override the gearbox. It’s huge fun to simply point and shoot the C63 out of corners, letting the transmission do its thing and feel the epic, endless rush of the biturbo V8 as it hits the meat of its mid-range. Work the engine harder and there’s plenty left at the top-end, too. In fact it leaves you feeling slightly giddy. Addictive only begins to describe the manner of this car’s performance.

evo Comment

'The engine is a truly mighty thing. Aurally exuberant and explosively potent, it makes the car heart-poundingly rapid when you pull the pin and merely imperious when you simply wish to make progress. - Richard Meaden, Contributing Editor (evo 211)

Most Popular

Aftermarket ‘pop and bang’ exhausts could make your car illegal
Exhaust
News

Aftermarket ‘pop and bang’ exhausts could make your car illegal

In a landmark case, a car tuner has been fined for modifying a vehicle and making it unfit for the road
24 Nov 2023
Cadillac CT4‑V Blackwing 2023 review – V6 supersaloon eyes BMW M3
Cadillac CT4‑V Blackwing
Reviews

Cadillac CT4‑V Blackwing 2023 review – V6 supersaloon eyes BMW M3

We’ve raved about its CT5-V big brother; can the M3-rivalling CT4‑V work the same magic?
28 Nov 2023
Car pictures of the week: BMW M3 CS v Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA v Jaguar XE Project 8
BMW M3 CS v Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA v Jaguar XE Project 8
Features

Car pictures of the week: BMW M3 CS v Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA v Jaguar XE Project 8

In the current issue of evo we pit the formidable BMW M3 CS against two highly-specialised supersaloons. Here are some of our favourite snapshots
25 Nov 2023