Despite a domestic new-vehicle market struggling to remain in positive territory this year, Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) aims to increase sales of its AMG performance brand by 32% this year.

This will add to the 63% growth seen from 2013 to 2014, when sales rocketed to 1 600 AMG units, says MBSA AMG head Marcel Perez.

The German carmarker is working all out, on a global scale, to boost AMG sales, with 50 000 vehicles sold in 2014. By 2020, the goal is to increase this to 150 000 units, notes MBSA Cars marketing director Selvin Govender.

He believes the rather pricey AMG brand’s growth spurt is being fuelled by the expansion of the brand portfolio to include more affordable models in the lower-priced A-Class range, which has seen a number of buyers migrate from other brands to Mercedes-Benz.

The least expensive AMG car is the A 45 AMG, priced at around R700 000.

Perez adds that AMG has been developed as a lifestyle, and “not just a car”, which has contributed to its success.

Govender also notes that the wealthiest 10% of car buyers in South Africa, at which the AMG brand is targeted, have proved resilient in the face of current economic turmoil.

South Africa is the world’s tenth-biggest AMG market, with Russia and Canada just ahead of the local market. The biggest AMG markets are China, the US, Japan and Germany, says Perez.

In South Africa, around 5% of all Mercedes-Benz sales in 2014 were AMG cars.

“We are aiming for this to be 7.5% in 2015,” says Perez.

The global AMG portfolio is expected to expand from 29 model derivatives to 40 by 2020.

The AMG brand is 48 years old.

The New C 63 AMG
To date, the C 63 AMG has been the volume seller in the AMG stable, with 47 000 units sold globally since 2007.

The new model, with its multitude of driver options and safety features, remains the “perfect car for the professional driver”, says Govender.

The sports sedan features a 4 ℓ, V8 biturbo engine, with the output ranging from 350 kW for the C 63 to 375 kW for the C 63 S.

The engine is hand-assembled in Affalterbach, Germany, according to the ‘one person, one engine’ principle, with the engine badge bearing the engine technician’s signature.

Peak torque is 650 Nm for the C 63, and 700 Nm for the C 63 S.

The power-to-weight ratio comes in at an excellent 3.2 kg/hp for the C 63 S, and 3.4 kg/hp for the C 63.

and the C 63 S takes 4 seconds.

The top speed is limited to 250 km/h, or 290 km/h, if the AMG Driver’s Package is included.

Fuel consumption is 8.2 ℓ/100 km, says Govender, which is 32% less than the previous model with its naturally aspirated 6.3 ℓ V8 engine.

Sounds Like . . .
No one driving a performance car wants this million-rand purchase to sound like an electric vehicle. This means both C 63 models feature a sports exhaust system with special exhaust flap technology.

Depending on the transmission mode selected, the engine note varies between a subdued tiptoe for long-distance tours to more throaty for emotional appeal. Or, as Govender puts it: “It varies between ‘don’t wake up the neighbours’, to ‘I’m driving a supercar, for heaven’s sake’ ”.

A performance exhaust system with three selectable exhaust flaps is also available as an option for both engine variants.

This gives the driver an even wider sound range: in the ‘Comfort’ transmission mode, the engine note is comfortable and discreet, while in ‘Sport +’ and ‘Race’, the V8 sound is far more dominant and reminiscent of a racing touring car – including audible upshifts and pronounced throttle blips.

The Mercedes-AMG C 63 S and C 63 come standard with a six-year/100 000 km maintenance plan.

The Mercedes-AMG C 63 S is priced at R1.16-million, and the Mercedes-AMG C 63 at R1-million.