One Weekend With: 2017 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet http://ift.tt/2wk4Exx
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Tuesday, August 1, 2017
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One Weekend With: 2017 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
GREENWICH, Connecticut — With a trip up the northeast corridor of I-95 to cover the 2017 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance on my schedule, I had to make sure I at least fit in. Arriving in a weathered six-cylinder Honda Accord to one of the country’s most opulent car shows would probably have resulted in at least a few people staring with disapproval, so you should’ve seen the grin on my face when Mercedes lent this 2017 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet to be my chariot.
Because the 2017 C63 S blends the elegance and pure brute force of AMG’s boot camp with a shrunken-down S63 Cabriolet form, it adds itself to the list of droptops that look good with their tops up. Though devoid of the S-Class ‘vert’s ginormous LCD screens, the C63 S is nicely appointed and features some of the best buckets I’ve occupied in quite a while. The materials are top-rate and no matter the situation, the C63 S’s confines provide a lovely refuge from just about anything plebian. If I had to complain about something, it would be the placement of the center infotainment screen. I never was a fan of the design and to me, it looks like an afterthought.
With its matte-black, multi-spoke AMG wheels, larger air dams in the front lower fascia, and pronounced haunches, the C63 S arrives to the party with plenty of curb swag, but in a sleek and subtle manner rather than a shouty one. Arriving to the 2017 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance just off I-95, the C63 S certainly got its fair share of smartphone camera time from eager young enthusiasts to old-timer collectors. That is, if the engine wasn’t enough to already announce my arrival.
When the AMG C-Class first arrived, it came with a naturally aspirated inline-six. As it evolved, it grew to offer the choice of six- or eight-cylinders, with the latest and greatest using a thundering ocho. Lifted straight from the AMG GT S, the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 sports 503 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, good for a 0-60 time of just 4.1 seconds. If you ever wanted to know what a sledgehammer feels like for acceleration, the C63 S’s turbo lag-free savage acceleration is a good place to start. It’s beyond easy to render anything behind to a spec in the rear-view at the flex of your right foot.
The seven-speed dual-clutch AMG SPEEDSHIFT cog swapper delivers beautifully throttle-matched downshifts with control at your disposal via the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Although a bit jerky around town, the box provides perfect upshifts and lightning quick downshifts. No matter the mode, correlating to the car’s driver selectable profiles (Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Race, Individual), the V8’s powerband will always be there to burn as many hydrocarbons at you desire.
Comfort relaxes the car to its most sedate state, putting the AMG Ride Control at its softest setting, exhaust at its quietest, and the throttle at its laziest. The power is still there if you need it, but in a hushed way. The ride also does a superb job at ironing out most of the road’s imperfections without sacrificing feel. Engaging Sport or Sport+ stiffens the suspension, quickens the gear changes and holds them longer, loudens the exhaust, and hastens the go-pedal. Put it in Race mode and the C63 S goes full-on Messerschmitt.
The engine cracks and burbles on the overrun as it revs down, and bellows under any sort of throttle. Unlike the Jaguar F-Type’s crackling, high-revving V8 sound, the C63 S beckons with a baritone roar.
But the C63 S Cabriolet isn’t without issues. Removing the roof off of any vehicle compromises structural rigidity, requiring engineers to reinforce the chassis. That increases weight, in addition to the added weight of the folding roof mechanism. Despite attempts to stiffen, the C63 S’s chassis still exhibits a bit of cowl shake, which results in pronounced chassis flex over rough surfaces. As a result, parts of the car like the steering column and the dashboard shudder over bumps. This also caused the C63 S’s cabin to develop squeaks and rattles with the top down.
Another downside is less predictable handling. Because of the extra chassis flexes and weight, full-fledged driving can be a bit of a handful and the feeling, unsettling. But the effects are only noticed when one pushed the C63 S above seven-tenths driving. Get the C63 S to bite at you and recovery is a bit trickier because of the chassis flex. Thankfully, stability control will keep you on the road. But turn any of the driver aids off, and you’d better be on you’re a-game.
Then there’s the price. The C63 S starts at $80,850, an average price for this amount of car. But as tested, this specific car is fully-loaded to the brim, it cracks the buck at $100,800. To some, that’s a lot of dough for just a “C-Class.” But it wouldn’t be just any ordinary C-Class, but $100,800 worth of AMG-modified C-Class. And altogether, you very much get $100,800 worth of car.
2017 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet Specifications
ON SALE Now PRICE $100,800 (as tested) ENGINE 4.0L twin-turbocharged 48-valve V8/503 hp @ 5,500-6,200 rpm, 516 lb-ft @ 1,750-4,500 rpm TRANSMISSION 7-speed twin-clutch automatic LAYOUT 2-door, 4-passenger, front-engine, RWD convertible EPA MILEAGE 17/22 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 187 x 73.9 x 55.3 in WHEELBASE 111.8 in WEIGHT 4,226 lbs 0-60 MPH 4.1 sec TOP SPEED 174 mph
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July 2017 Auto Sales: A Slow Slide, As Expected
Hand-wringing and hype mark the two sides of the July auto sales coin, as they have pretty much since it became clear the U.S. market would start to retrench a bit after the back-to-back 17.5-million-unit years of 2015 and 2016.
By midday, while compiling these numbers for your perusal, analysts were estimating July 2017’s seasonally adjusted annual rate was 16.8-million, with incentives down slightly for the month.
Of the top four automakers in the U.S., General Motors, Ford Motor Company and FiatChrysler all were down heavily, while Toyota Motor Sales’ numbers rose slightly. Toyota sold 7,787 more vehicles in July ’17 than in July ’16 to pass Ford as the second-largest automaker in the U.S. The Toyota RAV4’s sales were up by 9,122.
The Detroit automakers are facing growing inventories of unsold models, especially GM, which is stocking up on full-size pickup trucks in anticipation of having to shut down and retool for all-new 2019 Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierras.
Pickup truck profit margins are so high that the Detroit Three can make lots of money off them, even with aggressive incentives. And they help drive up average transaction prices (ATPs), especially as suburban cowboys continue to buy nicely equipped models.
According to Kelly Blue Book/kbb.com’s Monthly Auto Sales Profile, released Tuesday morning, GM’s ATP for its four U.S. brands was $39,274 — though down 2.3 percent from July ’16, up 0.4 percent over June ’17. Ford’s $38,445 was +2.4 percent/-0.7 percent, and FiatChrysler’s $36,834 was $36,834, +3.5 percent/-0.8 percent.
Toyota’s ATP (Toyota and Lexus) was just $31,217, -0.1 percent/-0.7 percent, American Honda’s (Honda and Acura) was $27,650, +1.6 percent/0.1 percent, KBB says, and Nissan North America’s (Nissan, Infiniti) ATP was $28,421, +3.3 percent/+1 percent.
Having shed many brands and such labor costs as the United Auto Worker’s job bank, and pension and health care costs, the Detroit Three, especially GM, are in better shape operating as stripped-down companies. Before it released falling sales data Tuesday morning, GM announced it had closed the sale of Opel and Vauxhall to PSA Group/Peugeot/Citroen. Its goal now is not to reclaim global sales leadership from Toyota and Volkswagen AG, but to remain profitable as it gets even smaller in anticipation of a transformation in the number of and manner in which we buy cars and trucks in the future.
And so, to the numbers …
1. General Motors: 226,107, off 15.4 percent.
- Chevrolet slid 15.3 percent to 151,502; GMC was off 7.3 percent to 47,412; Buick plummeted 30.5 percent to 15,966 and Cadillac lost 21.7 percent, to 11,227.
- Chevy Silverado was down 15.1 percent, to 45,966 and GMC Sierra was off 11 percent, to 19,963, though Chevy Colorado sales jumped 21.9 percent, to 11,206. GMC Canyon was down 21.8 percent to 2,761. Big truck sales totaled 65,929, and the midsize pickups added up to 13,967.
- Chevy Equinox was up 2.5 percent, to 23,524 and Malibu was off 10.8 percent, to 10,549. Cruze also slid, 10.5 percent, to 12,278.
- Corvette was off 10.6 percent, to 1,930, as Chevy sold 1,971 Bolts, and 1,518 Volts, the latter off 36.9 percent.
- GMC Yukon sales fell 6.6 percent, to 4,370, Yukon XL was off 5.3 percent, to 2,780 and Acadia was up 30.3 percent, to 9,722.
- Buick’s new Chinese-built Envision compact SUV was the brand’s only gainer, up 97.9 percent, to 2,812. Encore was off 6.3 percent, to 6,488.
- Although it’s a new model, the Buick LaCrosse plummeted 56.4 percent, to 1,028.
- At Cadillac, gainers were XT5, up 11.2 percent to 5,504, Escalade, up 2.6 percent to 1,748 and CT6, up 7.6 percent to 890.
- Cadillac ATS was down 63.3 percent, to 777 and CTS was down 40.1 percent, to 786, amid news the two cars would be combined into one CT5 sedan in the future. Escalade ESV was off 17.1 percent, to 978.
2. Toyota Motor Sales: 222,057, up 3.6 percent.
- Both the Toyota and Lexus divisions were up 3.6 percent, with Toyota at 193,155 and Lexus at 28,902.
- RAV4 was up 36.6 percent, to 41,804, to sail past Nissan Rogue, Honda CR-V, and Toyota’s own Camry, off 0.9 percent to 33,827, and Corolla, off 15 percent, to 28,333.
- Prius sales fell 26.1 percent, to 9,384.
- Toyota 86 sales were off 4 percent, to 655.
- Highlander sales rose 25 percent, to 19,017 for its best July, and 4Runner was up 2.9 percent, to 9,874.
- Tacoma was up 4.8 percent, to 17,372 while Tundra ticked up 0.7 percent, to 10,546.
- Lexus NX also had its best July, up 15.3 percent, to 5,406. RX was up 13 percent, to 9,632.
- Lexus ES sales rose 20.8 percent, to 6,641 as IS dropped by 29.4 percent, to 2,443.
3. Ford Motor Company: 200,212, off 7.5 percent.
- F-Series totaled 69,467, up 5.8 percent. Ford has sold 499,327 F-Series so far this year, up 8.3 percent over ’16 year-to-date.
- In Pony Car Wars, Mustang dropped by 35.1 percent, to 6,206, while Dodge Challenger was off 5 percent, to 5,333, though it still leads Chevy Camaro, off 14.6 percent, to 4,713.
- Escape was up 5.5 percent, to 27,716 and Fusion plummeted 42.2 percent, to 13,886.
- Explorer was up 12.9 percent, to 18,763, with the Explorer-based Police Interceptor Utility up 7.3 percent, to 2,766.
- Focus was up 18.1 percent, to 16,505, and Fiesta, likely on the chopping block for the U.S. market, was off 12.5 percent, to 3,582.
- Ford accounted for 191,337 units, off 7.7 percent, while Lincoln sold 8,875, off 2.5 percent.
- MKX was Lincoln’s bestseller, off 8.8 percent, to 2,422.
- MKC was off 0.4 percent, to 2,129.
- MKZ dropped by 19.2 percent, to 2,399.
- Lincoln sold 958 Continentals, topping Cadillac CT6 by 68 units
4. FiatChrysler: 161,447, off 10 percent.
- Jeep was off 12 percent, to 69,351, but last month the outgoing steel-bodied model of the Wrangler was not the culprit. Wrangler sales ticked up by 36 units (0 percent) to 18,698. Grand Cherokee had its best July since 2005, at 19,024, up 14 percent, and the new Compass was up 8 percent, to 7,528.
- Compass may have cannibalized Jeep Cherokee sales, however, which fell 23 percent, to 11,818. Renegade was off 12 percent, to 8,858, and the discontinued Patriot dropped 70 percent, to 3,425.
- Ram brand was up by 33 units (0 percent), to 44,090, with the pickup off 101 units (0 percent), to 39,708. ProMaster City had its best July, at 1,347, up 13 percent.
- Dodge Charger was up 9 percent, to 5,426, and Viper, which discontinues production this month, was up 14 percent, to 56.
- Dodge Charger was up 9 percent, to 5,426, and Journey was up 7 percent, to 6,800.
- Chrysler Pacifica had its best July, at 8,288, up 5 percent, though Dodge Caravan sales dropped 25 percent, to 7,503. Chrysler 300 was up 31 percent, to 3,090.
- Fiat lost 18 percent, to 2,244, with 500 off 6 percent, to 1,026, 500L down 24 percent, to 171 and 500X sliding 37 percent, to 597.
- The Fiat 124 Spider was off 30 units, to 450.
- Alfa Romeo was up, predictably, by 2,749 percent, to 1,225. The brand sold 1,104 Giulias and 99 Stelvios. The 4c was off 49 percent, to 22.
5. American Honda, 150,980, off 1.2 percent.
- Honda division was off 1.7 percent, to 136,803 and Acura was up 3.7 percent, to 14,177.
- Civic led, up 11.3 percent to 36,683, with CR-V off 11.8 percent, to 31,761 and Accord off 3.3 percent, to 30,903.
- HR-V sales rose 32.3 percent, to 9,779, while Pilot dropped by 3.5 percent, to 9,985.
- Odyssey was off 9.7 percent, to 10,134, and Ridgeline was down 26.5 percent, to 2,586.
- Acura RDX had a banner month, up 28.2 percent, to 5,539, to carry the division and stanch overall Honda sales. MDX slid 3.6 percent, to 4,727. TLX dropped by 20.1 percent, to 2,495. NSX rose 42.9 percent, to 30.
6. Nissan Group: 128,295, off 3.2 percent.
- Nissan division was off 4.1 percent, to 117,455, while Infiniti jumped 9 percent, to 10,840.
- Rogue remains the brand’s bestseller, but it dropped by 2.6 percent last month, to 32,425.
- Altima sales fell 10.6 percent, to 22,314 and Sentra was up 1 percent, to 18,724.
- With a new model on the way, Nissan’s Leaf EV jumped 20.7 percent, to 1,283.
- Pathfinder was off 8.4 percent, to 5,066, though Murano ticked up by 0.7 percent, to 6,314. NV200 had its best July, up 9.8 percent, to 1,625.
- QX60 was Infiniti’s bestseller, off 5.3 percent, to 3,505. Q50 was next, off 7.5 percent, to 2,596. The premium brand sold 729 QX30s.
7. Kia: 56,403, off 5.9 percent.
- Soul, off 1.5 percent to 12,961, was bestseller. Forte was closely behind, up 16.7 percent, to 12,022.
- Sorento was off 1.2 percent, to 9,734.
- Optima dropped 18.9 percent, to 7,933. Sportage sales fell 12 percent, to 7,135.
- Kia sold 2,753 Niros, more than twice the number of its electrified vehicle platform sibling, the Hyundai Ioniq.
8. Subaru: 55,703, up 6.9 percent.
- Though Hyundai leads Subaru by 40,110 for the first seven months of ’17, Subaru is ahead of Kia by 8,374 units for the same time period. Subaru says last month was its best July ever, marking 68 consecutive months of growth.
- If you think you’ve seen a lot of Outbacks in your neighborhood lately, yes, you have. Sales were up 19.6 percent, to 17,581. Legacy dropped by 27.4 percent, to 3,785.
- Forester ticked up by 2.9 percent, to 15,283. Crosstrek, just short of its replacement model, was off 6 percent, to 7,972.
- Impreza was up 49.6 percent, to 7,777, but WRX/STI dropped by 10.8 percent, to 2,933.
- BRZ was up 5.4 percent, to 372. Combined sales with Toyota 86 totaled 1,027, off 0.8 percent.
9. Hyundai: 54,063, off 28 percent.
- Last year’s sales of 75,003 was Hyundai’s best ever July, the automaker says.
- Elantra was off 35.6 percent, to 13,287, and Santa Fe sales fell 11.1 percent, to 12,749.
- Tucson dropped by 45.7 percent, to 11,257 and Sonata plummeted 48.4 percent, to 10,648.
- The only bright spots were the new Hyundai Ioniq, of which 1,252 were sold, and the Genesis G90, which was up 156 percent to 305, compared with last year’s Hyundai Equus. Genesis also sold 1,339 G80s, versus 47 Hyundai Genesises (Genesii?) this July and 2,117 Genesii last July. Genesis brand sold 1,644 last month.
10. Mercedes-Benz USA: 28,849, off 10.7 percent.
- The Mercedes brand was off 9.2 percent, to 25,909, while vans fell 15.7 percent, to 2,758 and Smart plummeted 63.1 percent, to 182.
- Benz’s car models took big hits, but the C-Class was still its bestseller, at 4,899, off 22.3 percent. GLC was up 17.3 percent, to 4,002.
- E-Class/CLS was off 25.8 percent, to 3,876 and GLE was off 12.1 percent, to 3,879.
- S-Class fell 17.6 percent, to 1,470. CLA-Class slipped 4.5 percent, to 2,181.
11. Volkswagen: 27,091, off 5.8 percent.
- Even 1,306 Atlas and 593 new Tiguan SUVs trickling through dealerships early in their production runs wasn’t enough to put VW in positive territory.
- Jetta sales fell 3.5 percent, to 11,053. Golf sales rose, though, by 4.3 percent, to 5,583. Beetle was down 11.1 percent, to 1,359.
- Passat plummeted 21.5 percent, to 5,143 and the old Tiguan fell 56.1 percent to 1,484.
12. Mazda: 27,089, off 3 percent.
- Three more Miatas, for an even 1,000, would have pushed Mazda ahead of VW for the month. Where were you, people?
- Mazda sold 11,402 CX-5s, up 5.3 percent.
- CX-9 was up 3.3 percent, to 2,318, and CX-3 was off 1.2 percent, to 1,481.
- Mazda3 was off 8.6 percent, to 7,407, and Mazda6 was off 19.8 percent, to 3,462.
- MX-5 Miata had a good month anyway, thanks in part to sales of the new RF, at 997, up 13.2 percent. Combined sales with the Fiat 124 Spider totaled 1,447, up 6.3 percent.
13. BMW Group: 26,363, off 13.7 percent.
- BMW dropped 14.8 percent, to 21,695 and Mini was off 7.9 percent, to 4,398.
- The 3 Series continues to slide, off 39.9 percent, to 4,084 as its two- and four-door coupe companion model, the 4 Series, rose 31.3 percent, to 2,866.
- The new 5 Series rose 12.4 percent, to 3,713. The 2 Series dropped by 22.1 percent, to 1,331. X1 was down 14.4 percent, to 1,824.
- On the SUV side, X5 was up 8.8 percent, to 2,986, and X3 was off 0.8 percent, to 2,657.
- Mini’s 2 Door was off 1 percent, to 808 and the 4 Door fell 40.4 percent, to 551.
- Countryman sales rose 2.8 percent, to 1,462, while Clubman slipped 0.5 percent, to 1,071.
14. Audi: 18,824, up 2.5 percent.
- Audi says the new Sportback, Cabriolet and coupe versions of the A5 pushed sales up 203 percent, to 2,255.
- Sales of the $50,000-plus Q7 continue to impress, up 44 percent, to 3,334.
- Q5 remains Audi’s bestseller, though off 15 percent, to 4,116. A4 was up 1.5 percent, to 2,652.
- Audi sold 2,300 A3s, off 24 percent, and 218 A3 e-trons, off 38 percent.
- TT sales slipped 14 percent, to 181 and R8 was off 17 percent, to 73.
15. Jaguar/Land Rover: 9,081, off 4 percent.
- Land Rover dropped by 2.6 percent, to 5,915 compared with its best July, last year.
- Jaguar was off 7 percent, to 3,166.
- Range Rover was up 21 percent, to 1,414, and Discovery Sport was up 9 percent, to 1,272.
- F-Pace remains the bestselling Jaguar, at 1,748 units.
16. Mitsubishi: 8,025, up 1.7 percent.
- Outlander carried the month with its best July ever, at 2,530, up 29.6 percent.
- Mirage also was up, by 21.9 percent, to 1,560.
- Outlander Sport remained the brand’s bestseller, but was off 17.9 percent, to 2,910.
- Lancer slid 6.2 percent, to 1,025.
17. Volvo: 6,967, off 18.8 percent.
- First month for the new XC60. Volvo sold 855 in the U.S., plus 1,329 of the old XC60s, off 36.6 percent.
- Though short on supply this year, the XC90 remained Volvo’s bestseller, off 12.7 percent to 2,521.
- S90 sales rose 230.1 percent, to 855. Volvo sold 47 V90s and 176 V90 CCs.
18. Porsche: 3,901, up 0.6 percent.
- The new Panamera was up by 49.1 percent, to 510. Bestseller was Macan, up 71.9 percent, to 1,600.
- Porsche sold 873 Cayennes, but that was off 18.2 percent.
- The 911 was down 27.2 percent, to 587. Boxster/Cayman sales fell 54.8 percent, to 331.
Luxury/Premium Brands, YTD:
- Mercedes-Benz 187,869
- BMW 171,051
- Lexus 162,662
- Audi 121,795
- Infiniti 89,983
Sports Cars and EVs, YTD:
- Chevrolet Corvette 15,637
- Chevrolet Volt 12,450
- Chevrolet Bolt 9,563
- Nissan Leaf 8,531
- Mazda Miata 7,970
- Toyota 86/Scion FR-S 4,391
Midsize cars, YTD:
- Toyota Camry 210,724
- Honda Accord 190,994
- Nissan Altima 168,598
- Ford Fusion 121,111
- Chevrolet Malibu 94,448
Compact CUVs, YTD:
- Nissan Rogue 228,114
- Toyota RAV4 226,570
- Honda CR-V 219,017
- Ford Escape 184,672
- Chevrolet Equinox 156,978
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Mid-Engine Chevrolet Corvette Spotted on Track
It’s been a few months since we’ve heard anything about the upcoming mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette, but these spy shots show the automaker is working hard. A prototype was recently spotted conducting track testing in full camouflage.
The engineers driving the car must have noticed the shooter, as they came to a stop on the track and quickly covered the car – which was already well camouflaged. The camo is different from the test mules we spotted earlier this year, and it may be hiding production bodywork. As covered up as this prototype may be, there’s no hiding its mid-engine proportions. The short dash-to-axle leaves little room for an engine up front, but there appears to be just enough space between the cabin and rear axle to fit a longitudinal V-8.
The model’s exact powertrain remains a mystery, but leaked documents suggest GM is preparing a dual-overhead-cam 6.2-liter V-8 for a Corvette model in 2018. A performance hybrid drivetrain remains another possibility. We know the mid-engine version isn’t the only Corvette in the works, as a front-engine C7 ZR1 is also expected. The mid-engine Corvette will be built alongside the C7 at GM’s Bowling Green plant in Kentucky. Production is said to begin by January 2019.
Here’s hoping we see the mid-engine ‘Vette start dropping cover soon.
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