New Merc not all smoke and mirrors
Mercedes’ hot-rod division has concurrently re-mastered and revolutionised the V8 with its new twin-turbocharged engine, writes Peter Louisson.
THIS isn’t the first time a fresh upstart has made a mark at Bathurst’s legendary Mount Panorama circuit. And it certainly won’t be the last. The car also starred at last month’s Goodwood Festival of speed in England.
Mercedes-AMG’s new C63 S sedan, with its 4.0-litre twinturbocharged V8, saunters out of the pits during its Australasian preview on the closed-off circuit last week. With occupants cocooned in plush leather seats, the engine and transmission gently sequence through the seven ratios on offer and the soft suspension soaks up subtle road imperfections in a way the previous C63 – a hard-edged muscle car with a classic European veneer – couldn’t.
Then, press the five-mode drive button and the new model exhibits versatility few other road cars can match.
The electrically-assisted steering stiffens to offer excellent precision, good on-centre feel and an uncanny turn-in response, the same adaptive suspension tautens and an electronic charge thickens the fluid running through the engine mounts for a more stable ride at speed.
Confronted with tightening emissions and renewed competition from German and Japanese rivals, Mercedes’ has responded with a vehicle which not only drives better at the limit, but is softer, more refined and better resolved as a daily road car as well. On a circuit like Mount Panorama, the result is compelling.
Even the engine, the subject of much conjecture when Mercedes’ confirmed it was replacing the venerable 6.2-litre naturallyaspirated V8 of the old C63 last year, enlightens the senses with its immense take-up from anywhere on the tacho.
Offering maximum outputs of 375kW and 700Nm, the new 4.0-litre drivetrain will accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 4.0 seconds, and on a closed Mount Panorama, it lacks for nothing.
The broad surge of torque – peaking from just 1750rpm – is instantly accessible out of challenging corners, including The Cutting and Forrest’s Elbow. The immediacy is thanks in part to turbochargers mounted inside the engine’s cylinder banks instead of outside to minimise lag and increase throttle response, a feature shared with the new AMG GT. Even encroaching 250kmh down Conrod Straight, the engine shows no sign of abating.
An enriched exhaust note – which can be switched on or off using a flap in the standard Performance Exhaust system – offers a ferocious bark. Pressing the Sport or Sport + modes activates the full orchestra; the driver is the conductor, playing its sonorous tune with varying throttle applications and eliciting a sharp crack between gear changes.
The sporty engine relishes the chance to work with the accompanying seven-speed automatic. In regular driving it is smooth and well-timed in its shifts, plying for the vehicle’s 8.6L/100km fuel economy thanks to a new coasting mode. Snappy, decisive changes take precedence when the driver select dial is wound to its most hyperactive setting.
An electronic limited slip differential, widened front axle and 265mm-wide 19-inch Michelin Sport tyres ensure utmost confidence in laying down the power and help provide excellent lateral grip despite a 1730kg kerb weight. Even when successive laps begin asking questions of the tyres, the C63’s electronic aids flatter the driver by intuitively stepping in.