2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series
Power: 510 hp, 457 lb.-ft.
Engine: 6.2L AMG V8
Price Driven: $129,725
The NYC cop stared at me for a second with a look half filled with confusion, half filled with disgust. "That your Benz?" he asked already expecting an answer he didn't want to hear. "Yeah," I replied, slightly nervous that I'd unknowingly done something wrong, but mostly prideful that I was stunting on everybody with a suped-up Mercedes-Benz that only a select circle could get their hands on.
He completely ignored my question about whether or not I had to pay the meter in Chelsea on a Saturday afternoon. "That's a nice car, man," he said.
Nobody knew it wasn't mine.
"Thanks," I said, now with a ridiculously stupid grin on my face. When I again asked if I was good to go, he told me I was fine. Still, a part of me wondered whether a jealous part of him had just doomed me for a devastatingly embarrassing tow.
It was one of many moments of subdued pride and cautious neurosis in the C63 AMG Black Series. You see, this car is a rare beast. Many Mercedes-Benzes wear the AMG badge, but only the Black Series has a massive carbon fiber wing, bulging fenders, a gaping, pointed beak, and bumper canards that seem like they could slice your Achilles. Those are just a few of the $65,720 worth of options added to the C63 AMG Coupé, leaving the BS at a boastful $129,725. The total package comes together to look like one of those cartoon bulls that’s leaning down, blowing smoke out of its nostrils, and kicking up a cloud of dust behind it, prepping to charge.
The difference is, the cloud behind the BS (which was ironically sparkling in a gorgeous Diamond White paint job) isn’t dust, it’s smoke from the rear tires that spin on you without even trying. That’s what happens when a 457lb.-ft., 510hp, naturally aspirated V8 teams up with a seven-speed automatic transmission with “manual” mode.
To say that I felt like a caged animal would be an understatement. A caged Hulk after drinking a mixture of HGH, Red Bull, ‘roids, creatine, and whatever that weird deer antler stuff Ray Lewis was taking might be more appropriate.
The rumble from this car is heavenly. It doesn’t give you the lame ricer zip, it doesn’t give you a bloated Harley sound, and it doesn’t have the metallic glug that some muscle cars have. It lets out a growl that alerts everybody that they’re in the presence of pure power (as if the wide stance and numerous air scoops weren’t enough), without piercing their eardrums. Unfortunately, New York isn’t exactly the best for hearing engines at full rev.
Testing out the control of the paddle shifters while driving out of the city on a Friday night wasn’t exactly the greatest decision. This car is built for speed. It’s a track-catered ride, and to say that I felt like a caged animal would be an understatement. A caged Hulk after drinking a mixture of HGH, Red Bull, ‘roids, creatine, and whatever that weird deer antler stuff Ray Lewis was taking might be more appropriate. It was literally jumping, begging me to get it into second gear.
The wait in traffic gave me the chance to fully appreciate the equally badass interior of the car. The first thing you notice will surely be the red seat belts. The offset color beautifully matched the red double-stitched seats. Like the exterior accents and wing, the interior also received the carbon fiber treatment, intertwined on the dash and on the door. Even so, the lightweight materials didn’t keep the weight extremely low.
Compared to some other cars you might take on the track, the BS is actually pretty heavy. More than 4,000 lbs. heavy. Worry not, though, this thing is just as capable as your expectations hope. For the brief time that I was able to get on the highway, I got a decent idea of how nimble the steering and suspension are. It’s got coil-over shocks up front and multi-link in the rear, including specially tuned KW dampers and bushings.
It’s extremely unfortunate I wasn’t able to take this monster out onto the track where it belongs. Less than 1,000 were built, with only a small percentage of them came to the U.S., so I’m not sure if I’ll ever get behind the wheel of one again.
As far as the cop knows, though, I’ll be pushing it to the limits next weekend.
