Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series - First Drives/Tests Thread

[Merc1]

Mercedes’ Black Series cars, in the words of AMG boss Ola Kallenius, represent “the sharpest edge of the arrow in the AMG arsenal.” Indeed these limited-production cars do, and I just had the pleasure of lapping the brand-new 2012 C63 Black Series around Mazda Raceway Laguna, one of the best road courses in America and one of 5-time DTM champ Bernd Schneider’s personal favorites.

The experience was a blast, and my two sessions ended far too quickly. Whenever a large-displacement engine—in this case a non-dry sump version of the SLS’ 6.2-liter V-8 with 510 bhp—is installed in a relatively compact car, that’s a recipe for fun. But the C63 Black Series impressed me more with its superb handling, thanks largely to its significantly wider front and rear tracks, plus its specially tuned KW dampers and bushings that have been fine-tuned at the Nurburgring. The anti-roll bars, of note, are the same size as those on the standard C63, but the wheels and tires are much more aggressive; the red car I drove at the Laguna track was fitted with sticky Dunlop Sport Maxx Race MOs, size 255/35ZR-19 in front, 285/30ZR-19 in back, which along with an active cooler for the limited-slip differential comprise the optional AMG Track Package. For comparison, the standard C63 wears 235/40ZR-18 fronts and 255/35ZR-18 rears.

Fitted with the longer front control arms of the C63 and wheels with additional offset, the Black Series has an additional 1.6 in. of front track. In back, knuckles from the E63 help give the C63 Black Series an extra 3.1 in. of track. Wider fenders with blister flares accommodate this far more aggressive stance, and the adjustable rear wing of the optional AMG Aero Package is complemented by dive-plane winglets mounted just ahead of each front wheel. The folks at AMG say the Aero Package is functional, those front winglets helping to balance the effect of the rear wing…a good thing in a car with a limited top speed of 186 mph.

All told, the C63 Black Series has a great look, and its hood is vented to allow engine heat to escape. The hand-assembled 90-degree 6208-cc V-8 is a gem, bursting to life quickly and then settling into a deep, burbly idle. The forged pistons, connecting rods and lightweight crankshaft come from the SLS AMG, all under the management of a new ECU that allows for a higher engine cutoff of 7200 rpm. Peak output is 510 bhp at 6800 rpm, and a healthy 457 lb.-ft. of torque arrives at 5000 rpm. A standard C63, for the record, puts out 451 bhp at 6500 rpm and 443 lb.-ft, of torque at 5000. While that’s quite a gain in power for the Black Series V-8, which has the same compression ratio, heads and camshafts, the folks at AMG say reduced gas pressure within the crankcase plays a significant role.

Although a true manual transmission would be appreciated in the C63 Black Series, the 7-speed Speedshift automatic—which has a wet clutch pack in place of a torque converter—works well. It’s impossible to miss a shift, and it has the benefit of a launch control mode, What’s more, the Sport Plus mode practically feels clairvoyant, upshifting crisply near redline and perfectly blip-downshifting when you’re hard on the brakes and approaching, say, the blind entry for the infamous Corkscrew turn. At that point, you’re glad the C63 Black Series has massive 6-piston front brakes clamping large 15.4-in. iron rotors, aided by 14.2-in rears and a firm pedal that inspires stopping confidence. The car does carry much more speed into corners than you might initially expect, forcing the driver to recalibrate a bit.

On the track, the grip from the Dunlops is excellent, and the Black Series is very benign, although it does like to oversteer a bit. On decel and turn-in, the back end does like to gently come around, but the 50 percent locking factor of the limited-slip differential in deceleration (it’s 60 percent in acceleration) damps that yaw moment and helps make the car very controllable and ready for superb power-on exits.

I ran the car with Sport Handling Mode on, as suggested by the AMG folks. This allows the C63 Black Series to slip and slide quite a bit, especially if you’re smooth with your inputs and approach limits gently. It’s remarkably fun, but provides a safety net if direly needed. Perfect, I say, for a blast down an unfamiliar canyon road. Given an extra session or two in the new Black Series, I would have switched everything off but I suspect the times would not have been any quicker.

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 Black Series, like its predecessors, will be built in very limited numbers, perhaps 1000. Cars go on sale in March, priced above $100,000 but not more than $135,000. It’s a very cool car, faster around the Nordschleife than the BMW M3 GTS, a model we don’t get in the U.S. We will not get the C63 Black Series’ superb single-piece Recaro seats; instead, we will get well-bolstered sport seats with side airbags. The back seat is also optional; by not ordering it, you save 55 lb.

What’s your choice—utility or lap times?



2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series First Drive, Specs, Price - RoadandTrack.com


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[Merc1]

Autocar - Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series Review

The Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series is the successor to a car that a certain German car-maker should feel very proud of indeed. Mercedes’ performance division AMG achieved something very special, four years ago, with the launch of the Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black Series. With one incredible hardcore coupe, it demonstrated that it could successfully cater for the same demanding clientele whose tastes might otherwise be satisfied by machinery as rarified as a Ferrari 430 Scuderia. AMG’s first ever Black Series was the risible SLK55 coupe, don’t forget. So the second Black Series special was something of a quantum leap.

Thereafter, the perception of AMG changed. As a brand it demanded to be taken seriously by anyone with a liking for razor-sharp high-speed thrills and the means to indulge it; had the equity, suddenly, to launch a car as ambitious as the SLS. The CLK63 ‘BS’ became nothing short of a critical smash hit: a car that is still very highly rated and seriously sought-after to this day.

How do you follow that? With the new Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe Black Series, as it happens – a car that occupies the same position in AMG’s product range as the CLK did in 2007, but has – according to its maker – an even sharper dynamic demeanor.


Although it’s built on the same production line as the regular C-class Coupe, this AMG’s specification brims with purpose. Those massively blistered wheelarches hide motorsport-style coil-over suspension with adjustable dampers. The car’s track is 40mm wider at the front than a ‘regular’ C63’s, and 79mm wider at the rear. You get 390mm carbon-ceramic front brake discs as standard, an AMG limited slip differential, and a radiator with 50 per cent more surface area, to meet the demands of punishing track use. Like the CLK, the C63 ‘BS’ has no rear seats.

After all that, the V8 under the bonnet seems a little ordinary - on paper. It’s the same 6.2-litre atmospheric V8 found in the lesser C63, updated with a new ECU and the lightweight pistons, conrods and crankshaft of the SLS supercar. Those internals are all available on an ‘AMG Performance Pack’ version of the standard C63 AMG Coupe, mind you. But with the new ECU, power rises from 480bhp to 510bhp at 6800rpm – torque by a relatively modest 14lb ft, to 457lb ft.

That’s actually less tractive mid-range urge than the CLK Black made, but not the kind of deficit to worry Mercedes. Because with the sticky Dunlop tyres available as part of AMG’s ‘Track Pack’, this car will crack 62mph in less than four seconds.

Mercedes laid on access to Laguna Seca raceway for our test. Appraisal of the C63 BS’s on-road ride and general livability will therefore have to wait. Although with those dampers, adjustable as they are through six different settings for compression and rebound, it may well be that this car could be made even more comfy than a non-Black Series C63..

Stick with the factory settings though and you’ll find this a car of genuinely rare focus – one with the sheer performance to keep up with plenty of quarter-million-pound exotics we could mention, but even deeper reserves of grip, stability and braking power, and wonderful entertainment value.

AMG’s suspension updates have given the C63 BS staggering body control, incisive steering, excellent directional stability and huge lateral grip. Despite weighing 1.7 tonnes, it shrugs off speed with effortless ease under hard braking, and flows from turn-in, through corner apex, to exit with the kind of precision and poise that’s almost unheard of from a relatively portly front-engined V8. A very cleverly tuned ESP ‘handling mode’ helps, allowing a few degrees of balancing rear axle slip, but preventing that wicked V8 from kicking the car into a spin.

In a straight line this C63 lacks the sheer torque to snap your head back like a Porsche 911 Turbo S or a Nissan GTR - but on a circuit, more than makes up for that with its racecar-like stopping power, and with the speed it can carry through a bend. With its apparently over-specified chassis and brakes, in fact, this Mercedes feels more like a Porsche 911 GT3 RS than almost any other road-legal performance car this tester can think of – excepting super-lightweight Caterhams, Lotuses and the like.


If you have the luxury of actually contemplating that question and you’re looking for a seriously fast road car that won’t be out of its depth on a circuit – definitely.

The C63 Black Series doesn’t have the communicative delicacy of some lighter track-intended machines, and its responses aren’t so benign as some once you turn the electronics off. But otherwise, it’s another spellbinding achievement from AMG. A 911 GT3 RS 4.0 would probably still shade it in terms of overall involvement and drive-it-home-afterwards robustness, but this is nonetheless a very worthy replacement for the CLK.

And if you’re contemplating buying a Jaguar XKRS or an Aston Vantage S, just know this: after a handful of corners of any circuit you care to mention, in either British rival, you simply wouldn’t see which way this awesome German went.
Matt Saunders

Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe Black Series

Price: £110,000 (est); Top speed: 186mph (limited); 0-62mph: 4.2sec; Economy: 23.2mpg; Co2: 286g/km; Kerbweight: 1710kg; Engine type, cc: V8, 6208cc, normally aspirated; Installation: Front, longitudinal, rear-wheel drive; Power: 510bhp at 6800rpm; Torque: 457lb ft at 5200rpm; Gearbox: 7-spd semi-automatic

Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series - Road Test First Drive - Autocar.co.uk


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[LaArtist]

Love that color

 

[Tarek]

Serious winner.

 

[Zafiro]

EVO

The C63 AMG Black Series isn’t as sharp as either a 911 GT3 RS or a BMW M3 GTS. What sets it apart is its core character – it’s not a vaguely rationalised DTM car, rather a kind of potty-trained muscle car – and one that will give you more pleasure than any supposed rival at low speed. Pricing details haven't been given in Sterling yet - but translating the Euro price suggests you'll be looking at finding at least £120,000 for one.

More: Driven: Mercedes C63 AMG Black Series review and pictures | evo

 

[Tarek]

Road and track said it's better then the M3 GTS..weird.

 

[Nicks]

That just gives you an idea how much credibility those magazine tests have

 

[Zafiro]

Road and track said it's better then the M3 GTS..weird.

R&T are just pissed that M3 GTS not coming to the states....

 

[martinbo]

Nowhere did one magazine opinion say that the BS is worse or better than the GTS vs another's. Unless now all of a sudden "sharper" automatically means better. Nor, are these tests - they're launch drive first impressions. Sheesh, the over-reaction on this forum of late is borderline ridiculous.

 

[Tarek]

Lol..sorry to get on your nerves your highness.

 

[Centurion]

EVO

The C63 AMG Black Series isn’t as sharp as either a 911 GT3 RS or a BMW M3 GTS. What sets it apart is its core character – it’s not a vaguely rationalised DTM car, rather a kind of ...

So the typical rethoric persist then. Damn good car but the rivals are simply better.

 

[Sunny]

^Can some one define "better" for me?

 

[Soup]

 

[Tarek]

Good read..and gorgeous gorgeous looking car.

 

[Guibo]

So the typical rethoric persist then. Damn good car but the rivals are simply better.

I didn't get that impession. Describing the Black Series as "one that will give you more pleasure than any supposed rival at low speed" could mean it is more fun more of the time and you don't have to chase silly speeds or take it to a track to enjoy the difference. He seemed to genuinely enjoy the BS whereas he was very critical of the M3 GTS (if that's the "supposed rival" he's talking about). Both cars get 4.5 stars, so the BS is right up there.


Here's TopGear's review:

You might think the engine would be the focus in a car with 517bhp. But that's not the case with the new C63 AMG Coupe Black Series. While there is plenty of news under the bonnet, and we'll get to that in a minute, it's this car's brakes and chassis that are the real standout features.

The latest in a short line of Black Series cars, the only previous one worth remembering for the right reasons being the fabulously raucous CLK from four years ago, the C63 Coupe Black Series handles like a well-sorted touring car. It's all about scrubbing off speed at the last moment, maintaining as much momentum as possible and sticking to the tightest line.

It manages to pull off this racer act thanks to a comprehensive list of upgrades over the standard C63 Coupe. Six-way adjustable coil over shocks replace the standard units, there's a limited slip diff as standard, the wheels are lightened versions, and the front and rear track widths have been kicked out substantially.

With the Track package fitted the car also comes with super-sticky Dunlop tyres and a rear axle radiator. And with the Aerodynamic package, you get the full carbon fibre splitter/wing/flics arrangement. Brakes are now some huge carbon efforts which are both hugely powerful and full of feel. Perfect in other words.

Rather than seeing the engine as a hopped-up version of the standard C63 AMG's unit, it's probably easier to view it as the non-turbo version of the CLS AMG's engine. Because that's exactly what it is. That means pretty much all of the internals are new, compared with the cooking C63's motor.

What this means is that the soundtrack to go with the handling is just as emotive and fruity as the CLK's. With no turbos to get in the way of the noise, the Coupe Black Series announces its arrival with a ragged V8 fanfare. You really could bottle and sell the snarling noise it makes.

Inside the cabin, the big news is the new Performance Media pack. This allows you to capture all of the car's dynamic heroics in the central system and then analyze them later. But you don't need it to tell you how much fun you are having. That's clear from every contact point you have with car the moment you get in.

This is not just a good car, but a great one.

Pat Devereux

Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series driven full road test car review - BBC Top Gear - BBC Top Gear

 

[Tarek]

"You really could bottle and sell the snarling noise it makes."..

 

[-=Hot|Ice=-]

Turn Two at Laguna Seca is one of racing's more interesting creations. Get it wrong here and the rest of your lap will get really grumpy really fast. The AMG-Mercedes people thankfully gave us around 20 hot laps in their new C63 AMG Coupe Black Series over the course of the day – enough that we were able to get into a groove for the final 16 sorties or so. GT cars of about this size, setup and power tend to take to Laguna Seca like yuppies to mesquite.

And so we cooked all day in a fully accoutered C63 Black Series. The fixins' on our coupe went well beyond the standard model's race-car-for-the-road spec: Track Package, Aerodynamics Package, AMG Performance Media suite, Exterior Carbon Fiber Package, 19-inch matte black forged light alloy wheels and a fire extinguisher. We'd have preferred if some of these options actually came as standard equipment, but last we checked, we don't own and run Daimler. Not yet anyway.

Goosing the well-weighted throttle pedal to the floor at the right moment in second gear out of Laguna Seca's insidious Turn Eleven left-hander, the C63 Black Series filled all of Monterey County with its divine quad-barrel noise. The sound was almost enough to make that difficult corner worth tolerating.


There are a few marquee straights in the racing world, and Laguna Seca has one of the very best. The C63 Black Series' 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 is an already legendary mill, and in this guise, it's damned close to perfection. All along the slight left-bending straight with its blind crest (just prior to dive-bombing into Turn Two on hammered brake discs), this large-of-lung naturally aspirated V8 belted out its soundtrack like opera. Its 510 horsepower peaking at 6,800 rpm and 457 pound-feet of torque maxing out at 5,200 rpm felt uncommonly flexible and at the ready. At a curb weight of 3,770 pounds, The Black Series isn't a featherweight, but it feels solid and mostly better for it.

The requisite superficial bonehead percentage of buyers for this type of car should be kept to a minimum.

But is this Black Series (or any AMG, or Audi RS, or BMW M, or Cadillac V...) simply a poseurmobile, a trophy wife for well-heeled men gathering dust? Barring the ten hours needed to debate this, just ask: Does the C63 Black Series really nail things dynamically to the point where its red meat attitude scares away the wannabes?

Our heaping dose of the Black – fully optioned, mind you – convinced us that this coupe has been done right. The requisite superficial bonehead percentage of buyers for this type of car should be kept to a minimum. We hope this is borne out, because this is a terrifically balanced car that ticks all the right boxes in the way it handles at the hairy limits on a great track. Like a Mitsubishi Evolution in its class, or a Porsche Cayman R in its habitat, this six-figure Merc deserves the best, most capable owners possible.



After learning the braking point down into the first left hairpin from 120 miles per hour, then understanding the most effective turn-in point, the C63 Black Series revealed itself through the curves that followed as an honestly race-inspired proposition. Each front 19-inch wheel weighs about 5.5 pounds less than a standard AMG wheel, while each of the rear wheels peels off around 6.5 pounds apiece. The AMG-specific speed sensitive steering ratio of 13.5:1 with a lock-to-lock of 2.2 turns has been made even more direct on the Black through an extra 1.6 inches of front track width, with the rear track swelling by 3.1 inches. Top it all off with the sturdier coil-over adjustable KW damper set that lowers the car around six-tenths of an inch, clamp on 15.4-inch Brembo carbon composite brake discs up front, and it's plain to see that this AMG was designed to be a crisply responsive piece that belies its size.

Throughout our time on this California playground, steering tracked faithfully to any line we aimed for, throttle response was immediate but not nasty, and we abused the brakes all day without any sign of excessive fade. We kept the rotary dial for the AMG Speedshift MCT seven-speed gearbox (Controlled Efficiency, Sport, Sport+, Manual and Race start) in Manual all day, the three-mode ESP in its Sport calibration, and the optional AMG button (for all the interfaces of the Performance Media suite) lit red. Improving our day-long track experience was the available Track Package that endowed our car with Dunlop Sport Maxx Race tires – 255/35 R19 front, 285/30 R19 rear – and a much needed small additional radiator mounted in the diffuser to cool the hard-working rear differential. The latter, in case you were wondering, is a mechanical unit with 60 percent locking action in acceleration and 50 percent during deceleration. Standard tire size, by the by, is 255/35 R19 all around.



Thus tricked out, the Black Series comes very close to race spec, the diff's locking action out back having required some fine tuning of the suspension in order to neutralize occasional understeer. Camber on the front and rear wheels has been increased to help out in the dynamic fight as well. As prepped and set up to our dynamic liking, the C63 Black Series let its tail slip out just right to meet the correct line as we dialed in the power in second or third gear out of each turn.

Only under the hardest of braking did we ever truly notice the car's weight, the nose lowering just a tick too much. Maybe 250 fewer pounds and a lower setting for the dampers would do the trick. Aside from this, we were really pleased with the speed the Black allowed us to carry throughout this challenging 11-turn circuit. Plummeting through the Corkscrew in particular was more fun than any amusement park ride – there was no uncertainty whatsoever as the amped C63 dropped and sailed through without us needing to consult the brakes.



A more significant problem resides in this Benz's seven-speed gearbox and its paddle shifts in Manual mode. The software as programmed for our track time was entirely too slow and overprotective, with doable downshifts electronically disallowed because of a seemingly irrational fear of over-revving, and upshifts frequently took too long to be effected. This is a Black Series with the Track Package and various other bells and whistles... we want our shifts and we want them now. Director of all engine and powertrain development at AMG, Friedrich Eichler, completely agreed with us and others who shared this frustration. He and other AMG bosses pledged that a solution would be in place by the time European deliveries begin in January. After all, this iteration of the M156 V8 has forged pistons, connecting rods and a crankshaft taken straight from the SLS AMG gullwing, so the stress tolerances of this engine should be more than up to the task. Affalterbach and Stuttgart needn't worry so much.

In the main, there were red and white C63 Black Series on hand for our track day. We shot our track video in a red car, but we just had to beg the AMG folks to hand us this bespoke "SolarBeam" orange example for photographic purposes. This brave color just looked the business thanks to its low-hung chassis, Aerodynamics Package with carbon fiber aero canards on the lower front corners and 50-inch wide, four-degree adjustable rear wing on seven-inch tall stanchions. The blackened forged light alloys came off looking hot, too. All this heat naturally comes at a price calculated in fuel use: a full 21.1-gallon tank can theoretically last 406 miles. We burned through half a tank in our twenty flying laps, or around 45 miles. But who's counting?



On the inside, the two seats are manually adjusted carbon composite buckets. The rear chairs have been ripped from the cabin without mercy, not unlike the old CLK 63 AMG Black Series. This is the main difference that accounts for the Black's slightly lower curb weight versus the standard C63 AMG Coupe. You'll notice the satin finish pedal set with grippy dots, the AMG three-spoke multi-function steering wheel and universally sporty carbon veneers. Throughout our day, the seats offered just the right amount of support whenever the lateral g-forces built up. Visibility to the outside world is reassuringly vast, so we didn't have to stretch our necks out of joint to determine where to place the inside wheel when cornering, and a decent view out back assured we could see our fellow hot foots storming along behind and calmly keep them at a safe distance.

Fun and games ensue with the optional AMG Performance Media system that's programmed through the onboard COMAND display borrowed from the SLS AMG. Its various functions work impeccably, to the point that it's almost a little too tempting to glance over at the readout while you're hammering along. The informative details this system provides is likely one of the best driving school tools possible short of having a pro sitting shotgun (the g-force matrix and circuit lap time functions being our favorite), but it's important to keep one's eyes on the tarmac ahead.



Roughly two-thirds of the way through our healthy lap allotment, we tore off a lap with the three-stage ESP overlord completely off. Man, oh, man, can there ever be little forgiveness if you get the line a little wrong through a tough corner. While the C63 Black Series is really well tempered and most miscues can be reeled by simply lifting off the gas a little, we'll need more time to figure the absolute right line at speed to fully trust ourselves when all of the AMG's nannies are sent home. Besides, the Sport ESP thresholds on the Black are pretty liberal – enough so that we never felt the systems clamping down rudely and unnecessarily on our enthusiasm.

Lamentably, we didn't have the opportunity to try out the Black Series on the street (we'll have to save that adventure for another day), and we didn't have the chance to try the car's Race Start function, but AMG estimates 4.0 seconds flat for the run to 60 mph, and top speed is pegged at a respectable 186 mph.



According to officials, there are no other C-Class Black Series models planned, and the coupe will be delivered only between January and May of 2012 with no set total production number announced. Pricing has not been disclosed yet, either, though we'd put the base price at around $125,000 and we don't expect any C63 AMG Black Series to leave a Benz dealer for less than $135,000. With fewer than 100 examples destined for the U.S., we wouldn't be surprised if there's some price gouging, at least initially. Provided Eichler and Company live up to their pledge to whip the transmission's electronics into shape – and even if buyers have to pay a bit more than sticker – we figure it'll be worth it for what amounts to a righteous, tire-smoking sendoff to one of the best V8s the world has ever known.

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series [w/video]

 

[-=Hot|Ice=-]

Mention Laguna Seca Raceway and the conversation invariably zeroes in on the famous Corkscrew, also known as Turns 8 and 8A. Problem is, there's more to this 2.2-mile circuit than one signature corner.

Right now, the Corkscrew is eight turns ahead, as our hot lap in the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series has only just begun. It thunders up the front straightaway toward the start-finish line with 510 horsepower beating under its ventilated hood. It's the single most powerful C-Class ever made, including the 2008 CLK63 AMG Black Series, the former F1 pace car. This is a high-performance coupe of the highest order and we have one of the best racetracks in the world to see how it performs.

What Makes It a Black Series Anyway?
The C63 AMG Black Series engine builds on the same 6.2-liter 90-degree V8 that has powered every garden-variety C63 AMG sedan and coupe since 2008. In its standard state of tune it develops 451 hp and some seriously intoxicating noises.


From there, the path to 510 horses and 457 pound-feet of torque involves a stop at the SLS AMG parts bin, where forged pistons, forged rods and a lighter forged crank amount to a 9-pound loss of reciprocating engine mass. There's also a unique engine ECU map that's generally more aggressive on the way to this engine's redline of 7,200. The standard C63 engine only spins up to 6,800 rpm.

Additionally, the Black Series engine block omits the base C63's internal sump vents between adjacent crankshaft bearings. This transforms the bottom end into a series of isolated V2 compartments meant to capture the pressure buildup beneath each plummeting piston to help push it up again for additional torque. The trade-off is a lumpier idle, but we're OK with that.

AMG predicts a 0-62-mph time of 4.2 seconds for the Black Series, which is about 0.2 second better than the standard C63 coupe. But we recently timed a C63 AMG coupe to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, so we're expecting more like a 4.0-second sprint to 60 mph. The Black Series also enjoys a 186-mph top speed compared to the 155-mph limiter on the standard C63.

Putting the Black to the Test
But this is no drag racer. The 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black is a circuit-ready car built to deliver the goods lap after flying lap — a good thing to know as we flash under the starter's stand at full whack, flicking the upshift paddle connected to the familiar seven-speed MCT transmission.

Turn 1 is a slight kink shielded from view by a looming crest, an annoying combination that unweights the car on approach to the braking area for the real first turn, otherwise known as Turn 2 or the Andretti hairpin. Braking must wait until the car settles into a straight path on the other side; wait too long and it's hello, gravel trap.

This is the most track-ready C-Class ever made.

Six-piston front calipers and four-piston rears do the work. But here they bite into two-piece 15.4-inch ventilated, slotted and cross-drilled front rotors and similarly holey 14.2-inch one-piece rear rotors. Both are 1.2 inches bigger than those on a regular C63 AMG. In heavy track use they're damn impressive without the need for superhuman pedal pressure.

Wider high-performance tires deserve partial credit. Compared to a standard C63, the 255/35R19 Black Series fronts and 285/30R19 rears are 20mm and 30mm wider, respectively. Our test car goes a step further with its optional AMG Track package, which upgrades said rubber to R-compound Dunlop Sport Maxx Race MO units of the same size.

Turn In, Turn On
The sticky tires continue to bite hard as we slow enough to dial in some lock, and when we do there isn't a whiff of understeer. A change in front wheel offset spreads those fatter contact patches 1.6 inches farther apart, and covering the tires takes 1.1 inches more fender flare per side than a C63 AMG coupe, a car that already sports a front track that's 1.4 inches wider than the C350 coupe.

The tire/pavement interface is regulated by an adjustable coil-over suspension comprised of threaded-body KW dampers with separate manual "clickers" for rebound and compression. We'd have to jack the car and possibly remove tires to make such tweaks, but Tobias Moers, AMG's head of vehicle development, is pretty confident in the factory setting. We cannot argue with him.


With the corner exit coming into view it's time to lay into the throttle. We go easy at first, but the rear end hooks up securely through the standard carbon-plate limited-slip differential. And like the front, the massive rear tires have an easier time of it because the rear track is fully 3.1 inches wider compared to the C63 AMG through the combined-use wheel offset and E-Class rear suspension knuckles. Boxy DTM-style fender flares measuring 1.7 inches per side contain the mayhem but not the tire smoke.

Through the next series of infield corners we drive deeper into braking zones and boot the throttle sooner on exits. Each time the fortified coupe goes where we point it, never pushing, never feeling as if the rear end will snap around. This is a very neutrally balanced car.

And even though we're skimming every curb, the Black Series remains unperturbed, never skittish. It makes us think that this has a fighting chance of riding tolerably on the open road, a hypothesis we are sadly unable to test on this day.

The Corkscrew and Beyond
Turn 6 may be the most important because this fast bend leads onto the long uphill straightaway that dumps into the Corkscrew. Get it right and you'll be in a good position to divebomb your rival at the top. Get it wrong and you could end up backward in the tire wall before the climb starts.


A faint brush of brakes helps set the car before we go back to throttle, turn in and swallow the apex curbing whole. The Black Series does this with easy precision at a high rate of knots, yet there's still more speed in the car at this point than we're willing to exploit in deference to our lack of roll cage and fire suit.

We charge up the hill toward the largely theoretical Turn 7, another mere kink intended to make the Corkscrew braking zone more of a challenge. The Black Series brakes modulate here with clairvoyant ease, after which the Corkscrew itself is a quick left-right flick with a cliff in between. It's not as daunting as it looks from outside, but the drop-off renders the second apex invisible.

"Aim for the tree," they say. Trouble is, there are several.

Next is the deceptively difficult Rainey curve, where good grip and patience with the throttle are key. The Black Series has plenty of the former, yet enough motor to italicize and underline the need for the latter. Another fast-banked right-hander shoots us into the braking zone for turn 11, the final tight bend that aims us toward the flag and invites us to stand on the gas and do it all over again.

The Pits
It's not necessarily over when we wheel the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series into the pits, as it comes with a new feature dubbed AMG Performance Media. It partners with the standard navigation and COMAND system to map race circuits and record driver performance. Files extracted via USB stick can be analyzed on companion PC software. Cool stuff, but unfortunately it's absent from the U.S. options list.


We're also mixed on the MCT seven-speed automatic transmission. Sure it's got four shift modes and launch control, but on the track the S+ automatic mode downshifts sooner into corners than Manual mode, which often ignores requests. It's a great transmission in most respects, but it is an automatic at heart.

Certain lightweight goods that are Black Series staples aren't for U.S. sale, such as the grippy one-piece lightweight race-inspired bucket seats. Instead we'll get the same multiway power sport seats found in any other C63 AMG. The rear-seat delete that's standard in Europe will be an option here, an option we figure no dealer will order. And our alleged love affair with the sunroof means every U.S. C63 AMG Black Series coupe will carry the weight of one.

A 6-Figure C-Class?
Not that any of this will dampen sales because fewer than 100 of the total worldwide run of 500-600 C63 AMG Black Series coupes are destined for these shores. Pricing won't be released until mid-December, after which cars will begin hitting showrooms in the first quarter of 2012. At that miniscule volume we figure they'll sell every one of them in short order, even if they go for the $98,500 starting price we're expecting.

If the 2008 CLK 63 AMG Black Series is any judge, it'll be worth it from a retained value perspective down the road. But screw resale value. The case for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series rests solely on its performance. This is the most track-ready C-Class ever made. It devoured the Corkscrew and the rest of Laguna Seca and will likely do the same to any of your favorite back roads.

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series

 

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Motor Trend has hopped on the reviews boat!

"It handles like a 500-horsepower Miata." Not only did I say this out loud a few times, but several of my colleagues uttered the same thing after lapping Laguna Seca. And if they didn't say it, they agreed with the sentiment. Of course we're all completely wrong. The 2013 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series handles like a 510-horsepower Mazda Miata. And despite what Mercedes might say about the subject, around these parts that's among the highest praise we got.
Like its predecessor -- the much-loved CLK63 AMG Black Series -- this new guy (which we'll just call Black Coupe for brevity's sake) is a hopped-up, raced-out version of a "lesser" AMG product. In this case, we're talking about a car we're already smitten with, the C63 AMG. And by smitten I mean I know four people on staff (not counting myself) who have expressed some form of "I'd own one." But why on earth would you leave well enough alone? That's not how AMG's Black Division sees the world. So, they modded the C63.


One of the major differences between the normal C63 and Black Coupe is more power, always a good thing. In this case, you get 510 horsepower (up from 451 in the regular flavor C63, and 481 with the P31 Development Package option). The torque flow also increases, from 443 to 457 lb-ft. Like the P31 pack, this version of Benz's awesome (and sadly soon leaving, because of its high emissions) M156 6.2-liter V-8 uses high dollar internals from the range-topping SLS AMG. Expect the Black Coupe to hit 60 mph in a little less 4 seconds and go low 12s in the quarter.

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Other performance-minded standard pieces include adjustable coil-over shocks and composite brakes. AMG widened the car quite a bit, actually swapping in the rear half shafts from the E63 AMG. Somewhat curiously, if not silently, Mercedes opted to use the same basic axles for its C-, E-, and S-Class cars. This always struck me as overkill, because the C-Class would pay a weight penalty. However, it allows Mercedes to easily swap high-dollar components, like we see here on the Black Coupe. Anyhow, more power, better suspension, and a wider stance comprise the basic differences.
There remain many additional options. For instance, for zero dollars you could re-add the rear seat. Please don't, because you don't need another 70 pounds. The other options cost money. The AMG Track Package offers sticky, 80-treadware, R-compound tires as well as a transmission cooler. So you're aware, the Black Coupes we pushed around Laguna Seca were eating tires at an alarming rate. Every time I turned around, one of the four cars was heading off to a lift for new rubber. Sure, we were on a racetrack, but these tires were barely making it 20 laps. That's nearly two tons of weight for you. Luckily, they are optional.


Sticking with the options, there's also the aerodynamics package that features a splitter; flics (those little winglets on the sides of the nose); and an adjustable, trunk-mounted big wing -- all made from carbon fiber. AMG assured us that not only are they all functional, but you can't remove the wing and keep the other pieces because the airflow from the flics will upset the car without the downforce. If you go Black (Series), we'd recommend getting all the pieces. Because why on earth not? Also, the car looks mean dressed in full race gear, especially in that new creamy golden yellow.
I'd be remiss in my duties if I didn't mention the clunkily named AMG Performance Media Suite. Huh? Well, without getting too geeky, it's essentially a GPS-enabled lap timer. Using all them satellites orbiting overhead, the car realizes, "Hey! We're on a racetrack!" and shows a little digital map on the screen. It then times you as you race around said track, displaying not only your best lap, but also your best lap sections. But that's not all -- you can then download your laps onto a USB stick and upload them onto a computer or even onto your friend's Black Coupe. How cool is that?
How much cabbage are you going to need to cough up in order to own an example of the third AMG Black Series model? Probably less than the $134,000 price tag for the original CLK Black. At one point we heard under $100,000, but the actual number is probably closer to $125,000. Get your deposit in now: AMG is bringing only 90 examples to the U.S., meaning that this very special car will be that much more precious. And be on the lookout for dealers charging huge premiums.

Back to the Miata comparo. The Black Coupe is one of the most neutral-handling cars I've ever driven. Both are purpose-built sports cars. Turn-in on the Black Coupe is phenomenal, instant and direct, and the kind of heavily weighted but accurate steering you want, especially on the track. The 2.2 turns to lock don't hurt its case. The engine's power gets to the wheels via the seven-speed AMG wet-clutch transmission and hits the ground running, as grip is excellent. Also, the engine is very easy to modulate.

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Long story short, the Black Coupe does exactly what the driver asks of it. The harder you work, the harder it works. When you get right down to it, that's really quite a Miata-like way to behave. Ask for oversteer and you get it. Overcook her into a corner and you get understeer. Mostly, you're hit by the feeling that the car is listening for your inputs, reacting specifically to what you're doing, not what it's been programmed to interpret. In my case, I'm struck again at how much racetrack schooling I need. Still, I know enough to know how good the C63 AMG Coupe Black Series is. It's for real.
Curiously, or perhaps tellingly, Mercedes did not let us experience its newest plaything anywhere but on the smooth surfaces of Laguna Seca. An odd, almost over-privileged complaint, I know. But still, you'd have to be even wealthier than most Black Series owners to only drive this car on the track. Meaning that most potential owners rightly want to know how the car feels and behaves on actual roads with less than perfect pavement. You're going to have to wait a couple months to find that out from us. Luckily, two press cars are on their way over from Germany come January, and we've already put in a request. Now the really sad part: We must wait until June before we can take the Black Coupe back to Laguna Seca for Best Driver's Car. As I said to a Mercedes employee when she asked if this car has a chance at the 2012 title, "Oh, yes."

Read more: 2013 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe Black Series First Drive - Motor Trend

 

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