Mercedes-Benz C Coupe - elegant or brutal?

Mercedes recently decided to focus on presenting dream cars. Company business cards are designed to arouse desire and be remembered. So we checked how the new Mercedes C Coupe rides - both in the civilian version, and even more so - the C63 S from AMG. Interested?

If you have the ability to drive a 500+ horsepower coupe, it won't take you long to make a decision. When you find out that you will take them to a well-known track and test them there in the only correct and legal way, you don’t think at all. You pack something in your suitcase and leave. And so I flew to Malaga.

Elegant individualism

While limousines work best in the business, there will always be a maverick who doesn't need a full set of passengers. A luxurious coupe comes to his aid, with impeccable style and a sporty silhouette that attracts the eyes of casual passers-by. Exceptional cars don't come cheap, but Mercedes doesn't want some of its customers to feel inferior. Therefore, he proposes a "smaller S Coupe", i.e. Mercedes S coupe.

Already in the basic version Mercedes S Coupe sparkles with elegance. He is reserved but has his own style. The car body merges into one streamlined shape, creating an impression of peace and harmony. This coupe of this genre, at least visually, has more to do with style than sport.

Until you see the C63 S from AMG. This model can not be called more stylish than sporty. The wider track required the expansion of the wheel arches, and with them the bumpers. As a result, the C63 is 6,4 cm wider at the front and 6,6 cm wider at the rear. There is a splitter in the front bumper and a diffuser in the rear. Of course, form follows function, and these are not mockups, but real aerodynamic systems that reduce the effect of axle lift.

I love how different the approach of Mercedes and BMW to the concept of a powerful but not too big coupe. When the BMW M4 looks defiantly at other cars, the Mercedes-AMG C63 AMG remains stoic. His appearance shows that he can strike with atomic force, but does so in a much less ostentatious manner. bomb for me.

Two faces of Mercedes

Mercedes has been a status symbol for many years. The image was not always associated only with the price - the quality, from design to finish, was really top notch. Materials, fittings, durability - it was hard to find a carelessly complex element. After the production of indestructible cars, the time has come for calculation and economy, the symbol of which today is the Mercedes A-Class, especially the first generation.

The gentlemen from Stuttgart decided to return to their original ways, but could not get around some of the restrictions imposed by the accountants. The product must be profitable for them. The cockpit design is from the four door version, but looks great. Well, perhaps with the exception of a permanently attached “tablet”, which here slightly violates the proportions. This did not bother me, but many consider this, to put it mildly, an erroneous idea.  

The dashboard is made of quality materials, but what's underneath creaks in several places. Leather adorns the top of the cockpit. Too bad the amount of foam underneath is so small that we feel like it's cardboard underneath. this is for the main Mercedes S coupe. The AMG version has been crafted with due precision, and in its interior we can enjoy true luxury. This is emphasized by the analog clock at the bottom of the console - the regular C Coupe has the "Mercedes-Benz" logo, but the AMG clock proudly identifies itself as IWC Schaffhausen. Class.

The premium segment, as usual, can indulge us with extras that quickly multiply the price. Do you know how much matte carbon trim costs? 123 thousand zł. That's 1/3 the price of a weaker AMG, but why not! In the test model, the instrument panel was covered in silver carbon fiber. The effect is shocking, but it's still 20 thousand. more zlotys in the configurator.

On my way 

For a good start we got behind the wheel Mercedes S300 coupe. How easy it is to find yourself in the nomenclature of the new Mercedes - C300 means that under the hood is a 2-liter gasoline engine. Four cylinders develop 245 hp. at 5500 rpm and 370 Nm in the range of 1300-4000 rpm. In combination with the 7G-TRONIC dual-clutch transmission, we are able to accelerate from 100 to 6 km/h in 250 seconds and reach a top speed of XNUMX km/h. And in combination with rear-wheel drive, we can try our hand at drifting in an empty parking lot under the supermarket. This is a really dynamic device, which lacks only pure sound. Does not provoke fast driving, but can go fast. 

We maintain stable and reliable handling even in very fast corners. Mercedes S Coupe it is 15 mm lower than the limousine and, like the limousine and station wagon, boasts a multi-link suspension, both on the rear (5 transverse) and on the front axle (4 transverse). However, Direct-Steer electronic power steering interferes with precise driving. The manufacturer wants to do everything for us, he also uses a steering system with a variable gear ratio - adjusting to speed or steering angle. When we drive dynamically, i.e. we accelerate sharply, brake, go through a series of turns, the system starts to go astray. Direct-Steer could change gears in the middle of a turn, which required constant adjustments. Luckily, there is a button on the left side of the handlebar that disables over-assist. And suddenly you're on rails.

Askari Flight Resort

Ascari Race Resort is a private race track located in the beautiful Andalusian mountains, approximately 90 km from Malaga. It just so happens that these 5,425 13 km of asphalt make up one of the most difficult tracks in the world. 12 turns right, left. The changing terrain doesn't make it any easier, because here we'll have to deal with both blind corners and sharply defined corners. The main idea of ​​Ascari was to recreate the most characteristic parts of famous race tracks and combine them into one whole. There is a SPA section, Sebring, Silverstone, Daytona, Laguna Seca, Nürburgring, etc. The route is not only complicated in itself, but also difficult to remember. You can’t count on a smooth transition from section to section - the pace of the ride changes, like in a kaleidoscope.

Luckily, an Ascari instructor in the AMG GT we raced helped us find our spot. Believe me, it is not easy to catch up with the most successful driver in the history of the DTM series, even if he is not at the fastest pace. Bernd Schneider was not going to spare us, he demanded that we exceed our own limits, and thanks to this, riding on the track gave a lot of adrenaline. But let's start from the very beginning.

“Okay, let's go!”

I took my seat in the cockpit of the Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe. This beast reaches 100 km/h in 3,9 seconds and stops accelerating only around 250 km/h or 290 km/h after the lock has moved. The classic transmission requires and even requires the right driving technique, because when the rear axle gets 510 hp. and 700 Nm, you prefer to be careful not to go sideways at too high a speed. 

After the familiarization lap we rode at the pace of the big boys. The first impression is that the C63 S is surprisingly neutral in handling. It's only when you hit its comfort zone hard that you end up with a flashing traction control light and forced understeer. This is what happens in Sport+ mode and below. However, there is a racing mode that puts the traction control system into sport mode and allows you to do a lot more - it basically just prevents the car from spinning. In racing, our AMG still behaves quite civilized, but we already have more room to maneuver in controlled tightening of the corner. No matter how you suck, you can even ride the spicy slides as long as you steer smoothly. If you start to twitch, or worse, don't respond to oversteer, ESP will get you out of trouble quickly. It's like the instructor sits inside and evaluates your trip - if he sees that you are doing well, he will let you have fun. If not, he hurries to help the car. 

The beefy steering wheel feels great in the hands, and the direct transmission of the system allows you to cover almost all turns without shifting your hands. Unlike the civilian version, the AMG steering has a linear gear ratio of 14,1:1. We shift gears with paddle shifters, and Mercedes listens to these commands with pleasure. He won't move until you give the order. In some places on the track it reached 200-210 km / h, followed by strong braking until the right turn. At such high speeds, handling is brilliant. The hard work of Airstream engineers is to be commended for this. Mercedes S Coupe achieved a drag coefficient of 0,26. Stability when cornering is guaranteed by a wider track, but there is also a self-locking differential. In the C63 Coupe, this is a completely mechanical device, in the more powerful C63 S Coupe, an electronic lock is already used using a multi-plate clutch. 

The V8 is inherently an imperfect, unbalanced engine. It generates a lot of vibrations that penetrate the rest of the car body and finally into the cabin. Using a soft hinge will reduce this effect, but then the sports car will lose its rigidity. The Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe solves this problem by using variable performance. They provide comfort when riding at a relaxed pace, but harden as the pace increases. 

AMG has made a name for itself thanks to the brilliant sound of its products. Even though engine displacement has been reduced from 6.2 liters naturally aspirated to 4 liters with twin turbochargers, that brutal, gruff exhaust note remains. In addition, it is 5% mechanical. In the tunnels, he not only roars, but also shoots - loudly, like a firearm. Whether you're shifting up or down or just letting off the gas. The stock exhaust system has two flaps to regulate its volume, but we can order a racing package with three flaps, which only adds some spice. This is worth considering because the AMG Performance exhaust is an option for “only” PLN 236.

Where an S-class can't, there will be a C-class

So we got to the topic of money. The Mercedes S Coupe is at the top of the price list, even higher than the AMG GT. This luxury cruiser S 65 AMG with V12 engine costs PLN 1 plus additional services. For comparison, the AMG GT costs at least 127. PLN 000 in the S version. He has just joined this noble bet. Mercedes S Couperepresenting the third force in the sports car portfolio. Of course, the AMG versions close the price list of the model, but their prices, compared to older brothers, look like a real bargain. Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe costs PLN 344. Although there is no “S” in the name, it still develops 700 km, and reaches “hundred” in 476 seconds. However, for an additional PLN 4 we get a 60-horsepower model, but the difference is small. Both cars look the same, only the "S" accelerates 200 seconds faster to 510 km/h and uses an electromechanical differential. 

Although the AMG has a remarkable attraction, it is certainly beyond the reach of most Polish drivers. However, there are much cheaper models on offer, starting at PLN 153 for the C200 version and PLN 180 for the C174d diesel. You can always buy the AMG styling package for PLN 400 and enjoy a slightly weaker but still beautiful luxury coupe every day. 

On the manufacturer's website, you can fool around in the configurator and calculate monthly payments.