Paris show: Mercedes’ accidental hero

MERCEDES-BENZ’S C-Class sports flagship has made an accidental entry into the public arena, courtesy of the German company’s dealer website.

Pictures and details of the brutal 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 Mercedes-AMG C63 and its even hotter C63 S premium partner were scooped up from the site by the world’s media overnight before the page was suddenly taken down by the powers that be in Stuttgart.

The AMG models were expected to be revealed later today anyway, ahead of their global debut at the Paris motor show on October 2. Mercedes-Benz Australia Pacific is expecting the new AMG variants in local showrooms in the middle of next year, as the headline act for the all-new C-Class range launched in four-cylinder form here last month.

As already reported, the C63 gets Mercedes’ all-new 4.0- litre bi-turbo V8 – shared with the new AMG-GT sports coupe – replacing the normally aspirated 336kW/600Nm 6.2-litre V8 in the superseded model.

The “standard” C63 gets 350kW of power and 650Nm of torque, while the C63 S ups the ante with 375kW and 700Nm. Both engines are hooked up to the same seven-speed Speedshift multi-clutch transmission as before, driving the rear wheels.

The C63 reportedly can hit 100km/h in 4.1 seconds, while the more powerful C63 S can do the 0-100km/h sprint a fraction faster, in 4.0 seconds – 0.1 faster than BMW’s rival 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo M3 sedan and M4 coupe.

As AMG images shown here can attest, the C63 gets the latest sports body work, including a front bumper with big air openings and a rear bumper with a diffuser flanked by quad exhaust tips.

The black mesh grille gets a single bar running across the middle. The C63 S also gets gloss black finishes.

A bulging bonnet, side skirts and 18-inch alloy wheels on the C63 and 19-inch units on the C63 S complete the external package.

Inside, the AMG variants get sports seats clad in a mix of leather and fabric, along with stainless steel pedals, AMG flat-bottomed steering wheel and Artico (pseudo leather) dashboard wrap.

C63 brakes are AMG’s 360mm steel discs on the front and 330mm on the rear.

Optional ceramic composite discs are available on the C63 S.

Both variants get AMG’s Ride Control three-stage adjustable dampers on the multi-link suspension, along with AMG-tuned speed sensitive steering.

As well, the AMG variant gets an AMG-tuned version of Benz’s multi-mode drive control system, this time called AMG Dynamic Select, with four modes – C (controlled efficiency), S (sport), S+ (sport plus) and, in the C63 S, R (race).

The C63 S also adds dynamic engine mounts, locking rear differential and heavier axles.