Sometimes, not everything new is better. Just ask Mercedes and VW
What’s all this then?
The peak before the fall of two German automotive legends.
So all hail the last (at least so far) Mercedes-AMG C63 blessed with the bi-turbo V8 engine and the final Golf GTIs before the digitalised Mk8 arrived with its infuriating MIB infotainment.
Actual bargains?
Yep, the AMG starts from under £30k for 2016 models (often with under 50k miles, reined in by V8 thirst), while even facelifted 2018-on cars can be yours for under £40k – less than half AMG’s new four-cylinder hybrid models.
It’s £15.5k to get into a Mk7 GTI with the Performance Pack, which added 10bhp, a locking front diff and upgraded brakes.
VW the upped the ante with the 2017 ‘Mk7.5’ facelift that revised the bumpers and lights, boosted the Performance Pack by another 15bhp and introduced a digital driver’s display and posher touchscreen. Mk7.5s start around £18k for early 2017 cars with high mileages, Performance Packs cost a bit more.
What did CAR say at the time?
I tested the outgoing C63 against the then-new M3 and was impressed just how close the AMG ran its rival. ‘Like the M3, the AMG quickly communicates its structural stiffness… but rides with a more deeply cushioned pliancy… has meatier weight and enhanced feel through its more relaxed and arguably more natural-feeling fixed-ratio steering. The chassis also brims with bite and road-surface texture (and no shortage of road noise fizzing up from presumably super-stiff bushings).’
Pedalling an early facelift Mk7.5 GTI over dark Welsh roads, I said: ‘The Golf is fabulous here, because everything is in such perfect balance: the easy lightness and linearity of its steering, the six-speed manual’s crisp action, the eager performance that indulges the wrong gear here or there. You can drive the GTI right to the edge of its capabilities, feeling entertained yet safe.’
Can a grown-up endorse your enthusiasm?
‘By replacing the V8 with a four-cylinder hybrid, Mercedes has ripped out the heart of the latest C63 and it’s no surprise to hear sales are struggling. But it also means the previous generation now has an increasingly strong cult following,’ says Tom Jaconelli of Romans International. ‘Look for an example with the Premium or Premium Plus pack to get the key luxury amenities, while the carbonfibre packs and carbon-cera
