FACELIFT MERCEDES-BENZ C 63 AMG WOOS GENEVA

This year sees the new facelift Mercedes-Benz C-Class being launched in the South African market. The segment leader (it outsells the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Volvo S60 in Mzansi) is getting some new components inside and out to keep it at the top. And the big daddy of them all, the C 63 AMG, has been shown at Geneva 2011.

Bad news first, if you can call it that. Instead of using one of the new engines, 4.7-litre twin turbo or 5.5-litre V8 twin turbo, Merc has decided to keep the old 6.2-litre V8 with its 336kW and 600Nm of torque. Mind you this is not a bad idea, I was just hoping they would keep with their own times. At least they’ve used the 7-speed MCT gearbox whose gear strokes could cause a man to lose his brains through the exhaust sound.

But there are differences of course. For starters the outside features a new front spoiler, taken from the SL 63 AMG. There are new clear headlights with LED indicators, a different front grille, new bonnet with modified power domes, new 5 twin-spoke alloy wheels painted in titanium grey with 18-inch tyres, a new rear apron with a black diffuser and four oval chrome pipes.

Inside Merc has placed a new TFT display at the centre of the new speedometer, installed a new AMG steering wheel (still with a flat bottom, nicked from the CLS 63 AMG), special AMG sports seats covered with a special man-made fibre called Dinamica, and a total of six interior colours.