Mercedes-AMG C 43
BBC TopGear India|February 2017

The Crazy C 63 Gets A Younger Sibling And It’s Here To Make Us Lesser Mortals Look Good.

Devesh Shobha
Mercedes-AMG C 43

Why has Mercedes bothered with another hot variant of the C-class when we already have the C 63? With the launch of the C 43, will Mercedes discontinue the C 63 in the wake of downsizing and saving the world? What’s the point of transforming a family car into a crazy sedan and then dialling it down a couple of notches? Does the C 43 even justify the full-blown AMG badge on its boot?

These are the sort of questions that popped up when we first heard of a baby C-class AMG taking shape. So, to find some answers, we headed to the Buddh International Circuit, Noida – a setting where the C 43 could be tested properly – to decide for ourselves if it deserves a place in the AMG family. And after throwing around the 43 for over 10 hot laps, it’s quite evident why Mercedes bothered with this “semi hot” variant of the C-class.

So far, Merc only sold the S version of the C 63 in India, powered by a 504bhp, 700Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that sends all that power strictly to the rear wheels via a seven-speed gearbox. Sure, it’s a recipe for great fun, but for amateur drivers – TopGear’s unscientific study pegs that number at roughly 87 percent of Indians – things could easily get embarrassing when pushed hard.

That’s where the C 43 steps in. Mercedes has managed to make a crazy fast car into an idiot-proof tool and we aren’t complaining. Powered by a smaller 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol, the C 43 only has 362 horses and 520 Newtons to play with – that’s almost a 30 per cent drop in power compared to the 63 S. But for someone who’s stepping up from a family sedan, those figures should suffice. 

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2017 من BBC TopGear India.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2017 من BBC TopGear India.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

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