What Is It? 2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe: the sportier two-door version of its bread and butter C-Class sedan.
Starting Price: $40,000 - $82,000 (Estimated)
Competitors: Audi A5, BMW 3-Series, Cadillac ATS
Pros: Extreme performance spread between models offers something for (almost) everyone; top-level Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe delivers relentless grunt; sporty and luxurious
Cons: Options can inflate MSRP considerably; bodywork looks odd from certain angles; steering column-mounted shifter belies its sporty demeanor.
Would I buy it with my own money? Yes, please—especially if an in-between C450 AMG model arrives in coupe form, since the overachieving C63 version is pricey.
Mercedes-AMG C63 S
With the exception of the rare, track-focused AMG Black Series edition, the prior generation of Mercedes-Benz’s C-Class was not unlike the Mr. Cellophane character in Chicago: nice and innocuous, but almost invisible to the point of disappearing into the background.
The revived C-Class family now turns heads like the best of them, inside and out. Not only does it look premium, with exterior styling that resembles a scaled-down S-Class, the reworked interior boasts a degree of refinement and luxury that appears to have trickled down from the upper rungs of the Mercedes-Benz family tree. Though longer and wider than its predecessor, the new C-Class Coupe is also lower than its four-door stablemate, offering a hunkered down stance as well as increased interior volume.
Topping the C-Class Coupe lineup (at least for now) are the Mercedes-AMG C63 and C63 S, which deliver a walloping 469 and 503 horsepower, respectively. Climbing into the top-tier C63 S model at Circuito Ascari in Southern Spain, it’s easy for this car’s relatively plush interior to assume a more menacing, sporty persona: in its most aggressive Track mode, the 8.4-inch navigation screen switches to an analog-style engine power meter, and the center information screen displays a boost gauge (which is especially curious because the burbling exhaust note makes it easy to forget this 4.0-liter V8 is twin-turbocharged).
Mercedes-AMG C63 S
There are worse ways to spend a Wednesday than chasing an AMG GT-S around the 3.4-mile circuit, and the experience speaks volumes to the C63 S’s personality. For starters, the voluptuous exhaust note sets the tone off even before you start moving, offering a degree of presence and mystique that can be elusive in smaller engines. Pull out of pit lane, and naughty mid-shift blurts introduce an emotional element to the drive. Though a signifier of the power that lurks beneath the power-domed hood, the aural component was really engineered for feeling; regardless of how hard you’re driving, it’s difficult not to feel engaged by a car when its soundtrack is so thoughtfully composed.
In Track mode (which calibrates steering effort, traction control, and suspension damping to its most aggressive settings) the C63 S feels precise, nimble, and satisfyingly powerful. Though standard handling mode is too well behaved for swift driving, flickering the traction control light at virtually every corner, setting ESP to Sport Handling makes more than enough low-end torque available, sending the tail sliding just enough to power through the turns with ease. The yaw-prone trait is partially attributable to the fact that peak torque starts at 1,750 rpm and doesn’t abate until 4,500 rpm. But unlike its notoriously tail happy predecessor, the 2017 model’s power is laid down rather effectively by the electronic limited-slip rear differential, which uses an electric motor to actuate clutches that help distribute torque to the appropriate wheel.
The V8 churns as much power as it does in the GT-S (though the more exotic application utilizes a race-friendly, dry sump arrangement), and for better or worse, chasing the two-seat sports car reveals some of the limitations of the more conventionally constructed C-Class Coupe. Sitting taller than the GT-S with more weight over the front axle (51-percent, to be exact), the C-Class understandably can can have trouble keeping up with the $129,900 flagship. But within the context of its six-cylinder competitors—specifically, the Audi RS5, BMW M4, and Cadillac ATS-V—the C-Class stands apart with its lusty V8 and robust power spread. Fuel efficiency levels are not far out of line, with the C-Class expected to pull an estimated 18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway. Lest you suspect the C63 S’s performance upgrades are incremental over its predecessor, consider this: the new model matches the Nürburgring Nordschleife lap time of its late, great, limited edition track toy, the C63 AMG Black Series. Boom.
While it plays a mean hand at the track in its most aggressive settings, the C63 S is capable of considerable docility in its road-going modes, thank to dynamic engine mounts and exhaust flaps which reduce vibration and noise, respectively. Though the suspension never feels out of touch with the surface below, the softer of the 3-mode settings offers enough travel to keep most bumps and potholes at bay. There’s a bit of road racket from the sticky Michelin tires, but the AMG generally comes across as a tractable, potent beast on the highway with the seemingly paradoxical ability to become accommodating and comfortable when the need arises.
Mercedes-Benz C300
An afternoon in the C300 reveals a dramatic antipode of the Mercedes-Benz performance spectrum: with half the cylinder count (4) and displacement (2.0 liters), the C300 is, not surprisingly, a considerably more terrestrial way to get around than its outrageously capable AMG counterpoint. The C300 produces 241 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft. of torque; mated to a 7-speed transmission, the engine power offers a relatively effective way to make haste for passing on hilly roads. The C300’s demeanor may be milder than the C63’s, but the interior still feels purposeful and somewhat serious, with pleasant open-pore wood and leather surfaces, a streamlined row of toggle buttons along the center console, and real aluminum trim on the optional Burmester sound system’s speakers. Expect C300 and C300 4Matic models in showrooms by Spring, 2016; the AMG versions should be available by Summer.
It’s only natural for performance fanatics to be drawn more to the C63 (estimated to start in the low $70,000 range) than the C300 (around $40,000), the latter being smart and competent but lacking the vivacity of the snorting, thrusty AMG. The solution for those who want the grunt but don’t need the larger-than-life capabilities of the full-blown AMG model? A halfway point known as the AMG C450, a twin-turbocharged 362 horsepower V6 which is currently available on the C-Class sedan. Though it hasn’t yet been announced for the coupe, the AMG C450 variant is likely to be offered as a potent-but-not-all-out alternative to the track ready C63 model, extending an entertaining but attainable way to tap into the AMG mystique without breaking the bank.
Mercedes-Benz C300
In the final analysis, the C300 proves itself functional, efficient, and motivated enough to make it a pleasant daily driver, while the C63’s committed powertrain and agile suspension is focused enough to contend with some of more potent sports cars on the market. The AMG strains benefit hugely from the V8 configuration, which adds a level of character and cachet (not to mention whomping power delivery and stirring sounds) in a field dominated by six-cylinders. However, the Sport model—which can currently be ordered in the C-Class sedan form and we hope will eventually become available in the coupe— should strike an ideal balance for drivers seeking exceptional performance without the AMG model’s over-the-top excess.
What Is It? 2017 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe: the sportier two-door version of its bread and butter C-Class sedan. Starting Price: ...
