'A Marvellous Growler'
These badges mean business! Not just applied affectation.
If you didn’t know it by its blood-red accents, sporty
graphics and grey-black alloy wheels, then the moment the exhaust flaps open,
the C63 AMG emits a marvelous growl to bellow its credentials.
First the numbers, because there’s more important things to talk about.
Cost? AUD$154,900. Power and torque? 375kW
@ 5500-6200; 700Nm at 1750-4000.
Acceleration? 0-100km/h in just four seconds!
Stuffing a dry-sumped, twin-turbocharged 4L
V8 into a new C Class shell means not only impressive performance, but also an
invitation to explore just what makes this a great sports sedan.
Firstly, it’s the investment in time,
engineering excellence, materials, innovation, and the integrity of AMG’s
values. Designed and built in AMG’s facilities in Affalterbach, just 30 minutes
north of Stuttgart, and in the middle of the 18th century former hunting
grounds of the Württemberg family, this brand new engine, (M178) bears a
striking family resemblance to the 2L engine in the CLA 45 AMG compact range.
They share the same bore and stroke ratio,
which means the C63’s new engine is just a doubled-up, grown-up version of the
four cylinder unit. The M178 will also be the basis for a new range of engines
to power all new Aston Martins from 2017.
The C63 AMG bears the hallmarks of a premium
European car, but actually reading the details of AMG’s development work on the
V8 biturbo is more impressive than all the sporty/luxury flim-flam.
The new AMG V8 engine has two turbochargers,
which are not mounted on the outside of the cylinder banks but rather inside
the V configuration – experts call it a 'hot inside V'. The benefits are a more
compact engine design, an optimum response, and lower exhaust gas emissions.
Dry sump lubrication allows the engine to be installed lower, which moves the
centre of gravity closer to the road and forms the basis for high lateral
acceleration.
The aluminium crankcase is produced using
sand casting technology and features a closed deck design. This ensures extreme
strength whilst keeping the weight as low as possible, and enables high injection
pressures of up to 130 bar.
The cylinder bore surfaces feature
NANOSLIDE technology which makes them twice as hard as conventional cast-iron
linings.
NANOSLIDE was developed by Daimler
starting in the year 2000 and has so far been used in over 200,000 engines
since 2006. The first unit with NANOSLIDE technology was likewise an AMG V8:
the extremely successful predecessor to the new AMG 4.0-litre biturbo. The
application scope for this multi-award-winning technology has been continually
widened. Since the start of the 2014 race season it is also being deployed in
the new Mercedes F1 V6 turbo engine.
'Spectacle honing' is another measure to reduce
friction and therefore consumption: in this complex process, the cylinder
liners receive their mechanical surface treatment when already bolted in place.
A jig resembling spectacles is bolted to
the crankcase in place of the cylinder head mounted later. Any cylinder warpage
that might occur during final assembly is therefore taken into account or
eliminated as the cylinder liners are honed.
This has advantages in terms of both
durability and oil consumption. The new AMG V8 has forged aluminium pistons
featuring a lightweight design and high strength. A low-friction piston ring
package further reduces fuel and oil consumption.
The cylinder heads are made from very expensive Zirconium
alloy, for maximum temperature resistance and thermal connectivity.
If you're thinking, a big, powerful V8 engine like any old 350hp Windsor or Cleveland cast iron lump churned out in
Mowtown, think again. The sophisticated AMG engine was expensive to design, develop, build and
test – and that’s why it delivers such impressive stats. Not just efficient power
and torque; but compact design, light weight, advanced materials, innovative
solutions and a racing pedigree.
There are a range of techniques,
applications and improvements which have flowed directly from AMG’s
championship-winning Formula One engine developments.
The most obvious evidence of its breeding
is when you let the C63 AMG loose on the road. Plant your foot and there’s
absolutely no turbo lag. The exhaust growl, just like the suspension and engine
settings, can be manipulated by the driver to cover everything from comfort to sport,
sport+ and even race!
The handling is astonishing. The cornering stance is so flat it urges adventurous approaches to all corners. It can get a bit 'squirrelly' if power is applied at the wrong moment, but it's always controllable, ultimately thanks to electronics.
The Sport, Sport+ and Race settings will rattle your fillings loose, so I just used 'Comfort' and believe me the handling remains astonishing.
The handling is astonishing. The cornering stance is so flat it urges adventurous approaches to all corners. It can get a bit 'squirrelly' if power is applied at the wrong moment, but it's always controllable, ultimately thanks to electronics.
The Sport, Sport+ and Race settings will rattle your fillings loose, so I just used 'Comfort' and believe me the handling remains astonishing.
But that’s where passing my subjective evaluation on this car proves
difficult. Yes, it’s got race car features oozing from its bloodline, and the silky-smooth Mercedes-Benz designed and built 7-speed multi-clutch transmission is a delight, but there
are reasons why I wouldn’t be investing in a C63 AMG.
The number one reason would be the really
dumb steering wheel design. Okay, with a squared off bottom it looks the
business, but its stupidly thick rim has been covered in fashionable, slinky suede
leather, which makes it impossible to grip in one position for any length of
time.
Unlike regular leather, your hands are constantly sliding along the
surface, a problem accentuated by not being able to get your fingers around the
wheel rim.
Try steering through a long series of S bends quickly, and you’ll be
fighting to keep a grip on things.
I could not face driving this car every day
with that steering wheel.
Second, forget about fuel efficiency and
low carbon emissions. That’s the price you pay for performance on tap at the
blink of any eye. Official fuel economy figures, maybe recorded from the combined test
cycle on a bench in Affalterbach (or at a constant 100km/h on a flat autobahn)
suggest 8.7 l/100km. Forget it.
You might get that number coasting down a
hill, but try 12 -14 l/100km in normal use. Then there’s the emissions.
I’ve mentioned before on this Blog that the
‘magic number’ all car companies are trying to reach is something between
90-100 g/km. This little bitumen blaster produces 200 g/km. Not exactly
environmentally friendly.
However, lets face it. If you want a
grown-up, German-bred, premium-priced European sports sedan with genuine
performance credentials from a respected engine and car maker - then the C63 AMG, warts
and all, is for you.
Component speakers are also called separates and will also include a woofer, as well as a tweeter. When you are planning on installing this type of speaker, it will be installed in the kick panel or right in the door. The tweeters in this type of speaker are quite simple to install, as they can be placed either in the dashboard or in the door panel. best car speakers
ReplyDeletenice post,
ReplyDeleteAccurate Technocast is the most significant Cylinder Liners and Sleeves Supplier, Exporter & Manufacturer in Rajkot. We provide high-quality Cylinder Liners and Sleeves at Gujarat in the Affordable rate
Website : Accurate Technocast
cylinder liner manufacturer in rajkot
ReplyDeletecylinder sleeve manufacturer
shiv shyamal multimedia providing best phostoshot of pre wedding.and videography also.
ReplyDeletetop 10 manufacturing companies in rajkot
ReplyDelete