What is it?
A spacious and prestigious estate car. That might sound eminently sensible until you hear that it has been given to AMG - Mercedes' tuning division. So there's no ordinary diesel or petrol engine under the bonnet - AMG has squeezed in a 6.2-litre V8 powerplant with 450bhp. That's enough to catapult you, your family and a whole load of shopping to 62mph in just 4.6 seconds. On an unrestricted autobahn it'll keep going until it hits an electronically limited 155mph maximum. If you're a regular autobahn driver and want to ensure you can rush past all the other cars limited to 155mph AMG will raise the limiter to 186mph. Handy.
Is it any good?
It's difficult to rationalise whether anyone actually needs a C-Class estate that's able to bend time with its performance. But people obviously like the idea of big power Mercs, as AMG has never been busier. The C-Class is the first Mercedes model where the team from AMG has been involved from the start of the design process. And it shows. The changes over the conventional C-Class estate are very extensive indeed, AMG moving the entire front axle forward to make more space to fit in its mighty 6.2-litre V8 engine. While moving the axle forward AMG also stiffened up the front by 100%, to the benefit of steering response.
That huge engine requires a lot of cooling, which explains the aggressively punctured front bumper, while the wider track front and rear and larger wheels necessitate the flared wheel arches. Around the back there are four huge exhausts, which not only look great but sound fantastic too. AMGs used to be like dragsters, all about straight-line performance and hopeless in the bends. That's not the case with the C63 estate, the C-Class which it's based on already impressive dynamically, AMG adding some heft and feel to the steering, stronger brakes and an engine that never feels anything less than explosive in its power delivery. The chassis has remarkable poise, though keen drivers will be disappointed that the C63 is only available with a 7-speed automatic transmission. It's good though, quick to shift and you can take control via paddles, but a proper manual would be even more fun. The ride is very firm, the body control good and the interior focussed, yet well equipped.
Should I call the bank manager?
Call your bank manager and tell them you're buying a C-Class estate and it's likely they'll be delighted at your sensible choice of transport. However, you might want to keep quiet that you're after the AMG version, particularly as it costs £52,570. Still, you could argue that in buying the C63 estate you won't need a supercar secreted away in the garage for weekend blasts - as the C63 will do that job nicely. Fuel consumption of around 20mpg on the combined cycle means you'll be hammering your debit card at the fuel pumps, but you'll be having too much fun to care.
Summary
AMG has turned the C-Class estate into a sensible supercar. Really, it's all the car any family driving fan could ever want. Agile and fun on winding roads, insanely fast and practical and comfortable too it's a phenomenally rounded performance car. Don't forget that it also offers up to 1,500-litres of carrying capacity. Try doing that in the Ferraris you'll be chasing...
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