Mercedes-Benz has revealed a facelifted version of the four-year-old C63 AMG in a series of official photographs prior to its first public outing at the upcoming Geneva motor show--along with the rest of the reworked C-class lineup--in early March.
The new sedan and wagon, which go on sale in North America this fall, get a host of detailed styling changes both to the exterior and interior, together with some key mechanical modifications that are claimed to improve performance while also cutting fuel use.
Visual changes to the C63 AMG are mild. They extend to an edgier-looking front bumper, a restyled grille, new headlamps with altered internal graphics, a rear bumper that incorporates a black diffuser element and new multispoke alloys shod with 235/40 (front) and 255/35 (rear) tires.
Also included on the car is a new aluminum hood with more prominent power domes. Earlier photographs of the facelifted C63 AMG that leaked to the Internet showed an engineering mule sporting a standard C-class hood.
Inside, there's a newly designed dashboard together with the same three-spoke steering wheel as the new CLS63 AMG.
While other recent AMG models have adopted the company's latest twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8, the facelifted C63 AMG retains the older, naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8. It continues to kick out 451 hp in standard guise or 481 hp with AMG's optional Performance package.
But while the old C63 AMG used a beefed-up version of Mercedes-Benz's 7-GTronic seven-speed automatic transmission, the new model uses AMG's in-house-developed multiclutch transmission. Instead of a torque converter, the MCT uses a series of wet clutches to provide the driver with four distinct modes--C (comfort), S (sport), S+ (sport plus) and M (manual). It also includes a launch-control system called Race Start.
AMG quotes a 0-to-62-mph time of 4.4 seconds for the sedan and 4.5 seconds for the wagon with the standard engine--a reduction of 0.1 second. Add in the Performance package and its extra 30 hp, and the times drop by an additional 0.1 second to 4.3 seconds for the sedan and 4.4 seconds for the wagon. Top speed in both instances is limited to 155 mph with the standard powertrain and to 174 mph with the Performance package.
The C63 AMG's combined fuel consumption is said to benefit from the adoption of a new steering pump that reduces the amount of hydraulic assistance. Official figures put the sedan at 19.6 mpg and the wagon at 19.1 mpg--up from 17.6 mpg (sedan) and 17.2 mpg (wagon) for the previous model.
Since its launch in 2007, the C63 AMG has notched more than 17,000 sales worldwide. Although not yet revealed, Mercedes-Benz is also working on an AMG version of the upcoming two-door C-class coupe, which is set to get its first public airing at the New York auto show in April.