. . . completely different

NO LESS SATISFYING IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE ATHLETICISM, MERCEDES- BENZ’S V6- POWERED AMG C 43 DELIVERS AN ALTERNATIVE TAKE ON STUTTGART’S C- CLASS- BASED SPORTS COUPE BLUEPRINT

Mercedes- Benz suggests that mimicking the more liberally brutal aesthetic of the AMGC63 Coupe, which sits above our review car in the Stuttgart firm’s compact performance car pecking order, isn’t what this C 43 Coupe is about.

It likes to think of this car as a different proposition entirely. It’s not so much the coupe for the AMGfan that has liked and loved, but is now wanting to move on from, their AMGA45 hatchback. The C 43, Mercedes- Benz says, is its own thing.

That’s not to suggest this edition isn’t canon, though. This is a proper AMGwith all the AMG bits in it that you’d want. You get the 19- inch twin- spoke AMG alloys, the AMGinstrument cluster with its chequered flag surface design, as well as the multi- mode AMGRide Control sports suspension system that lets you opt for Sport, Sport + or a mix of comfort/ race- face settings. You get AMG’s speed- sensitive sports steering set- up, too.

Also, and I can’t overstate this, you get an absolute rocket ship.

Mercedes- Benz’s sublime 3.0- litre twin turbo ( or “biturbo” in Mercedes- speak) V6 helps deliver blisteringly quick pace. The engine packs a punch in terms of peak power ( 270kW) and maximum twist ( 520Nm of torque); mechanical momentum that was delivered with responsive squeeze- and- go simplicity on the straights and helped along immeasurably by standard 4MATIC all- wheel drive on the twistier parts of the debrisstrewn roads along our stormy rural Victorian test route.

It’s not all fire- and- brimstone, though. In fact, there is one thing that is missing; the visceral bark of the big brother C 63’ s V8. The V6 offers up a crisp exhaust note, which is especially pleasing as you push on. But there are no popbang dramatics on the overrun for which, sorry, I’m a sucker.

However, this isn’t an irreconcilable issue. You just need to attack the options list with a pen and spend an extra $ 4990. This will net you the sound you want in the form of Mercedes- Benz’s Performance Ergonomic Package. In addition to seemingly unrelated — but no- less- welcome — AMG performance sports seats and a fat sports steering wheel covered in a pleasing mix of grippy microfibre and nappa leather, you also get AMG’s performance exhaust system.

The C 43 Coupe features Benz’s 9G- TRONIC automatic transmission, which seamlessly shifts to the required ratio, although naturally in this application there are paddles to