2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Sedan and Estate: First Official Photos

This is the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, the performance version of the facelifted C-Class, which will make its official show debut at the 2011 Geneva Salon in early March. Available in both sedan and estate body styles, the C63 AMG receives a styling makeover as well as a series mechanical and chassis tweaks.

On the outside, the C63 AMG sports the same design changes as the rest of the range including the new L-shaped headlamps, adding to the mix a new aluminum hood, restyled bumpers with LED day time lights up front, a revised grille and specific alloy wheel designs. We don't have any photos of the interior yet, but the cabin will feature the standard model's revised dashboard spruced up with AMG-specific trim.

For the 2012 model year, the C63 AMG keeps the pre-facelift's naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 engine with 457HP and 600Nm or 442 lb-ft of peak torque, but gets the firm's new AMG speed-shift MCT 7-speed sports transmission, which helps improve fuel consumption by around ten percent to 12lt/100km [19.6 mpg US] for the sedan and 12.3 lt/100km for the Estate. The four door model completes the 0-100km/h [62mph] sprint in 4.5 seconds, while its Estate sibling in 4.6 seconds.

An available performance package pushes output to 487HP, allowing the sedan to reach 100km/h [62mph] in 4.4 seconds and the estate in 4.5 seconds.

AMG engineers have also tweaked the suspension settings promising improved handling characteristics.

The revised C63 AMG is expected to go on sale this summer.

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