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Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Performance Wagon Ditches V8 but Becomes King of the 1/4-Mile

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Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Performance Wagon Ditches V8 but Becomes King of the 1/4-Mile

Love them or hate them, station wagons are here to stay, whether they have a turbocharged V8 powerplant under the hood or a milk carton for an engine. Luckily, today, we’re looking at three of the greatest wagons Germany has ever produced while they battle it out over the quarter-mile.

First, we have the new Mercedes-AMG C 63 S PERFORMANCE station wagon. For reasons beyond human comprehension, it got rid of the V8 and has a tame-sounding 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine aided by an environmentally friendly rear-axle electric motor.

The hand-built AMG M139l internal combustion engine produces 469 hp or 476 ps on its own, but the electric motor adds another 201 hp (204 ps), bringing the total to an impressive 671 horsepower (680 ps). As far as wheel twist is concerned, the C 63 roughly makes 752 lb-ft or 1,020 Nm of torque. Because of all the added eco-friendliness, it’s quite heavy, at 4,828 lbs. or 2,190 kilograms.

Behind the wheel lies Mat Watson from the “carwow” YouTube channel. If you were British like him and wanted to get one, it would cost you the equivalent of $126,677 or 112,230 Euros. At the time of writing, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E PERFORMANCE sedan version from the United States isn’t available yet on the official website, but at least we know it starts at roughly $84,000.

Photo: carwow

In Australia, the pricing is a bit different for this version, costing no less than 187,900 AUD (Australian dollar), which translates into 125,178 US dollars (at the current exchange rate). The main culprits for this are taxes like the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the Luxury Car Tax (LCT).

If you want something smaller but much louder, the 2023 AMG C 63 S Coupe has an MSRP of $81,850 and comes with a handcrafted AMG 4.0-liter V8 twin-turbo engine that produces 503 hp and 516 lb-ft or 700 Nm of torque. On paper, it’s not as fast as the AWD wagon, but according to Mercedes, the coupe can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, which is indeed something to write home about. Unlike the Estate, it’s not very good for transporting tomatoes and cucumbers, but at least they have them in stock.

Next, the BMW M3 Touring has a 3.0-liter straight-six twin-turbocharged engine that delivers 503 hp (510 ps) and 479 lb-ft or 650 Nm of torque. That power is sent to all four wheels via its 8-speed automatic gearbox. It’s completely non-electric, thus weighing much less than the AMG at 4,111 lbs. or 1,865 kg. The price for this model from the UK, where this race takes place, is about $112,771.

Lastly, we have the Audi RS4 Avant Competition, which, interestingly, is one of 74 made for the United Kingdom. Under the hood, it packs a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 engine with 444 hp (450 hp) and 442 lb-ft or 600 Nm of torque on tap. It’s also AWD with an 8-speed automatic transmission system, but it’s the lightest of the bunch, rated at 3,847 lbs. or 1,745 kilograms. The US dollar equivalent for the Avant is $107,763.

Mercedes\-AMG C 63 S Performance wagon vs\. BMW M3 Touring vs\. Audi RS4 Avant Competition

Photo: carwow

As expected, the Mercedes dominated the 1/4-mile races, with the BMW in second place and Audi in third. However, the AMG did a weird thing at certain points when it needed to change gears and stalled a bit because of the rear-axle electric motor, which gave the BMW enough time to gain more speed. If this were a half-mile drag race, the M3 Touring would have surely won, even though there’s a 168-hp gap between the two in favor of the Mercedes.

After three drag races, the best time of the Mercedes-AMG Performance wagon was 11.5 seconds. The BMW M3 Touring did it in 11.6 seconds, and the Audi RS4 Avant finished in 11.9.

Then, they switched to a few 1/2-mile roll races, in which the Mercedes obliterated the others. It might not have the thrill of a V8, but the new AMG C 63 S wagon definitely takes no prisoners.

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