In the late 2000s, a flock of European super-saloons arrived to prove that you could have the punch and charisma of a supercar in a more usable everyday package. Arguably, none mastered the art better than the fourth-generation Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.
The boffins at Affalterbach had lived in the shadow of their rivals at BMW M for too long so decided to do something about it with the W204 C63. They didn’t hold back.
The C63 was launched in 2008 with a thunderous, 6.2-litre atmo V8 that made 451bhp and 423lb ft and was good for 0-62mph in 4.5sec. It’s a characterful lump, too, barking into life with a sharp flurry of revs before settling down to a rich and bassy tone that’s the match of any full-bore muscle car.
The C63 was streets ahead of the contemporary BMW M3 in terms of performance, touting 43bhp and 147lb ft more than its Munich rival.
But AMG didn’t stop there. The optional Performance Pack Plus boosted output to 480bhp: that was more oomph than some of the hottest sports cars of the day, including the 997 Porsche 911 Carrera and the wild Corvette C6.
The C63 also appealed for its choice of bodystyles: you could have your V8 performance car in saloon, coupé or practical estate form.
For load-lugging and dog-carrying duties the C63 Estate was better than the RS4 Avant, with 495 litres of boot space compared with the Audi’s 460. Take that, Ingolstadt.