This car has 7 clutches and an open diff. Welcome to 2010’s Mercedes engineering. It’s a wild ride from here.

This generation c63 AMG to some people is the ultimate dream car. Loud, stiff, angry, and enough power to push that e92 m3 back into its corner, while still retaining the premium quality you expect from a Mercedes product (or at least an expensive Mercedes product). So what’s the story here then?

A friend of mine had this car briefly. Lasted all of say… 3 or 4 months before trading it for an Arnage. This was a wonderful example of expectations and what happens when that dream car ain’t all its made out to be.

I first got to properly experience the car during a track day weekend at Sebring (though not on track sadly). The owner, a friend I brought along, and myself all piled in after the first day. Exhaust, dehydrated, and left to explore Sebring in an AMG, here’s how it all went.

The engine is a 6.3L V8, making around 450 Germanic horses and 440 lb-ft of torque. The 3800 lb coupe isn’t exactly light, and although it’s a two door c class… well it’s a 2010’s c class. Like the Camaro z28 or zl1 1le, trying to reduce weight will only get you so far when the base car is a bit of a pig. However this “pig” will get to 60 in around 4.4s, and despite the transmission’s best effort to forget how to function, it’s a riot while it gets there.

The engine has a deep and angry growl, like the car has a burning desire to capture Paris again, but instead releases its anger by shouting and punching. You get shoved back into your seat, and rear grip isn’t completely there (especially with the lackluster tires my friend put on the car), so you’re also bracing a bit as it steps out before TC snaps back. The revs build, and then you’re punched back again as the car figures out what gear it wants. Suddenly the term “German muscle” makes sense.

Cresting a hill at way too fast a speed, the car grips while the suspension does no favors in smoothing the Sebring back roads we’re on. With orange trees flying by, soon the car’s brakes need to be tested. The massive 6 pot fronts and 4 pot rears are more than enough to slow the speed boat of a car down to go over a railroad crossing, before heading off again, a single rear getting lit up by a patch of dirt on the road (oh it’s not an LSD by the way!).

The weight can be felt as it corners, as well as the worse tires the car now has. The rear isn’t vague, but that night it definitely wasn’t trust worthy. Power out, flick the paddle a good 2 seconds in advance, and we’re off again to the next turn. The stiff suspension, although giving your spine a run for its money, gives you more than enough of an idea about what the car wants to do. You can feel almost every bit of movement as the car corners, as well as the lack of body roll present as you turn in. Steering feedback was fine. Not too weighty, quick, and responsive. It’s an AMG product with a hydraulic rack. I’d be surprised if it was shit.

Reaching the end of the road, we do a U-turn. It’s now starting to rain, and the moon is illuminating whatever lake is to our right. One wheel peel through second, as TC flashes and tries to rein the car in. Moments later, and the car finds some grip, and we’re off again, back to the Orange groves.

Going through the turns, now on a damp road, a few things become apparent. The rear is lacking, and traction control is very heavy handed. The lack of a limited slip diff has the car compensating by using the rear brakes. However, the system isn’t really the best, and more often than not just leaves you with one wheel spinning, before traction control has a heart attack. And traction control can’t be fully disabled. But nonetheless, we soldier on… until the oil temp climbs too high.

Yep, your at the time $60,000 (base price) AMG Mercedes will apparently overheat with some spirited driving on an oddly cool Florida summer night (somewhere in the mid 70’s Fahrenheit). There are solutions (like a black series oil cooler) but none are cheap (like a black series oil cooler). So the drive back becomes tame. Music is playing through the pretty decent sound system. Our passenger can probably rest herself for a bit. And my friend can start telling me how he’s gonna find a way to swap the LSD into the car, no really.

The c63 bumbles along, now back in its calm automatic mode as the temperature slowly drops (the engine is pretty crammed on there, I have no clue how they manage to evacuate air from in there… they probably don’t). And while it’s powertrain is now fairly tame, the same can’t be said for the suspension, still treating its occupants as stressed members of the chassis. At least the seats comfy!

The interior is still high quality, trimmed with leather and carbon and other nice things. Although the electronics inside are just a wee bit dated. The graphics look like they belong on an ATM for chase bank. Outdated, drab, and too serious for a car this rowdy. The rear seats are also fine, not too cramped. None of us had many complaints back there.

The car makes its way back to the Turn 7 Hotel, before we all leave the car. My friend pops his hood the let it cool, while jokes are being thrown about the whole situation. We soon turned our attention to a certain Subaru STI. A fun night it was…

But back to that car, I mentioned the transmission a bit, and I’ll try to keep this brief. While BMW used a dual clutch on the e90/92 m3, Mercedes opted for something else. A horrendous 7 clutch 7 speed abomination that’s shifts as fast the garbage 5 speed you’ll find in early Merc products, but with the same rough punch in the back that a DCT has. You have to premeditate your shifts so they show up on time. It sucks, and while it doesn’t completely ruin the car, it does a damn good attempt at trying. The ZF 8 speed found in many modern cars did exist at the time, but Mercedes just had to “show off their engineering prowess” I guess.

This car, despite its many flaws, is a metric ton (actually ~1.7 of them) of fun. While stiff, the car handles and responds well, though it really does need the LSD. And as awful as the transmission is, the 6.3L v8 is an equally terrifying joy push. And it should be, sharing parts from the SLS, and having the same designer from the Carrera GT’s v10 help with this v8. AMG made one hell of an engine. And that’s really what you’re after here.

For my friend, while that engine might’ve lived up to the hype, the rest of the car’s flaws did little to help its case. Too rough, no lsd, stupid TC, piss poor for gas mileage (duh), that dumb 7 speed… his list can go on. And as quickly as the car set off, it was traded in. Which is a bit of a shame, since he’s lusted after one since we were in high school. I guess once that first drive home wears off, you’re left to come to terms with what the car actually is.

The fun times were great, but the reality of what you’re left with catches up I guess. Fun car while he had it.