Mercedes-AMG C 63 S might not be great to look at, but it's a thrill to drive
[SOUND]
When the Mercedes AMG C63S first appeared with a new smaller turbo charged V8 instead of the mighty 6.2 liter naturally aspirated engine, I was a fan.
The car had amazing performance.
A great ride, and sounded Despite the forced induction, pretty damn awesome.
After that the fact when I was a boy convertible cars seemed to be pretty much the coolest thing on the planet.
And the combination of those two should be right up my street.
This is the Mercedes AMG C63 S Cabriolet and on paper I should really love this thing.
Let's find out if I do.
[MUSIC]
This latest C-63S has a four liter biturbo V8 with 510 horsepower and 484 pounds of torque.
It has an A and G speed shift MCG seven speed automatic gear box and the power was more than enough to have some serious [UNKNOWN] outs on the winding country roads that we have this thing out on.
And the sound actually sounds a little bit better by having your head out in the open.
You can hear that Throw the exhaust, go for it.
And that's the thing with convertibles, they're meant to add just that extra bit of drama to driving, and my god do we need this these days.
Modern cars are brilliant but they're so samey, safe and predictable.
Anything that can add that extra sense of drama and excitement, a healthy exhaust note.
A little bit of slip through the corners and the win rushing Rushing through your hair are just those extra things you need to make your daily commute just seem that little bit more exciting.
The gear box could have been a touch sharper, but the throttle felt sufficiently responsive in the sport modes and steering was Is accurate enough to handle switch backs without too much hassle.
But, for me, a convertible lives and dies by its looks.
More than with any other car, this is one to be seen in, and unless it has the looks to match the performance, it will fall down quickly.
The sculpted bonnet and angular front end, just like on its coupe brother, carve a handsome figure but beyond the A pillar, the high waistline of the car and the large rear overhang make the car feel disproportioned and barge esque With the top up the proportions don't improve and with a contrasting soft top it only emphasizes the displeasing shape.
It's not necessarily the car's fault.
To create a great roofless car you need to start from the ground up.
Simply lobbing the roof off a coupe just doesn't cut it any more.
And this car is no more guilty of it than any other convertible on the market.
Right now.
It's just something that we as customers with our demands for better safety and more comfort have put on them.
But from the driver's position, you can't really see the exterior.
But you still get to enjoy all the benefits of your head being out in the clouds, the wind rushing through your hair, and the exhaust note that much clearer in your ear.
So it's not all bad use.
So you take the performance, you take the stunning Mercedes interior which is still in my opinion class leading and you add the ability to drop the top when the conditions are right.
You've got yourself a nice package Package.
Deduct from that the bad looks, you still got a great car.
Would I choose it over the coupe?
For those small moments where everything comes together perfectly, it would be totally worth it, but in reality living in Britain it's just not the case.
But for now, out here in Northern Italy Let's just pretend it is.
So, it's no surprise then that a Mercedes-AMG is fun to drive.
All the power of Affalterbach, with tha great Mercedes interior, but, modern convertibles just don't look so great.
Although this does cut a handsome figure for a modern drop top, it still leaves me wanting But, from the driver's seat, with the top down, on a great road, while the sun is out, you can almost forgive it for that.
Almost.
[MUSIC]
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