Before I had a turn in the 2020 Mercedes-AMG C63 S, I had read a bit about how its biturbo 4.0-liter M177 V8 lacked the soul of its predecessor, the naturally aspirated 6.2-liter M156 V8. Sure, it doesn’t have that good ol’ fashioned NA V8 idle, roar, and power curve, but that statement is complete hogwash. The M177 is truly a gift to enthusiasts, and it made for a hell of an afternoon.
- Car: 2020 W205 Mercedes-AMG C63 S
- Location: Southern California
- Photog: Peter Nelson (Instagram)
- Camera: Canon 6D, 35-70mm EF 4.0 Zoom
Stats like 503 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque are nothing to sneeze at, especially exiting an engine that revs up to its 7,000 RPM redline quicker than you can pronounce “Affalterbach” (where the engine is assembled in Germany). Its power curve is fairly linear, and when sent solely to the rear wheels, this amount of power can make the big C63 S a bit of a handful in all the best ways. The twin-turbo aluminum lump sounds so good to boot. When I first drove this stupendous German sleeper two Summers ago, it was so incredibly fun to muscle around on my favorite roads.
I snapped this photo during the occasion. Not only is this my favorite angle of the C63 S, but also, just look at those big exhaust tailpipes.
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