Style: September 30, 2017

66 STYLE | motoring
TURBOCHARGED
& TOPLESS
Mercedes-Benz’s C63S
Cabriolet makes a statement
through sight and sound.
Ross Kiddie drives the
AMG-inspired model.
I
’m a big motorsport fan, following Formula 1
in particular. Even though Ferrari as a team is
giving Mercedes-Benz a run for its money this
season, the latter has been undeniably dominant
in recent years. Ultimately, that success trickles
down to sales from the showroom floor,
something that is certainly evident here in
New Zealand. Mercedes-Benz is dominating
the luxury car market, and I don’t see that
changing any time soon, simply because the
raft of models and variants within each model
range means there is a vehicle for all tastes and
budgets.
There’s also a large proliferation of sporty
models, and the performance arm of Mercedes-
Benz – AMG – has kept up the pace, with
high-output models sitting in tandem within
the line-up. I’m not sure how much inspiration
AMG takes from the Formula 1 cars, but you
can rest assured that some technology from the
sport flows down to street vehicles.
The latest AMG model to come my way
was the C63S Cabriolet, which features a
twin-turbocharged 4-litre V8 engine, delivering
monster power outputs of 375kW and 700Nm
of torque.
Even though these figures are highly
impressive, the Cabriolet can easily be driven
sedately, and is at home at city speeds in
much the same way as its four and six-cylinder
counterparts. There are driver-selectable
engine management protocols which can
accommodate many varying requirements. I
even preferred the standard mode which, like
all big V8 engines, means a relaxed, unstressed
operating manner.
However, when sport mode is selected, there
is a constant, solid, surge of power which seems
endless in its delivery. Acceleration is vivid;
with a standstill to 100km/h time of 4.2sec,
along with a 3.2sec overtaking time (80km/h to
120km/h).
What I enjoyed most about the C63S’
performance is the sound that accompanies
its delivery. It is loud and roaring, and there’s
even a button which enhances the noise, while
the backfire on gearshift and throttle blip on
downshift is infectious to listen to.
On that subject, drive is channelled to the
rear wheels through seven-speed automatic
transmission. It is a direct shift-type, and the
way it manages to harness so much power and
torque while arranging the gears so smoothly
amazes me. There are steering-wheel-mounted
paddles for the enthusiastic driver, as well as
management protocols which quickly identify
throttle percentage.
The C63S Cabriolet sits on huge rubber
wheels which are an inch smaller in diameter
up front than those on the rear. The sport
specification Michelin Pilot tyres (255/35 x
19in and 285/30 x 20in) have huge grip, yet
are constantly tested when the power goes
on. Thankfully, the traction control system
is as good as any I’ve experienced before –
the freedom in the system allows the driver
to experience the feeling of grip-loss at the
rear under hard acceleration, but the squirm
and oversteer is moderated without sudden
intervention.
One of the benefits of quality tyres is the feel
through the steering – the C63S Cabriolet has
accurate turn-in along with strong feel, meaning
you can point and clip apexes delightfully. The
C-Class in this form is so competent it makes
driving easy, while the informative suspension
creates an involving driving experience. It is also
rigid within the body structure.