It’s very hard to build a high-performance convertible without receiving any criticism. On one side are the enthusiasts who claim a convertible loses structural rigidity to the coupe and on the other you have people who claim a convertible isn’t as pure as the coupe. Then, there are the people who dismiss those two things because they just want the open-top experience a convertible can offer. It’s especially difficult to please all sides if the car in question is one of the most iconic performance coupes ever.
The new AMG C63 convertible tries to do just that, offer all of the thrills of open-top motoring with the same performance. For starters, it’s based on the new C63 Coupe which you’ll agree, is a good thing. We’ll get to the details in a minute but first, consider this. If you’re in the market for a small performance convertible with rear-wheel drive, or even all-wheel drive, what choice do you really have? The much bigger SL and 6-series are way too expensive, and there are next to no convertible versions of the other German manufacturers. This leaves the C63 Cabriolet kind of in its own league.
Design
The exterior is distinctively Mercedes. To be more specific, it’s instantly recognizable as a C-class for anyone familiar with the Mercedes brand. The fascia may be similar across the entire Mercedes range at the moment, but with the inclusion of few small distinguishing features with it and you get an unmistakable C-shaped silhouette.
The roof is obviously gone, but interestingly enough it’s still reminiscent of the C-class AMG Coupe. It’s based on the current C-class model, the C-class convertible specifically, but you’ll immediately notice the differences between this one and basic convertibles by the AMG badges scattered around the car, the massively flared arches, and the quad exhaust pipes. As far as styling goes, this is a great one.
It borrows the design features from the AMG Coupe minus the roof clearly. The front of the car features the same headlights as the Coupe and the same bigger grille, specific for the AMG model. The LED light strip in the headlights is a nice touch, but we’re used to seeing it on other models from the range as well.
Moving to the side we encounter the same two lines, providing the side profile with concaved and convex surfaces as found even on the basic C-class. The rear is a lot more aggressive than the standard car, especially with the largely widened wheel arches but also thanks to the track width and larger tires. The Convertible is as wide as the Coupe, which is to say 2.5 inches wider at the front and 2.6 at the rear compared to the base model. This allowed the fitment of the bigger tires. The taillights are obviously a carryover as are the tailpipes.
Interior of new AMG C63
The interior is luxurious and sporty both at the same time. Long gone are the days when Mercedes was only known for its luxury and use of wood in their cabin. The C-class is a breath of fresh air, and we’re comparing it to the competition when we say that. It manages to retain the same level of luxury but adds a few sporty elements without losing its core value as a Mercedes.
It isn’t a surprise that the cabin feels really expensive. That’s because it actually is. The materials are of the finest variety, and fit and finish are absolutely superb. It looks and feels like it’s meant to last. There are no hard or rough surfaces to the touch anywhere in the cabin. We tried our hardest to find them, but we couldn’t.
The standard seats are wrapped in Dinamica handcrafted leather and are off of this world. The material itself is nice, but the feel it gives you is the best we’ve experience in this segment. You really get the feeling that you’re sitting in the seats and working with the car, rather than on top of them and just steering it vaguely in some direction.
The dashboard is gorgeous and so is the steering wheel. It’s probably the best thing in the entire cabin, which is good since it’s the single-handedly most used component by the driver. You get all of the infotainment options on the big display on top of the dash which gives the impression of an iPad just bolted in. Whether you like it or not, it’s very intuitive and functional.
That very same dash makes it very easy to switch between modes of operation, ranging from the softest comfort to AMG Sport Plus. All vary by the degree of sharpness and accuracy in the steering wheel, gas pedal response and shift times.
2017 Mercedes AMG C63 Cabriolet Engine and Transmission
The engine is the same one as found in the AMG GT model. It’s a 4.0-liter V8 featuring Merc’s hot-V technology. It’s called a hot-V because both of the turbochargers have been mounted inboard, inside the cylinder banks for the faster response but also less emissions. Performance is blistering. The engine develops 469 hp ad 479 lb-ft in standard guise and 503 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque in S form. The 0 to 60 miles per hour sprint takes just 3.9 and 3.8 seconds, respectively. The base version of 2017 Mercedes AMG C63 Cabriolet does 155 mph (limited), but the S version has that same limiter raised to 174 mph, and we can only say that limited speeds are reached easily.
Performance
As previously mentioned, you get a few drive modes to choose from, namely: Comfort, Individual, Sport Plus and Race. As implied, Comfort is mostly to be used during daily driving or cruising. Sport is for the twisty roads or when you just generally want a more responsive car, but we recommend using Race only on tracks or when going for it. The steering feel and feedback sharpen, the gas pedal gets more immediate, and the shifts happen way before you even know it. It stacks well with the BMW M4, and that’s before mentioning it’s a convertible that allows you to enjoy great sound of that powerful engine.
Price
Love it or hate it, we have a feeling Mercedes is going to sell a lot of these. It’s no wonder really. We expect a price tag just north of the BMW M4’s $65,500, but we think it’ll be worth every penny more. Without a doubt, one of the best options on the market.
