Curiously, German automakers have gone against their own long-standing traditions here and there over the past couple of years. BMW’s design center is out to lunch and Porsche badges no longer make much sense. And what about Mercedes-Benz and its badging? That used to be a very logical system.
Remember when 63 meant 6.3 (er, technically 6.2-and-a-bit) liters, which meant the C63 had a hand-assembled, naturally aspirated V8 under the hood of a C-Class sports sedan? The previous, W205-generation AMG C63 reduced that down to 4.0 liters, but nobody really complained as it was still an awesome V8. Now, with the release of the 2024 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance, it’s down to just 2.0 liters divided up between four cylinders. The lack of a thunderous V8 is bad enough, but really riling people up is the fact that it’s been replaced by something with just as many cylinders as Honda Civic.
But you know what? I don’t care in the slightest—about the badge thing or the fact that it’s now a turbo-four—this under-the-radar brute is absolutely brilliant. After spending a rousing afternoon in the new C63, I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Between its handsome looks, comfortable luxury sedan disposition, and immensely complex-yet-friggin’-wild powertrain, it’s a Top 10 drive for me. Here’s why.
Quintessential Executive Express
I assure you that I, unlike BMW’s design department, am not out to lunch, and there’s no better place to start my case than the C63 S E Performance’s look: the new C63 is quite handsome. Its fenders and track have been widened to give it a very muscular demeanor, it sports AMG’s reasonably sized vertical slat grille, and big inlets on either side of it indicate spicy form and function. As does its hood—the signature AMG Power Domes (German for creases) are present, but a new vent up front helps pull hot air out from under the hood. At the aft, there’s a subtle rear spoiler—sort of like a little Gurney Flap—that contributes to its sporty figure, and below the rear bumper are four big exhaust tips, stealthily hidden by gloss black trim.
Speaking of stealth, that was my first impression when I saw the 63 in the flesh for the first time. It’s easy to shrug off as any ol’ C-Class from a distance, but when you pay a tad more attention, you quickly realize that it possesses German Stealth in spades, between its aforementioned exterior accouterments, modest badging, and bigger brakes. As any good Teutonic executive express should.
The latest top-of-the-line C-Class’ interior is quite nice, too. Among the examples I drove, I really took to the optional AMG Performance seats—still electronically adjustable like the base seats but quite comfortable and contouring to my lanky six-foot-three stature. They also seemed to sit a tad lower than the standard seats, too. Overall visibility is quite good, and I was able to bring the steering wheel low and back enough to make for a comfortable performance driving position. As far as I can remember, it doesn’t let you sit as deep down as you can in the current BMW M3, but it didn’t feel like I was suspended far above the beltline.
Sifting through Mercedes’ latest third-generation MBUX infotainment system has its upsides and downsides but, thankfully, quick toggles on the steering wheel made moving through every setting that mattered, such as turning traction control on or off, selecting drive modes, and even changing the regenerative braking intensity (yep, because this car has that), a breeze.
Complicatedly Brilliant Powertrain
Complicated is a bit of an understatement when explaining how the 2024 Mercedes-AMG C63 puts all of its power to the ground. The hand-assembled, 2.0-liter turbocharged M139I engine sends 469 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque primarily to the rear wheels via a nine-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Along the way, some of it goes to the front wheels via the 63’s all-wheel-drive system, but most of it joins the party out back where a water-cooled, 400-volt, 6.1-kWh battery and two-speed electric motor live. Both internal combustion and electric power meet at an electronically operated limited-slip differential, and in total, the C63 makes 671 hp and 752 lb-ft of torque.
But the real cool part is the C63’s Formula 1-derived, electrically assisted turbocharger. This Garrett unit is freaking massive and almost looks like an aftermarket add-on. The downpipe is a work of art, too—I don’t even want to think about what it took to make this thing pass global emissions standards. Like the turbo found in Porsche’s new hybrid 911 GTS, the C63’s big angry snail has a small electric motor that keeps it spinning, ready to instantly deliver peak boost pressure at all times and effectively eliminating turbo lag. This means that the engine is always ready to pounce, and one Mercedes rep told me that when exhaust gasses are spinning the turbo shaft the ol’-fashioned way, the little motor is actually recuperating energy. How wild is that?
None of this makes for a lightweight package, though, and the C63 S E Performance weighs a hefty 4,817 pounds, basically 1,000 pounds heavier than the previous C63 but almost 600 pounds lighter than the new plug-in hybrid BMW M5. Despite the chonk, it’ll still lunge off the line to 60 mph in a reported 3.3 seconds and on to 100 mph in just seven.
And my God does it make for a rousing drive. Launching the electrically assisted C63 from a standstill is quite easy: Select one of the sportier drive modes (there are eight, total), put your left foot on the brake, dump the throttle, wait until the dash says race start is active, and release the brake. It then tears off in one of the most ravenous launches I’ve ever experienced. And since there’s a screaming, angry baritone four-cylinder up front with tons of character, it’s all glorious drama. Some EVs may be quicker on the stopwatch, but in terms of theater, they’re snoozefests by comparison. To make the experience all the more memorable, the seatbelts cinch up tightly to provide a little reassurance as if the mighty Merc is saying in a friendly German accent “Don’t worry, Kollege, I know what I’m doing.”
Excellent Dynamics
This reassurance translated to other aspects of the C63 S E Performance’s driving experience, too, as it was an absolute beast on some of my favorite tight, twisty canyon roads across Malibu. Its specially tuned adaptive dampers tie into its four-wheel independent double-wishbone suspension, plus sway bars and added bracing throughout. Between Sport Plus and Race modes, there wasn’t a hint of body roll through all varieties of tight, technical corners, and it soaked up substantial bumps quite well. These technical roads usually befit something especially agile, like an Acura NSX or Lotus Evora GT, but the C63 and its five seats, four doors, and 64-color ambient interior lighting ripped through them with the same level of speed, poise, and precision. As I write this, it’s making me wonder if this was all actually just a fever dream.
But it wasn’t, as there’s even more to talk about in regard to the extensive technology beneath this mighty sedan. 4Matic all-wheel drive maintained impressive traction for its more modest-sized 265/40-front and 275/40-rear Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires—a great compound, but still a bit undersized for such weight and power. Mercedes’ active rear axle steering was hard at work, too, which turns up to 2.5 degrees in the opposite direction of the front wheels below 60 mph for increased agility or 2.5 degrees in the same direction above 60 for better stability. This is a big part of why the C63 felt way sharper than 4,800 pounds normally would.
The steering itself possessed a good ratio and OK weight by modern performance car standards but not much feel. Thankfully, weight increased substantially in Race mode. Once again, the C63’s agility shone here as steering response was top-notch—an upside to having just four cylinders ahead of the firewall.
All of this ferocious chassis and powertrain tuning was kept in line quite well by massive 15.4-inch vented and drilled brake rotors up front—with six-piston aluminum calipers biting down hard—and 14.6-inch rear rotors and single-piston calipers out back. The pedal had just the right amount of performance-geared firmness, was very nice to modulate, and was in no way too grabby.
In my limited time behind the wheel, I generally kept the C63 in either Sport, Sport Plus, or Race mode, trying my hardest to see how low of an average mpg I could achieve. However, I also briefly experienced Electric mode, which moves the car solely off of the rear electric motor up to 78 mph and at a range of just six or so miles. What a wild future we live in. This bolsters the C63’s ability to be one of the most versatile super sedans ever: supercar-like acceleration, agile sports car handling, sedan flexibility, and now a very green and calming way to scuttle about town.
Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance Features, Options, and Competition
The 2024 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance starts at $85,050. There are a handful of packages and options available, but for my money, I’d throw down for the AMG Performance Design Package ($4,000) which adds red brake calipers, some added styling bits, a higher top speed (174 mph rather than 155), and AMG Track Pace software in MBUX. Oh, and we can’t forget the comfortable-yet-racy $2,500 AMG Performance Seat Package.
The 2025 BMW M3 Competition xDrive, the C63’s direct competitor, starts at $86,475. I see what you did there, Mercedes-Benz. It produces 523 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque from its twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six and tips the scale at a comparably much lighter (never thought I’d type that) 3,990 pounds. It’ll also hit the 60 mph mark in a manufacturer-published 3.4 seconds, so essentially neck-and-neck with the hybrid AMG. We also can’t forget Audi’s high-performance luxury four-door, the RS5 Sportback, rocking a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 that puts down 444 hp, 442 lb-ft of torque, and reaches 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. Its base price? A comparably thrifty $80,995 to start, though you’ll need an additional 10 grand to reach the more aggressively tuned Competition trim.
The Early Verdict
For purists, the very idea of a 2.0-liter hybrid C63 will probably continue to blow their minds for months, if not years, to come. But considering how impressive the 2024 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance is to drive, it’s well worth it.
I went into this test with an open mind, but I certainly will miss the old C63’s twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8. That engine can do no wrong, and it’s also the best thing to ever happen to the Aston Martin Vantage. I became very familiar with the handbuilt turbo 2.0 in the now-gone AMG GLA45 a few years ago, and really dug it for its overall pissed-off attitude—the fact that it receives more than 25 psi of boost from the factory is so cool.
The new C63 still makes excellent noises (the Race mode idle exhaust chop is friggin’ rad), and has monumental hybrid-assisted performance in spades. Its overall handling is downright impressive, too, able to mob through corners as if it’s 1,000 pounds lighter than it is. It’s complex, chock-full of technology, and an absolute monster that may just make you forget about the V8.
| 2024 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance Specs | |
|---|---|
| Base Price | $85,050 |
| Powertrain | 2.0-liter electric turbo four-cylinder plug-in with 150-kW hybrid motor | 9-speed automatic | all-wheel drive | 6.1-kWh battery |
| Horsepower | 671 |
| Torque | 752 lb-ft |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| Curb Weight | 4,817 pounds |
| 0-60 mph | 3.3 seconds |
| Top Speed | 155 mph (174 mph with AMG Performance Design Package) |
| EPA Fuel Economy | 41 mpge city | 39 highway | 40 combined |
| Quick Take | A deeply impressive sports sedan, purists be damned. |
| Score | 9/10 |
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