HIGHER ASPIRATIONS(some text hidden)

By Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review word count: 89

With great power comes great responsibility and the Mercedes-AMG C 63 has taken this on board in MK3 form. Bravely, for this generation, the Stuttgart brand's Afalterbach performance division has switched to the Plug-in electrified powertrain that rivals will in future have to adopt as well. With that change has come not only greater efficiency but also greater power - and the 4WD system the C 63 has previously always lacked. It's a heavier, more complex beast these days. But, potentially, still just as addictive as it ever was.

Background word count: 175

We get it: you're sceptical. We were too. How can a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine credibly replace a 4.0-litre V8 and make this generation of Mercedes C 63 worthy of succession in this classic model line? There are other questions too. What's the point in it now being Plug-in Hybrid? Particularly as it can only go 8 miles in EV mode. Why are there now no coupes and convertible versions? And is this the beginning of the end of Mercedes' AMG sub-brand as we know it? We'll start with the last question first. The answer is no. AMG is merely reinventing itself. For the time being, V8s will continue in larger models, but smaller ones will get electrified combustion powerplants like that of this C 63 which make up for lower capacity with an all-electric boost. And alongside all of this, a new AMG.ea platform will allow the development of the range of full-battery performance EVs that AMG will need for the future. That's enough for now. We'll answer the other questions as we go along.

Driving Experience word count: 284

How can a C 63 have a four cylinder engine? And be reborn as a Plug-in Hybrid? It all seems contradictory to the kind of car this was and hopefully still is. Well for a start, this isn't just any four-pot PHEV powertrain. It has a track record from use in non-EV form in the market's fastest hot hatch, the AMG A 45. And as a result of fiendish technical complexity, it develops more power than the old C 63's 4.0-litre V8, with a 680hp combined output. There are other upgrades too. 4WD for instance - something the C 63 has always lacked and the continuing lack of which would have put it on the back foot against current BMW M3 and Audi RS 4 rivals. There's also now a full-electric drive-off setting allowing you to leave the house early in the morning without waking everyone up and annoying the neighbours. By and large though, you choose a C 63 because you want to hear what the engine can do. And AMG promises that in 'RACE' mode, the most fiery of the eight main drive settings, you really will, particularly if you engage 'RACE START' and fire the car off the line to reach 62mph in just 3.4s. That's if you're quick with the paddle shifters for the 9-speed auto gearbox. Top speed is 174mph. More on that drivetrain now. Even without the assistance of electric motor, the 469hp 2.0-litre engine is the world's most powerful four cylinder unit. Add in the rear axle-mounted 204hp electric motor (which has its own 2-speed gearbox) and total system output rises to class-leading levels, the 680hp figure we mentioned earlier backed by a thumping 1,020Nm of torque.