Mercedes-AMG's BMW M4 rival packs up to 503bhp and gets from 0-62mph in under 4.0sec, and will make its debut at the Frankfurt motor show
Official pictures of the upcoming Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupé have been released, with the car expected to go on sale in early 2016.
The C63 Coupé will be the third variant in the new C63 family to launch, following on from the saloon and estate variants already on sale, and is expected to make its debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September.
Mercedes-Benz’s performance car division is preparing to take the fight to the BMW M4 and a host of other recent go-fast coupés with the brutish 503bhp twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8-powered C63 Coupé, which is planned to go on sale in the UK this November.
The C63 Coupé wil make its Frankfurt debut alongside standard versions of the new C-Class Coupé.
Pricing for the eagerly awaited M4 rival is yet to be made official. However, prospective customers can expect to pay a premium on the recently introduced C63 saloon, which starts at £59,795 and rises to £66,545 in range-topping S guise.
The saloon and coupé share the same rear-wheel drive platform, driveline and electronic architecture. However, the C63 Coupé will have bespoke suspension tuning, revised elasto-kinematic properties, a lower centre of gravity and specific camber rates — among other detailed chassis changes confirmed to Autocar by a member of AMG’s engineering team.
These revisions are claimed to provide the C63 Coupé with even sharper driving traits than the already highly praised C63 saloon. Our source said: “We’re confident the new C63 Coupé will set the standard in its class. Performance-wise, it is a big step forward. Building on what we have achieved with the C63 saloon, it betters the old model in every vital discipline.”
One key development is the adoption of electromechanical steering in place of the hydraulic set-up used on the previous C63 Coupé. A mechanical locking differential will also be included as standard, with a faster-reacting electronically operated differential included on the top-of-the-line S model.
Power for the new C63 Coupé comes from AMG’s M178 engine, as unveiled in the latest C63 saloon. In a move mirroring that of its four-door sibling, the 4.0-litre petrol unit - a direct relative of the M177 engine used by the flagship GT sports car - will be offered in two states of tune.
In standard guise, the 90deg V8, whose turbochargers are mounted up high between the cylinder banks for optimal packaging, is set to deliver 469bhp and 479lb ft of torque in the C63 Coupé.
With added boost pressure and other power-enhancing tweaks, output will rise to a rather more serious 503bhp and 516lb ft in the initial range-topping C63 S Coupé.
By comparison, the naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 petrol engine used by the first-generation C63 Coupé delivered 448bhp and 442lb ft of torque as standard. An optional Performance Package increased power to 480bhp, with peak torque remaining at 442lb ft.
Among the performance coupé competition, the Lexus RC F comes closest to matching the new C63 Coupé for outright firepower, with its naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 delivering 471bhp and 391lb ft. The BMW M4’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine kicks out 425bhp and 405lb ft.
Channelling the C63 Coupé’s reserves is a revised version of AMG’s seven-speed SpeedShift automatic gearbox. It uses a wet clutch in place of the torque converter for speedier shifts via steering wheel-mounted shift paddles. As in the four-door C63, the traditional shift lever is replaced by a column-mounted stalk.
The performance of the gearbox, dampers, throttle and steering can be adjusted by moving between four different driving modes: Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus and Individual. An additional Race mode is included on the S model.
In keeping with its added performance potential, the C63 Coupé takes on a distinctly more muscular appearance than its forebear. This is particularly apparent towards the rear, which is dominated by substantial haunches over the rear wheel arches. The result gives the new coupé an instantly more aggressive stance than its predecessor.
The front-end styling is closely related to that of the C63 saloon. However, the C63 Coupé departs quite radically from the windscreen back. Distinguishing features include a more heavily raked windscreen, frameless doors, unique rear side windows, shapely C-pillar treatment, a heavily angled rear window, short boot deck, horizontally set tail-lights and a substantial bumper assembly complete with integral diffuser and four trapezoidal-shaped chromed tailpipes.
Even so, the new look is not exclusive to the C63 Coupé. Elements of the exterior design will also appear on a new C63 Cabriolet that is also currently under development at AMG’s skunkworks in Affalterbach, Germany.
As with the C63 saloon, the C63 Coupé has grown in size. Despite the car’s increase in dimensions, Mercedes-AMG sources confirm that it is lighter than its predecessor. An official weight figure has yet to be revealed, but the reduction is said to be in line with that of the latest C63 saloon, which is 15kg lighter than its predecessor despite greater levels of standard equipment.
This has been achieved through the adoption of Mercedes-Benz’s new MRA platform, a floorpan that makes more extensive use of hot-formed high-strength steel as well as increased use of aluminium within the chassis and new driveline.
With added power and less weight, AMG insiders say, the C63 Coupé will be capable of cracking 4.0sec for the benchmark 0-62mph sprint and achieving a top speed of more than 186mph, although, in line with other AMG models, it will be limited to 155mph. It will need to be this quick to get the better of the M4, which is claimed to cover the 0-62mph dash in 4.1sec on its way to an identically restricted 155mph.
Watch our drive of the saloon version of the C63 AMG.
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