AMG replaced the V8 with a four-cylinder hybrid and somehow made the C63 faster — if not louder.
Purists cried foul when Mercedes-AMG announced a four-cylinder C63. After driving the E Performance version, the complaint is less about power and more about soundtrack.
The combined output of 680bhp is absurd for a car this size, and the electric fill-in torque makes it feel even stronger than the numbers suggest.
Zero to 100km/h arrives in 3.4 seconds, which is supercar territory. The electric motor masks turbo lag entirely, and the nine-speed gearbox shifts with a violence that belies the eco credentials.
Surprisingly, the C63 works as a daily driver — with conditions.
AMG has piped an artificial exhaust note through the speakers. It is convincing at full throttle but cannot replicate the old V8 rumble at idle.
The C63 S E Performance is a technical triumph that will divide enthusiasts.
Buy it for the pace and the technology, not for nostalgia.
