2023 Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe

Although it is now a good few years old, this may be the best time to get your hands on the Mercedes-AMG C63 Coupe. The next-generation C63 Coupe will employ a turbocharged four-cylinder with hybrid assistance, which means that the existing and glorious V8 will disappear from C-Class cars permanently. This engine endows the C63 S Coupe with its unique character and produces 503 horsepower. The C63 S will reach 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. Fortunately, this stunning coupe isn't a one-trick pony. It handles with poise and has a sexy, high-quality interior. Even though the all-new BMW M4 is here to once again raise the standards in this segment, the V8-powered C63 still has a lot to offer late into its life.

Older AMGs used to be brutally quick in a straight line but fell far short of their BMW rivals when the road started to turn. That is no longer the case with the AMG C63 S sports car, which boasts great body control and a quick and communicative steering system. The AMG Ride Control suspension with three-stage damping is more rigid than the setup on regular C-Class Coupes, making it a fine match for the V8's power. The 2023 C63 S has a Race Mode that is optimized for track use as there is minimal intervention from the coupe's electronic nannies, helped by dynamic engine mounts to tighten up the drivetrain. In our own AMG C63 S Coupe review, we discovered that you'd better have your wits about you in this setting, though, as it's easy to evoke tire-shredding power slides.

Although the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C63 S is a great luxury coupe in terms of its interior appointments, it doesn't ride like one. It will feel too stiff for most, almost compelling you to switch to the more comfortable driving mode. Then again, there's always the softer C300 if you don't want to commit to the AMG badge. When you need to slow down, the AMG high-performance braking system - with massive 14.2-inch front discs and six-piston calipers - does a great job of bringing the C63 to a stop. The C63 S lives up to its track credentials with even more potent composite brakes with 15.4-inch front discs that are ventilated, slotted, and perforated. Carbon-ceramic brakes are optionally available.

Although its successor is not far away, the current Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe is the last of a dying breed. It's simply become too difficult for automakers to justify large-capacity V8 engines in compact cars when turbocharging and electrification can offer the same level of performance far more efficiently. What they won't offer is the charisma and soul that this C63 S delivers in bucketloads. Even though the new BMW M4 is sharper to drive, the C63's engine sets it apart from its BMW and Audi competitors. To look at and sit in, the Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe remains one of the very best offerings in this corner of the US market. Our few foibles include the hard ride and the limited rear-seat space, but these aren't dealbreakers. If you can afford to take the plunge, do it before it's too late.