The Mercedes-AMG C63 S and CLA45 are built to go fast and cause their drivers to get up to no good.
FORGET about the fact that these two saloons have a combined power output of 870bhp and that each one demolishes the century sprint in less than five seconds. Forget about the technical wizardry that has gone into both of these machines as well. Engineering-wise, they are fantastic. But what Mercedes doesn’t tell you is that they’re also naughty by nature. One look at the Mercedes- AMG C63 S will tell you that it is no ordinary junior executive. Lurking behind its 19-inch wheels are huge ventilated and perforated brake discs. There are “V8 Biturbo” badges on both front fenders and quad-exhaust pipes at the rear. Settle into the driver’s seat and you’re faced with an Alcantaracovered steering wheel and surrounded by leather upholstery with red contrast stitching.
The front sports seats, by the way, off er excellent lumbar and lateral support, which will be much needed given this car’s potential. The fiery performance of the C63 S comes from its handassembled, twin-turbocharged 4-litre V8. Enthusiasts who owned or drove the previous C63 might bemoan the smaller engine (the older model has a massive 6.2-litre V8) and the turbocharging, but there’ll be few complaints once this 4-litre powerplant is fired up. Said V8 awakens with an almighty roar that’s sure to send chills up and down your spine. Stab the accelerator and the engine growls with evil intent, reminding the driver of the 510bhp and mighty 700Nm beneath his right foot.
Using AMG’s Dynamic Select function, the driver can determine whether the C63 S behaves like a gentleman or a hooligan. In the default Comfort setting, the saloon is quieter and its power delivery is gentle. But when Sport or Sport+ is selected, this automobile sheds its snazzy blazer and dons a worn leather jacket. In Sport+, the car sounds intimidating and the ride becomes more unyielding. The power delivery is ferocious – mash the accelerator and you’ll hit 100km/h in four seconds. Dynamic Select even off ers Race mode, which makes the car feel even hairier than expected. In the C63 S, gentle throttle inputs no longer matter – you’ll delight in braking late and getting on the power early, so you can revel in the raucous soundtrack while engaging in tyre-smoking tail-out antics. If you like your sport saloons loud, then the CLA45 will titillate your eardrums, too. Its hand-assembled, turbocharged 2-litre inline-4 is essentially the C63’s V8 “chopped” in half, but this powerplant kicks out 360bhp and 450Nm, which is more than half of its sibling’s output. But while the C63 S can be heard growling throughout the rev range, the CLA45 prefers grunting at low revs and punctuating upshifts made at high revs (past 4000rpm) with a thunderous crack. In my experience, this boisterous (and somewhat crass) sound is actually loud enough to trigger car alarms.
The CLA45 is also adept at triggering heart palpitations, especially since it can demolish the century dash in 4.6 seconds. The car’s 7-speed dual-clutch is also quicker than the 7-speed automatic in the C63 S. And the CLA45 is potentially less of a handful when driven in a ham-fisted manner, thanks to its all-wheel-drive system. Now, this doesn’t mean that the CLA45 is less exciting to drive. On the contrary, its lower output lets you rev the motor higher as you attempt to time your upshifts correctly, as the thunderous “punctuations” are quite addictive. Like its bigger brother, this car enjoys being flogged, and responds heartily to an enthusiastic driving style. And thanks to its all-wheel-drive system, you can push a bit harder without worrying about oversteer. The C63 S and CLA45 are grin-inducing machines capable of raising the hairs on the back of your neck. More importantly, the emotions they’re capable of arousing will turn well-behaved drivers into bona-fide mischief makers.
