2024 Mercedes-AMG C63 SE Performance
Photography by Jake Hoare
The new 2024 Mercedes-Benz C 63 SE is a completely different animal from the car that started the legend. Packing a staggering 500 kilowatts and 1020nm, it delivers breathtaking performance with possibly the most sophisticated drivetrain of any production car.
The original C 63 (reviewed here) virtually created a new category: the luxury family muscle car. With its naturally aspirated V8, rear-wheel drive, pinpoint steering, immense power, and brilliant handling. Mercedes created a legend, unmatched in its class, by taking a luxury car and giving it bonkers power. A wolf in sheep’s clothing, yet a brutal machine.
Emission standards have changed, making it harder to maintain the original formula. The latest C 63 features a two-liter turbocharged engine with Formula One technology, an electric motor, and a battery pack. The two-liter engine alone puts out 350 kilowatts—equivalent to the original 6.2-liter engine. Adding a 155-kilowatt electric motor, it delivers a total of 500 kilowatts. Mercedes has done it again, creating a modern marvel that’s unique..
Despite its 2.1-ton weight, the car feels lighter, almost like driving an A-Class but with a bigger body. The C 63 retains the best steering in the game, now with active four-wheel steering that moves the rear wheels up to five degrees. The car goes exactly where you want, offering predictable handling reminiscent of a go-kart.
The C 63 SE leads with its advanced controls and electronics, featuring driver modes for any situation. Modes adjust engine response, suspension, and dynamics to different levels. Beautiful round control/screens on the steering wheel allow you to control almost all drive settings without taking your hands off the wheel. The machined metal shifters and dials enhance the race car feel, letting you adjust settings like battery recuperation and damping setup on the fly.
The world’s most powerful two-liter engine is paired with a highly capable electric battery unit. The innovative turbo design uses electric exhaust gas harvesting to charge the battery and an electrically driven turbo to deliver torque in any circumstance. Mercedes integrates this F1 derived technical wizardry seamlessly, so you can enjoy the ride without needing to understand the complexities.
The interior is sumptuous, as expected from Mercedes. It features top-of-the-line materials and design elements passed down from the S-Class and E-Class to the C-Class. The understated ventilation system, control-rich steering wheel, and a central console with dedicated controls for ventilation, climate, and media are standout features. The driver’s instrument cluster is stunning and highly configurable, with a best-in-class heads-up display that delivers all necessary information, including a tachometer.
Mercedes has delivered a brutally quick luxury sedan that feels lighter, drives better, and is faster and safer than its predecessors. While it lacks the growl of a naturally aspirated V8, those days are gone. The 2024 C 63 is a fitting successor to the original, pushing the boundaries of performance and luxury in a sensational package.
Yet we must compare the original with the 2024 edition.
The 2008 Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 and the 2024 iteration represent two distinct eras of performance and innovation. The 2008 C63 was all the best of the analog age, with a best-in-class V8 engine delivering firebreathing raw power. A defining standard for luxury muscle cars with its rear-wheel drive, precise steering, and unmatched handling. Celebrated to this day, a muscle car with a refined touch.
In contrast, the 2024 C63 embraces modern and digital engineering to the max. The complex hybrid system delivers an extraordinary 500 kilowatts. Formula One technology and advanced electronics mark a significant departure from the raw, naturally aspirated flavour of it’s progenitor. The new model offers a suite of driving modes, active four-wheel steering, providing a sophisticated, versatile driving experience with performance that outstrips the original, and espite weighing more, it feels lighter and more agile.
Both are iconic in their own right. If the original C63’s appeal lay in its straightforward, brutal power in a luxury package, the 2024 ‘63 blends an even higher level of luxury with cutting-edge powertrain technology, setting a new benchmark for luxury performance sedans.