nirvana

Hey everyone, new guy here and I was wondering how many people made the jump from manual to the C63 AMG. I am one of those manual guys, yet for some reason I just can't get the C63 out of my head. The looks, drivetrain, MB quality, and performance appeal immensely. I recently saw two Mars Red C63s and they were both stunning cars, especially the stock exhaust sound! Such a classy looking car...

So, has anyone given up the 3 pedals for two paddles? Every review I see mentions how the paddle shifting in this cars is very, very good, and the car itself is an absolute blast. Even Car & Driver commented on it in a review of the E63 AMG, stating the 7-speed auto was so good it almost made them forget the third pedal option. Top Gear's comparo of the M3 vs. RS4 vs. C63 also showed the same deal; yes, the M3 may win on track day, but the AMG is so much fun. Usually Clarkson finds a way to mock a car but he couldn't really do it.

Here's a big question: do you drive the car simply for the joy of driving, when you have nowhere to go?

This would be my only car, so it has to be an all weather DD and weekend toy. Don't need four seats, but don't mind more space. I want one of those unique and exciting cars that can be DD'd yet still driven for fun in a straight line or around the bend while going to the sports car club I frequent (has everything from 'vettes and Vipers to Ms and AMGs). I think the C63 AMG fits this... just have slight reservations about two pedals! Help...

GBlansten

My last twelve years of cars leading up to the C63 were manual transmissions only. I don't miss having one.

wankeldude

From RS4 to C63 about 3 months ago. What a great way to get into the world of autobox. It's a fantastic tranny this 7speed.

Dk1

I had Audi A4 with manual. This was fun but C63 is on a completely different level. I doubt you'll miss the third pedal much.

Quadcammer

I think you'll miss it on those curvy roads, less so in a straight line.

1st amg

Do it! You wont miss it or regret it, when I ordered this car back in 2008 and received it July 2008, there wasnt one car that I could drive or even see it for that matter, but Jeremy Clarkson and the likes of euro car magazine reviews as well as some youtube vids, convinced me. I am an avid manual car guy, always smirked at these slush boxes, so ordering this car had me to the point of sleepless nights, drove my wife crazy all because of going from manual to autobox. Anyway, 14 months later and I still dont miss the manual gearbox, this tranny is impressive, especially in manual mode, on the down shifts in particular. I am someone who double clutches and heal and toes any manual car I get into, so for this car to do it for me and sound astounding while doing it, justifies it for me, I have had this car on the track for lapping and the manual shifting is good for this, so if you are like myself, you wont miss manual, infact, when my lease is up on the C63, i will replace it with another one of the AMG models with the 6.2 monster coupled with the new MCT tranny, perhaps the E63. And as far as driving this car, it is not my dd but I drive it as often as I can, when the wife gives me a grocery list, I will usually visit two or three differnt grocery stores to pick everything up, one place for milk, the other for fruit etc, you get the picture, its a blast.

gravedgr

Manual guy here. I like the slushbox during traffic and daily errand driving. Hate it any time performance is involved.

VCA_AMG

The reality for me is that an auto gearbox makes all the sense in the world for daily driving, especially if it has paddle-shift option.

Honestly how much "performance" driving can ANYONE do on public roads where you would drive home crying that you don't have a manual gearbox. If you do that much performance driving on a track, chances are you'll own a track car w/a manual or a sequential manual auto w/a clutch instead of a torque converter (Porsche's PDK for instance).

I *love* manual gearboxes but don't miss them at all for daily commuting.

stirlingkool

I have an RS4 and I know I will miss heel/toe downshifting to some degree. My lease is up soon and I have to make some decisions soon. We have 3 kids so an auto car makes more sense so that my wife can drive it occasionally. We'll see.......

JM

Dont worry!

You will still have 3 pedals

due to the fact that the E-Break is there

rory breaker

I made the jump when I went to the C55 and I havent looked back...I dont miss it at all. My GF's car is stick so I do get my kicks driving that too but even without it, you wont miss it. ESPECIALLY with the paddle shifters on the 63...you definitely wont look back.

yaymitch

I have always owned manuals before the C63. Truth is, I do miss the control of the manual. BUT, the power, torque and overall fun of the C63 makes up for it. I also make up reasons to drive this car just for the fun of it.

If BMW had a true stock sports car anywhere near as powerful with a manual I would have bought it...but it does not exist. I have no regrets and would buy the C63 all over again.

MikeS54

I come from owning manual cars and I totally understand your delimma

For me having a third pedal is very important as i like to do a lot of spirited driving. Therefore despite me not liking the M3 very much I seriously considered it over C63 for a bit just because of the third pedal.

However after the test drive of both car I decided an auto C63 is more fun than a manual M3. Now thats saying a lot about this car's fun factor.

Razorecko

just test drive these cars and figure out what works for you...

m3 (manual)
cts-v ( manual )
c63 (auto)

PC Valkyrie

In my opinion, the AMG Speedshift automatic transmission is great for the streets. The ability to downshift on demand manually to get the most rapid acceleration does improve the fun factor on the streets for those rolling highway runs.

However, there is a noticeable lag with manual upshifts, as voiced by many people in this thread:
https://mbworld.org/forums/c63-amg-w...ng-m-mode.html

On a road circuit or drag strip, the lag in upshifting can be frustrating, as you can actually compromise your acceleration if you don't time the upshift perfectly (taking into account the lag). You could find yourself hitting the rev limiter in M (manual mode) or you upshift too early by preventing that problem to begin with. For the quickest acceleration, I would just leave the transmission in S (sport) mode and let it do its thing.

I enjoy lapping days in both my 135i (6 speed manual) and my C55 (5 speed AMG Speedshift....2 less gears than the C63 and slightly slower shift times, but the principle of the lag is the same). The 135i is ultimately more involving to drive, as there is nothing that compares to total control over the shifter and clutch, and the heel-toe that needs to be done while braking. The C55 is easier to drive fast, simply because there is less to do......you simply press the throttle, brake when necessary and steer. Even when shifting in M (manual mode) with buttons/paddles at the back of the steering wheel, you won't feel as connected.

Having said that, if you have ONE car, the C63 is a great choice because the automatic transmission can be as smooth as you want on the streets, yet be "smart" enough in S mode (active downshifting during braking before a turn, holding a gear during a turn) for spirited driving on a twisty track.

In my mind, you can't compare a manual car to an automatic (torque converter) transmission. The real comparison is with the AMG Speed Shift automatic transmissions with the dual clutch gear boxes (like M3's M-DCT, Porsche's PDK). In those transmissions, you get far faster gear changes, yet you can retain the convenience of an automatic gearbox for street use.

It's the main the reason I think the E90 M3 with M-DCT or Porsche PDK are attractive options for those who want a lag free paddle shifting experience.