On paper, the Dinan and Velos AMGs aren’t wildly different from each other, but one has wider rubber and downpipes.
To some performance car owners, the stock output isn’t a limit. To them, it’s just an option – and not one they pick. Right out of the box, the Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe generates a tire-burning 503 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. As enticing as those numbers are, AutoVlog host Mike Vaim and his pal Mike Pizutti chose to go further with their Affalterbach asphalt assassins in the above video.
Vaim went with a VELOS Designwerks tune. According to the company, its ECU remapping and tweaks to parts including the fuel, ignition, and throttle systems result in increases of 109 horsepower and 141 lb-ft of torque. To allow his C63 to breathe even more easily, Vaim also equipped it with aftermarket downpipes. He hasn’t had his car officially dyno-ed, but he estimates it’s pumping out roughly 550 horsepower at its rear wheels.
Pizutti decided to have legendary BMW tuner Dinan modify his C63. It’s unclear exactly what modifications he had them perform, although Vaim states Pizutti’s car generates approximately 610 horsepower and 640 lb-ft of torque at the crank. (Dinan sells a performance tuner for the C63 S that boosts peak output to 609 horsepower and 656 lb-ft.)
On paper, the two AMGs aren’t wildly different from each other, although the VELOS-tuned car has wider rear rubber and downpipes. It’s a different story on the road. Vaim and Pizutti pit their cars against each other in a series of roll races. Whether it starts in 2nd gear at 40 mph or 3rd gear at 50 mph, Vaim’s car comes out ahead, sometimes by a lot.
Pizutti doesn’t seem too disappointed in his car’s performance. Even if it won, he’s not going to keep it. More than likely, he’s going to abandon AMG altogether and get a BMW M3 CS.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
