BenjaminKohl

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2...-drive-review/

They praise the driving experience with the caveat that it lacks some of the emotion of previous C63, m3 manual, Alfa QV, or Blackwing.

Mayur999

Yeah, there were a few reviews on youtube that came up in the last week and today. Most if not all were positive aside from the expected complaint of loss of V8 sound and V8 emotion. But general acceptance as a new comer, though perhaps mislabelled as a C63 as most here have suggested.

CarlosAMGBR

I drove it, and thought it was far better than my expectations.

Still think the ride is too harsh, there is far too much lag out of the sportiest settings (engine is gutless out of boost) and its a flawed concept. But its a very quick, balanced and precise tool.

It drives in a manner none of the old C63s would keep up with it. But I still think its not a C63. If they sold it as a C43 or C45, it would have sold like hot cake. Instead they priced it more expensively than the previous V8 car, and gave the same name.

superswiss

Many have arrived at the conclusion that on its own, it's not necessarily a bad car. It's just not a C63. It's a very fast CLA 45 that allows you to drive away in silence early morning w/o waking up the neighbors. The other thing you have to consider with reviews is that many of them are positive as not to upset the manufacturer and not get invited to the next exotic car unveiling at a 5-star resort all expenses paid. Point is go drive it yourself. I know myself enough that the idea of this car simply doesn't appeal to me. I'm not gonna spend six figures on something like this with a 4-cylinder engine when a car isn't a necessity for me in the first place. It's just not special. Straight line speed is uninteresting anywhere other than the German Autobahn and as a track car this thing is simply too heavy unless you enjoy buying tires and new brakes after a day on the track. 0-60 also gets old quickly, unless you live life one traffic light at a time.

The other day I read a review on the new GT 63 E Performance coupe and they praised it for being a great GT and long distance tourer. I can see that. If I lived in Germany I might consider one. The insane weight isn't much of a factor bombing down the Autobahn at 300 kph in a straight line, so the car has some merits there. Just don't see much of a point in both the C63 E and the GT63 E on US roads. Can't really use the added performance, yet you have to lug around all the weight that comes with it.

W205C43PFL

Precisely, more on that topic (of early access and press cars/reviews) here:

carlosinseattle

Interesting article in Aussie magazine about the future of AMG powertrains: https://www.motor1.com/news/729311/m...-cylinder-amg/

places

Big difference between phones and six figure cars. Unless the entire industry goes to the 4 pot, enthusiasts will go elsewhere.

superswiss

Smartphones were successful because they became more than phones. We don't really type on phones much these days anymore, other than an occasional short text message. I used to write entire emails on my Treos etc., but I don't do it anymore, because it's a pain w/o a physical keyboard. I now wait until I'm back in front of my laptop and I upgraded my desktop experience with an ultrawide monitor to have plenty of screen real estate. I use my smartphone for tasks that don't need a lot of typing. Controlling my smart home, mobile banking, mobile payment, digital keys etc., all new things we didn't use to do on phones. My phone has replaced my physical key chain, and my physical wallet for the most part. There's an app for everything, remember? What's new about these cars? They don't do anything new. They just do the same thing with less excitement. Horsepower on paper gets old soon if you can't really use it on the road, instead you are constantly contending with all the weight this supposedly cool technology adds to these cars. There needs to be a killer feature for something new to take off. I don't see the killer feature on these cars. I see only downsides. Complicated powertrains that will be expensive to fix after warranty, lots of weight, no emotion and the list goes on.

As for automatic transmissions, I still haven't warmed up to torque converters in performance cars. The only automatic transmissions I'm ok with are dual clutch transmissions and the AMG 9-MCT (7-MCT sucked), because they retain a clutch. Even though I don't have a third pedal, they maintain the responsiveness and what I love about a manual transmission. The manual modes in these is responsive to the point I don't miss the H gate and the clutch pedal. AMG continues to stand behind the MCT exactly because of this. In their own words they use it because it's more responsive and exciting than a torque converter. They know this damn well. AMG is run by sales and marketing guys now, so what you get is sales and marketing talk. There's nobody like Tobias Moers left. They are all hoping their bets are paying off. So keep telling customers that they gonna like it eventually. That's worked out well for others....not.

BTW, the most likely people who will like these are future generations who don't know anything else. Smartphones didn't really take off until Gen Z was born with one attached to their hips and can't do anything anymore w/o one.

CarlosAMGBR

Spot on assessment.

carlosinseattle

I think you guys are taking that point too literally. The point is that MB has been "out in front" before, and will contnue with that. Out in front means introducing technology that preceeds customer demand and waiting for the customer to catch up. When MB introduced ABS, nobody even knew it existed. Other things like rain sensing wipers, distronic cruise control, and all kinds of things I can't remember right now, were first introduced by MB ahead of demand. I think that's the argument the article is making.

As far as the details about 4cyl vs 8cyl, the only people who know the difference are car enthusiast and automotive journalist, the vast majority has a belief that they can always get something better with no drawbacks. So they think 4cyl menas better fuel economy than 8cyl, better. And in this application, maybe more space in the engine bay is better. Maybe it will alleviate any of the RMS problems that came with the 4.0 V8. Just saying. To @superswiss point, these cars are getting insanely complicated, and will be impractical to own out of warranty. But new car buyers and the public at large don't realize that. I'm not saying I agree with their point in terms of right and wrong. But I do think the average consumer will follow and be totally mesmerized by the promise.

alexasa

iTrader: (1)

IMO electric cars are generally impractical to own outside of warranty. Disposable appliances is the new trend while the overwhelming effort is for green living and the long term impact is exactly the opposite.

Getting hung up on the name or the cylinder count is tiresome. Who cares? Why are people personally offended or salty? If you don't like it, don't buy it. Your money will have a greater impact opposed to complaining on an internet forum about it.

The car looks fantastic and performs well.

carlosinseattle

As of today, the infrastrucutre to properly maintain older EV cars isn't in place, but 99% of that is due to long term battery health, maintenance, regeneration. Every other aspect of EV vs ICE is 1000X better. An electric motor is a far more effecient generator of power than any engine powered by fuel. The problem stricly lies in battery technology. That's why there's light at the end of the very long very dark tunnel of EV infrastructure.

Couldn't agree with you more. One it's own, it's an amazing machine! The AMG S63 E Performance is also great. But I don't think I'll ever be brave enough to own one.

Yeah, but what fun would that be??? I don't have hair anymore so I can't go to the barbershop. Where else would I go to hear this type of healthy debate???

superswiss

Or we can do both. Both are already happening. The car isn't selling, so seems like potential customers have voted with their wallet. I get the point about being ahead of the curve, but I don't think customers stopped buying cars because MB introduced ABS, DISTRONIC etc. AMG has stated in another recent interview that the new C63 has brought them some new customers who haven't bought AMGs before, so yes some people are interested in this kind of car, but it's worth pointing out that the C63 was AMG's bestseller. Quite a fall it's taken. The core clientele is walking away.