Highlights

Mileage

35,370

Ext. Color

Black metallic

Int. Color

Brown premium leather

Engine

gas

Transmission

automatic

Drivetrain

rear wheel drive

Horsepower

503 hp

Seats

5

Zero Accident ( 1 owner).

More About The AMG

At first glance, this 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S sedan doesn't look stand out that much compared to your average C Class. While its rivals have received progressively more outlandish styling updates, Merc has decided to keep its most hardcore C sedan looking fairly understated. It's a move that seems to say, "this car is for me, not the gawkers at curbside." I dig that.

The 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S packs a 503-horsepower punch from its beefy V8 biturbo engine. The chassis remains composed even under pressure and boasts gobs of grip. In its Comfort mode, the C63 S is a well-appointed and understated daily driver.

But just as fashionistas can tell a a tailored designer label from an off-the-rack suit, enthusiasts will immediately know the difference between this handcrafted AMG and the C300 parked nearby. They will recognize the unique front and rear bumper, the "V8 Biturbo" badges and 19-inch wheels that fill the arches. They'll see the slightly more athletic ride height and hear the exhaust's burble and know that this car is something special.

AMG performance

Let's start by diving right into the engine bay where you'll find a hand-built and signed 4.0-liter biturbo V8 AMG engine on display. There's very little in the way of plastic engine cover here, and you can see the "hot inside V" turbochargers plainly between the two cylinder banks. The C63 makes 469 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, but our C63 S has been massaged and re-tuned to deliver 503 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque from the same power plant.

The more potent C63 S makes 503 horsepower from its hand-built and signed V8 biturbo engine.

That juice flows to the rear wheels through a 7-speed multiclutch automatic transmission (MCT). This gearbox operates mostly like a conventional automatic transmission but uses a wet startup clutch instead of a torque converter for improved performance and efficiency. The advantage is that it can fire off 0.1-second upshifts and rev-matched downshifts in its manual mode, launch harder than a torque converter automatic could and handle more torque than a dual-clutch transmission.

The driver controls the attitude of the C63 S and its AMG heart with a Dynamic Select wheel on the center console which toggles between Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Race modes. Each setting adjusts the performance of the throttle response, transmission programming, suspension damper firmness, and traction control. Our example was also equipped with an AMG Performance exhaust that gets louder and less restrictive in the Sport and Race modes. Of course, each of these systems can also be individually adjusted with buttons also found on the center console. 

Beneath the subdued look is a suspension that's firmer, a wheel track that's wider for better stability in turns and tires that are wider and stickier than those on non-AMG C Class models.Zero-to-60 mph happens in just 3.9 seconds for the C63 S (or 4.0 in the C63) with a top speed of 180 mph (just 155 for the C63). Aiding drivers in reaching those times is a Race Start launch control system that's almost too easy to activate. Just put the car into Sport+ or Race mode and grab both paddles shifters for a moment to activate Race Start. Then just plant the brake pedal, matt the throttle and release the brake for maximum acceleration.

However, most of my days with the C63 S were spent around town and in commuter traffic.

The C Class chassis also makes for a very comfortable daily driver; just pop its Dynamic Select switch into the Comfort mode and feel the AMG Ride Control suspension settle into its softest setting, the optional AMG Performance exhaust quiet down, and the 7-speed automatic transmission relax. The V8 biturbo engine, which can be quite ferocious at speed, still feels effortlessly athletic on the interstate. The sedan prowled the busy streets around Roadshow's San Francisco HQ like a lion on a stroll, with its deep growl hinting at its power.

The dashboard is where I start to run into a few hangups. The C Class continues to use an older generation of Benz's COMAND infotainment. I've a number of issues with this system: My biggest gripe is with the awkward three-tier menu system on every screen that is confusing to use, poorly organized and makes even the large 8.4-inch display seem cramped and cluttered. I'm also not a huge fan of the COMAND touchpad controller, which never really felt natural.

The voice command is quite good, allowing me to use fairly natural language to input addresses or destinations, and the onboard maps are quickly and crisply rendered. The "Dynamic Route Guidance" navigation would often send me into a surface road traffic jam while trying to avoid highway congestion, but it's no worse than most OEM traffic software