Mercedes C63 AMG review: 'Performance Pack' driven

The following is not something that would normally cross your mind when you drive an ‘ordinary’ Mercedes C63 AMG... “I know what this car could do with – a Performance Pack. The handling’s far too wallowy, and I can’t stand the fact it doesn’t get a limited-slip diff.”

But if you were in the 0.1 percentile of Mercedes C63 owners who thought like that, Merc has created the answer for you. The performance pack gives you a setof ceramic front brakes, an AMG Performance steering wheel with leather and Alcantara, a limited-slip diff and Performance suspension. There aren’t any power upgrades, but – let’s be honest here – it didn’t really need any of those.

And neither does it really need the other alterations. If you’re going to use your C63 regularly on track days, then yes, the LSD makes sense. It’ll give you more control. But, on the road, you’ll almost certainly never notice the difference. You’re just not pushing the boundaries enough, or you shouldn’t be, anyway.

And the AMG Performance suspension has killed the ride quality. The normal C63 is hardly the last word in comfort, but this new suspension has even less give. Driving hard over our B-roads actually becomes quite tricky, because the car is moving around so much underneath you.

Not that this turns the AMG into a bad car. It’s just I’d rather spend my £3,210 elsewhere.