On steroids
The sound of the 6.2-litre V8 is intoxicating: you just don't get tired of it. The engine responds to the slightest request, and with 451 horses, there's always power underfoot. As for performance, I have to mention the first-rate 7-speed automatic transmission. You can achieve 100 km/h faster by letting the transmission do its thing in automatic mode: in 5.28 seconds compared to the 5.37 seconds required in manual mode. Mercedes-Benz specifies 4.5 seconds, but we decided to leave the traction control system on.
However, passing manoeuvres (from 80 to 120 km/h) are faster in third gear at 3.6 seconds. Four disc brakes stop the C63 in less than 3 seconds, from 100 to 0 km/h. That's shear performance, but what about on the road or on the track?
You never get tired of opening it up, which translates into high fuel consumption. We averaged 24 litres per 100 kilometres when combining road and track testing during our comparative evaluation: an irresistible inebriate!
But I also drove the C63 like a normal person, where I averaged under 15 litres per 100 kilometres, which seems very reasonable to me considering the power at your disposal.
Tenacious
Thanks to its 235 and 255 tires mounted on 18-inch wheels, the C63 is glued to the road. If pushed to the limit on the track, it tends to understeer. Its behaviour reminds me of American cars, and you can strike the right balance with the accelerator; you can also adjust the stability control system.
The sound of the 6.2-litre V8 is intoxicating: you just don't get tired of it. The engine responds to the slightest request, and with 451 horses, there's always power underfoot. As for performance, I have to mention the first-rate 7-speed automatic transmission. You can achieve 100 km/h faster by letting the transmission do its thing in automatic mode: in 5.28 seconds compared to the 5.37 seconds required in manual mode. Mercedes-Benz specifies 4.5 seconds, but we decided to leave the traction control system on.
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| The sound of the 6.2-litre V8 is intoxicating: you just don't get tired of it. |
However, passing manoeuvres (from 80 to 120 km/h) are faster in third gear at 3.6 seconds. Four disc brakes stop the C63 in less than 3 seconds, from 100 to 0 km/h. That's shear performance, but what about on the road or on the track?
You never get tired of opening it up, which translates into high fuel consumption. We averaged 24 litres per 100 kilometres when combining road and track testing during our comparative evaluation: an irresistible inebriate!
But I also drove the C63 like a normal person, where I averaged under 15 litres per 100 kilometres, which seems very reasonable to me considering the power at your disposal.
Tenacious
Thanks to its 235 and 255 tires mounted on 18-inch wheels, the C63 is glued to the road. If pushed to the limit on the track, it tends to understeer. Its behaviour reminds me of American cars, and you can strike the right balance with the accelerator; you can also adjust the stability control system.
 |
| Thanks to its 235 and 255 tires mounted on 18-inch wheels, the C63 is glued to the road. |