Heart set on a V8 C63? They don't come much more special (or rare) than an Edition 1
By Matt Bird / Thursday, 21 December 2023 / Loading comments
It’s funny how perspective on a car can change in not very much time at all. Back when the turbo V8 C63 was new and the Edition 1 was on sale, it probably looked like most launch editions. Lots of money for not much extra (including some dubious graphics), highlighting to many just how good the standard offering looked.
That was 2016. While all the V8 C63s are more fondly looked upon now, an Edition 1 like this seems especially interesting. According to the ad here, just 23 UK cars were sold, making it especially rare given the thousands of standard ones out there. When the C63 was revised in 2018, bringing in the nine-speed auto, there wasn’t another Edition. Moreover, in a Mercedes-AMG universe that now includes cars like the EQE SUV, perhaps that old hunk of C-Class coupe – complete with those obscenely beefy tracks – daubed in some yellow isn’t so bad after all. And mock all you want about the yellow on the wheels, because they’re the optional forged wheels. Alongside the standard ceramic brakes, they should make a useful difference to the unsprung mass. No doubt somebody could make them silver if really needed.
There weren’t any substantial mechanical changes for the Edition 1. It was based on the flagship S, meaning 510hp from the 4.0-litre V8, marshalled to the rear wheels via an electronically controlled limited slip diff. (The keen among you will remember the 476hp non-S made do with a mechanical item). There was a seven-speed MCT auto, a multitude of settings and modes in the modern AMG way, and the kind of absorbing driving experience these ‘63 coupes became known for, helped in part by the bespoke rear axle that the saloon and wagon went without.
Always a pricey car (£76,895 seven years ago), this particular Edition 1 will have been at least £80k new thanks to the Motorsport package (which was £3k) and the AMG Drivers Pack, which cost £765 and raised the speed limit to 180mph. The forged wheels weren’t standard fit and it’s hard to imagine an Akrapovic exhaust was, either. This is a very lavishly specced AMG Mercedes.
A sparingly used one, too, covering just 25k in seven years, meaning everything from ceramic brake caliper to steering wheel alcantara looks near enough new. There’s no mention in the ad of history specifics (presumably looking at a C63 is quite distracting), though it looks to have lived a pretty pampered life. Even the quilted leather with contrast yellow stitching is holding up pretty well…
Alright, so an Edition 1 still won’t be to all tastes, perhaps a tad garish for those who prefer subtler AMGs. For those that are keen, however, there surely can’t be a better example, both in terms of spec and condition, among the other 22 sold in the UK. The £60k asking price also buys later, facelifted C63s, but you only need look at the values of similar limited-run AMGs to see the 1 is hardly an exception. Hardly like the future will make it any less desirable, either.
SPECIFICATION | MERCEDES-AMG C63 S COUPE EDITION 1
Engine: 3,982cc twin-turbo V8
Transmission: 7-speed auto with lock-up clutch (MCT), rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 510@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 516@1,750-4,500rpm
0-62mph: 3.9sec
Top speed: 155mph/180mph with AMG Driver’s Pack
MPG: 32.8 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 200g/km
Year registered: 2016
Recorded mileage: 25,000
Price new: £76,895 (standard, before options)
Yours for: £61,990
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