SebringSilver

I'm just thinking out loud here, but lately, I've started to notice more and more C63s on the road. I don't particularly pay attention to who's driving, how old the driver looks, or what ethnicity they are. None of that is really important. But what might be more important is the fact that they are becoming increasingly prevalent on the roads we drive on.

Is it a possibility, however remote, that the C63 might just be a little *too* popular? Is the fact that they've priced the car so attractively, thereby hitting the proverbial homerun in terms of sales, quite possibly a negative in the long run?

I saw a reply to something I said on another thread where the C63 was likened to the "new M3", and it scares me a little bit when I think about that.

Of course, it's great for Mercedes Benz. The company has always wanted to wrest the title away from BMW for having the best-selling high-performance sports sedan. If I recall, the M3 has traditionally sold in greater volume than all AMG models combined. Well, this time round, MB may have just outdone themselves with this AMG C-class.

But what price success, eh? What are the chances that the image of the AMG brand is permanently damaged by the sheer popularity of the C63 that it's no longer perceived as being unique, exclusive, and rare enough to warrant its special place in the hearts of its clientele?

Anyway, food for thought, I guess...

yooker

Well, I still believe every AMG is unique due to the 1 man 1 engine process that limits how many of these cars are produced.

SebringSilver

But surely you've also noticed that they're popping up everywhere?

BerBer63

Should we start guessing production numbers for 2009 or is that a whole new thread/topic?

mrtesting

I have seen an increase of them here in Toronto as well. Heck dealerships have at least 1 or 2 just sitting in their showrooms now! Where as when I wanted to get my car.. well let's not go there.

SebringSilver

And the craziest thing is...even if this car proves to be the undoing of AMG, it's still an amazingly good car for an amazingly good price.

If we seriously look around at what other cars are out there in the open market, there's just nothing else that's worth buying. Even cars costing somewhat more than the C63...I am having a hard time justifying why anyone would pay that extra cash to get those cars.

What's the price of an S5? It's more than the C63, can you believe it? And it can't even come close to the performance of the AMG. I went and checked out the R8 again the other day (okay, I'm still fond of Audis), but it's just insane the price. It's close to 3 times the price of the C63 when it's optioned out decently. Huh??

Sorry, late night ramblings of a self-confessed fanatic.

Oh, wait a second...as of this post, that makes me a "self-confessed MB World fanatic"!

BerBer63

Congrats on the 1,000...you've been busy

SebringSilver

I just type fast.

Fantasm

The C63 has from day 1 been planned for MASS PRODUCTION. The C63 will never be a rare car, you will see them everywhere.

SebringSilver

Yeah, I realize that, and I'm not saying anything otherwise. I'm just wondering if the relative success of this model is going to have any negative impact on the rest of the AMG models.

mrtesting

In my opinion, Mercedes-Benz lacks its ability for mobilization and control of its market share unlike its rivals, BMW, Audi and Porsche. For example, I completely agree with you on the point that the C63 can or has been a victim of its own success, however Mercedes-Benz could have over come the lack of sustainability of its AMG brand by actually allowing customers to part take in customizing the vehicle to their liking all around the world, not just limited to Europe. In comparison to BMW that has the "Individual Series" for all of their M badged vehicles, or Porsche that allows you to configure the hell out of your car.

It would be a bit too early to judge and assume that the likes of our C63s have become almost everyday cars, but it would not be far fetched. As mentioned above, the C63 was intended for mass production. A notion which can easily be seen by the quality of the interior and exterior of the vehicle.

North America is after all, world's largest car market place, who wouldn't want to make an easy buck on that?

TemjinX2

don't they offer the amg packaged, which includes all the c63 exterior , AMG badge and wheels for the c350?.

Maybe your just seeing c350 or c300 with the amg package. I remmeber i thought i saw a c63 on the road once since it had the body style and the amg badge until i drove closer and saw the c350 badge later.

cdye12

AMG Sport styling is completely different than the C63 styling. Grille, bumper/fender, diffusor, you name it.

The Tampa market might be a little stale as I've seen only 1-2 in the past 4 + months. I will agree though that MB's price point combined with the C63's ability to provide an exhilarating experience (Power, exhaust note, you name it) will inevitably cause it to sell more volume thus reducing the car's rareness.

TemjinX2

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jtdominate

Good point I've made the same mistake too. THere are probably certain areas where the car is more visible and likely to fall into hands of omeone not really an enthusiast but just looking for a "looker" that sets them apart from the standard model.

But wasn't the C63 the first AMG model that was collaborated on from inception with MB and AMG engineers? MB definitely wanted to improve upon AMG's image and honestly pre C63 my perception of AMG was just that it was MB's "go fast" division aimed squarely at taking market share from BMW's M Division. I saw the products as cars that went fast in a straight line but would get slaughtered on a track cause they have no handling attributes.

Kudos to MB for getting it right!!!

zivicirl

all depends on area.. imo

TemjinX2

amg was more of a tuner house that worked closely with mercedes. until 1999 when mercedes bought them out and converted them to be there performance division. Before that they weren't really part of mercedes.

dlbello

I for one have Not come across a C63 in months in the NY tri-state area... the last one I had seen was coming back from the Hampton Bays in LI NY, it was so funny both cars were black (mirror image) and the other guy (while cruising next to me) was trying to tell me "This is the first C63 I've seen"... I was thinking the same as he pulled behind me on W 495, I was rubbing my eyes too funny... I just love this car!!!

OverBudget

Starting to see lots of C classes in Phoenix/Scottsdale, but I never see C63's either in Phoenix/Scottsdale or Portland (I split time between both)...

dlbello

Same here alot of C350 and C300's but no C63's around... Just lovin it!!!

TA-9FF

It's really not just the C63.

For some odd reason, despite our crap economy, people still buy expensive cars.

Case in point: at any given time, my dealer will ALWAYS have a CLK63 Black Series, which will be sold in a month or two. Then they get another one, and another one.

In the past 6 months, I've already seen 10 different BS'.

Another strange observation is that almost every C63, M3 Sedan, and RS4 I see on the road are driven by.........................women.

That's something that has me confused.

Morro

I guess it depends where you live and how many people still get credit form their banks or MB Credit. I know here in Canada (Montreal), you've got be pretty well-grounded to get loans from banks or approval from MB Credit Canada. I have yet to see one C63 on the road here in the suburbs. Looks like I'll be the only one for now.

norb

Still rare in Houston, but I see a ton of C class cars. Which in my opinion is good for me because I like driving in a semi non descript car.

ygfamily21

Ive never seen c63 amg here in michigan.... I know here we in the GREAT DEPRESSIon...

SebringSilver

Hmm...could this really be just a "Vancouver" thing? I am pretty confident I can distinguish between a real C63 and a gussied-up C300/C350. But honestly, I see two to three C63s everyday (not including my own), and I'm sure they're not the same two to three C63s every time. I personally know 8 people with C63s already, and I have another 5 friends who are in the process of getting theirs.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with a car being well-received in the marketplace, but it's just odd that finally there's a car that really does have a unique combination of great performance, practicality, the right about of cachet, and is relatively affordable (which means its popularity is entirely justified), and yet its sheer numbers might lead to it becoming a bit of a turn-off, in this neck of the woods anyway.

Oh well...