Review: 2011 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG With Performance Package

By Bryan Usrey

Bryan Usrey

Contributing Writer

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4,748 views Dec 22, 2010

2010 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

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There comes in a time in every person’s life when he or she has the desire to throw out conservativeness and responsibility in favor of something a little more insane. Most call this sort of adventure a mid-life crisis and it’s easy to see why. The sorts of people who can afford these expensive toys are usually people in the middle of their life. Yet, no matter what it’s called, there is one toy that takes a person’s wild side and shakes it like a bartender shakes a mixed drink, a fast car.

Enter the Mercedes-Benz C63 for 2011. This could be the most outrageous vehicle money can buy, excluding a few exotics of course. It makes trees wither as it goes by, as it’s V8 isn’t concerned about global warming or environmentalism. The C63 takes the normal sedan C-Class and adds a whole gallon of naga vipers – the world’s hottest pepper for those that didn’t know - to the recipe.

From the exterior it’s clear that this isn’t a normal Mercedes sedan. Where as BMW made the M3 subtle, Mercedes took the C-Class and smacked it in the face with flared wheel arches and more chrome than a 1950s Cadillac.

The latest generation of C-Class has a masculine body and a crisp design. The front and rear fascias remain the same, with that upright grille and headlights that appear to be wearing a little too much mascara. The AMG version adds a rear diffuser and a carbon fiber decklid spoiler. The front features air inlets that look like the gills of a fish to help cool those AMG Performance Package brakes. To seal the deal, Mercedes has added dual chrome exhaust tips and 18-inch alloy five-spoke wheels to the already bulging sedan.

Stepping inside the C63 with the AMG Performance Package will be a bit complicated on the first few attempts. The seats offer up more bolstering than a NASCAR, making it difficult to enter and exit at times. Yet, once seated, the average person will find them snug, but comfortable.

The dashboard is black and feels soft to the touch, while the leather is extremely supple. There is a smattering of lights around the cabin that at night help accent the gauges, center stack, door handles and footwells. The gauge cluster is easy to read and useful, as there is an information center located in the center of the speedometer that provides oil temperature, speed, mileage and even a lap timer.

The C63 came with a seven-inch power-retractable monitor connected to a Harmon/Kardon Logic7 Surround-Sound system with GPS navigation, a 40-gigabyte hard drive and in-dash memory card reader. The system is controlled via a rotary dial on the center console and is surprisingly easy to operate. It might seem daunting at first, but after a few hours of practice it becomes second nature.

All of the toys and technology are fine, but what really makes the C63 special is what lives under the hood. The handcrafted 6.3-liter V8 is a work of art. Located on the top of the intake manifold is a plaque, signed by the engine builder. It does nothing to help performance, but it’s good to know that some things are still done by hand.

Performance-wise, the C63 puts out 451 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. That’s all well and good, but let’s just say more power was required. The test C63 AMG was equipped with the AMG Performance Package that upped the power to 481 horses. That trumps the BMW M3 by miles.

Drop the hammer and the C63 launches like an F22 Raptor, forcing driver and any passengers back into their seats with a monumental force. This experience is made better by the throaty sound coming from the beast under the hood. If one was to keep going, the C63 could hit 155 miles per hour, but with the special performance package, that top speed is cranked up to 174 mph.