2017 Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe: First Drive
What's the first car you'd buy if you won the lottery?
It's a question we've all been asked and probably all have an answer to. For a lot of people, it's a hypercar like the McLaren P1 or Porsche 918 Spyder. For others, it's a classic like a Shelby AC Cobra or a Jaguar E-Type. For me, it's the Mercedes-AMG S65 Coupe.
I completely understand why someone would spend their hypothetical lottery winnings on any of the other cars I mentioned, but they'd all make terrible daily drivers. The S65 Coupe, on the other hand, is a rare combination of incredible luxury, insane power, and comparatively subtle styling. Obviously, there's nothing subtle about the sound of the car's twin-turbo V12, but compared to a Ferrari 488 GTB or Lamborghini Huracan, you're going to fly under the radar much better in the AMG.
But considering the S65 Coupe's $234,050 base price, a normal guy like me would have to win the lottery to ever put one in his garage.
Except Mercedes-AMG also recently got its hands on the similarly styled C-Class Coupe, and as it turns out, you can get the S65 Coupe's cool-guy swagger in a much-less expensive package. That's the C43 Coupe.
Wearing glossy red paint, the C43 looks classy and elegant in a way the BMW 4 Series can't match. It's missing the swollen fender flares of the C63, but unless you're parked next to one, no one is going to notice. All they're going to see is one of the best-looking coupes you can buy new today.
Mercedes has shied away from hard edges and distinct lines, instead using flowing curves to create the coupe's shape. Especially in this glossy paint, it looks like it's made from blown glass and not sheetmetal. And while the front end is all C-Class, the large rear end and sweeping roofline make sure you don't mistake it for anything but a coupe.
Inside, it's pretty much a standard C-Class, which if you've driven one lately, is a wonderful thing. No, the infotainment screen still isn't cleanly integrated into the dash, but that's something the rest of the cabin's elegant design easily makes up for. Plus, there's room in the back seats for people with legs. They can't have long legs, but at least they can have them.
But when you turn the car on, that's when the real fun begins. If you spring for the sports exhaust (and you should), it sounds absolutely incredible. It growls and snarls angrily, like a C63 that's been told to behave. And on downshifts, it pops and crackles, encouraging you to unleash your inner hooligan. If you're cross-shopping this with the 4 Series, the exhaust note is definitely a point in the C43's favor.
And thankfully, unlike the C450 sedan I drove a few months ago, the C43 has Mercedes' nine-speed transmission now. As with the SL450 with the same engine-transmission combination, it makes the C43 feel much quicker. Mercedes quotes a 0-60 mph time of 4.7 seconds, a tenth of a second quicker than the sedan, but judging by the seat of my pants, I suspect it's even quicker than that.
This time, it actually feels like the twin-turbo V6 has all 362 horsepower and 384 lb.-ft. of torque being advertised. It's not quite a supercar for the real world quite like C63 is or the leather-clad rocket ship the S65 is, but on public roads, the C43 is plenty fast. And when you put the car in one of its sportier settings, the transmission does a great job of keeping the revs up and minimizing turbo lag.
Thanks to the adjustable suspension, you have the option of putting the car in Comfort, Eco, and Sport modes, but I suspect most enthusiasts will choose to leave it on the sportiest setting, Sport+. It's certainly firm, but only the bumpiest of city streets will be too uncomfortable. The payoff, of course, comes any time the road gets twisty.
On the winding back roads we were driving, the C43 proved to be a plenty capable handler. Its all-wheel-drive system defaults to sending 69 percent of its power to the rear wheels, which makes the car feel more nimble than it would otherwise. And the abundance of grip means you can safely carry a significant amount of speed through every corner.
But at the same time, the steering can be vague and lacks feel. That's fine on a city street but it isn't what you want on a backroad.
However, the C43 has a swagger and a presence that makes it feel special in a way the 4 Series can't touch. Nor can most any other car in the sub-$60,000 price bracket. Its combination of luxury coupe style and sports coupe performance isn't something you see very often these days. It both oozes class and excites your soul.
In a sense, it's a lottery car you don't have to win the lottery to afford.
