Robert Vasquez: The New C63 AMG Not Quite Hot Enough? Brabus Has Your 591-hp Answer

Monday, September 7, 2015

The New C63 AMG Not Quite Hot Enough? Brabus Has Your 591-hp Answer

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Anybody who’s driven the new Mercedes-AMG C63 can confirm that it’s a roadgoing weapon, with plenty of pace and grip, and a very comfortable interior. But of course all of that isn’t enough for Brabus, the tuning house that specializes in Mercedes-Benz products. For those who share its belief that the AMG just might be a little soft, Brabus will show off a ridiculously powerful C63-based creation at the Frankfurt auto show.

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AMG’s own C63 pumps out 503 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque in top-spec S trim (the base car makes 469 hp and 479 lb-ft), which is enough to launch it to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds in our testing. Brabus’s version has 88 additional horsepower for a total of 591 at 5800 rpm. Torque now stands at 590 lb-ft, slashing the sprint time to 60 mph by 0.2 second, the firm says. The added 74 lb-ft of torque arrives at just 1750 rpm, and Brabus insists the car will top out at 186 mph. There’s also a version coming based on the C63 wagon, but it will be way slower, taking a full tenth of a second longer to hit benchmark speed.

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The extra muscle comes courtesy of Brabus’s new PowerXtra B40-600 tuning kit, which uses a plug-in auxiliary control module for the engine control unit to remap the fuel injection, ignition timing, and turbocharger boost pressure. The entire thing is covered by a three-year/100,000-km (62,000-mile) warranty.

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The new Brabus C63 carries over AMG’s seven-speed automatic transmission, but there is a new, stainless-steel active exhaust system that lowers back pressure and delivers more noise, and which has both full-bore and “coming home” modes. The car is fitted with a new carbon-fiber body kit that can be ordered in either shiny or matte finish, and a carbon front splitter, rear lip spoiler, side-mirror caps, and rear diffuser are available.

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The interior upgrades are limited only by the size of the check you want to write—for example, Brabus says it can install wood or carbon-fiber trim in any color you want, which sounds both tantalizing and terrifying—although stainless-steel kick plates, aluminum paddle shifters, and a 211-mph speedo are all on the standard equipment list.

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