Sport Exhaust Comparison: 2018 & 2019 C63 S Exhaust Rumble
European Union emissions regulations for 2019 mean more filters are shoved in the AMG exhaust, but how do they affect the sound?
European AMGs will be a bit quieter in the future if this video is any proof. E.U. emissions compliance requires the installation of a GPF, or gasoline particulate filter to work in line with catalytic converters in order to catch tailpipe soot emissions. Long gone are the raspy days of the M156, as now there is a trifecta (if not more) of sound reducing pieces down-stream from the exhaust ports. Combustion gasses pass through the turbo, then the catalyst, then a new gasoline particulate filter before getting to the muffler. Redemption is had through power, as 510 horsepower for the 2019 C63 S is actually increased slightly from the outgoing ’18 model year.
That’s probably why YouTubers Automann-TV thought about throwing this video clip together to see how they really compare. Startup exhaust tone, stationary revs and video from the rear bumper all depict each aspect of sound. Some cars tend to “loosen up” a bit after driven a few thousand miles, and for anyone wondering, the 2019 coupe here had 4,000 miles already clicked away.
The sound difference is pretty obvious, though. The 2018 C63s AMG has the edge in raspy tones across all three tests, being equaled by the 2019 only during the pops and crackles generated during throttle lifts. We bet companies are making bypasses for these at this very moment, that is, unless it becomes illegal to modify or remove them.
Gasoline particulate filters bring up one other topic of discussion: if used on other future models, such as the CLS 53 series, it could be one of the most complete radical revolutions of the combustion engine since fuel injection itself. Now you’d have a combustion engine with electric assist turbochargers, an electric assist hybrid motor generator, and a gasoline particulate filter all in one. You’d get the convenience, range, and power of a gas motor, and practically no emissions.