04 Oct 07
AMG has reworked Mercedes' 7G-Tronic transmission, an automatic with sequential-shift manual override, steering wheel-mounted paddleshifts and three selectable modes - sport, comfort and, quickest of all, manual - plus a built-in throttle-blipping downshift, which first appeared in the C63 AMG Black Series .
Add to this lowered, stiffened sports suspension with a wider track at both front and rear, modified power steering with a quicker ratio, uprated brakes, and specifically calibrated ESP stability control with three settings (including 'off'), and the result is a car which has been comprehensively overhauled and upgraded.
To signal the changes there's an AMG alloy wheels (18" as standard, with 19" rims available), and the C63 gets its own bodykit, grille, side vents and bonnet bulges. Inside there are one-piece sports seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and unique instruments.
All this will tot up to well over £50,000 when the saloon goes on sale in right-hand-drive form next spring (estate models will follow in the summer), and if you are prepared to spend more you can opt for a rear axle-locking differential, even sportier suspension, composite brake discs and carbon fibre trim. It'll work out a bit more expensive than the M3, but its engine is over two litres larger, after all...
