Chiropractors and physiotherapists must love AMG. It’s doubtful whether any other organisation has been responsible for so many necks snapping around to figure out what could possibly be emitting that noise.
Instead of being greeted with an exotic supercar, the now-injured onlooker would be highly confused when a perfectly sensible looking sedan drives by. AMGs are common sights on our roads and with good reason.
This car is a magnificent display of contrasts.
When needed, it fills the role of a comfortable and classy sedan that would be welcome at any upmarket venue. The country club parking lot is full of AMGs bought with corporate bonuses.
Inevitably though, someone in a GTI will irritate you at the robot and the red mist will come into play. You will remember that last annoying email you received at work that day as you plant your right foot to the floor, dispatching the hot hatch yuppie with a cacophony of corporate authority out of the exhaust.
With second-hand values hovering around the R400k mark for a 2010 model like this one, brutal power and stance has become reasonably accessible. There simply aren’t many ways to make this noise at that price. There are almost no other ways to do it with your wife’s approval, with the C63 AMG ticking virtually every box as a sensible family car.
At new prices the C63 was truly the executive’s choice, but a second-hand W204 has made it quite possible that this is the car you would drive to the gangster’s funeral, particularly if you shot the gangster.
The W204 stands out in AMG history as the first car that AMG designed bottom-up, instead of just hot-rodding a normal C-Class. The handling in normal driving conditions is clear evidence of the difference this made, with a highly responsive and sharp front-end. Unless, of course, you are attempting to put all 336kws through the rear wheels around a corner, in which case you will likely be on this earth for a good time rather than a long time.
Despite the clear AMG DNA shining through, the hallmark Mercedes-Benz quality and its reputation for technological firsts is fully present here. The development of the W204 involved a 2.1 terabyte digital replica of the car being put through 15 million virtual miles. This enabled crash testing and plenty of other analysis before a physical prototype was even constructed.
This particular W204 is a pre-facelift car, which means no LED lights and an arguably prettier front end. However, it doesn’t benefit from the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT gearbox. We would love to compare that ‘box to this one, as the 7G-Tronic in the pre-facelift car definitely detracts from the full potential of the car, particularly on upshifts. Downshifts are better though, accompanied by the signature crackles out of the four exhaust pipes.
The C63 AMG is the evolution of the muscle car. Old-school muscle makes wonderful noises and certainly looks the business, but they were low-tech cars with little to get excited about other than the engine and styling. Proper brakes and sporty suspensions were non-existent in early V8s.
Mercedes-Benz brought the muscle car to the executive parking lot and depreciation has brought it to a lot of people who probably can’t afford the maintenance, but persevere anyway. That’s ok, because the look on the GTI’s drivers face is totally worth the astronomical petrol bill.
Tobias Stork, we love your work man!
