While everyone expects blazing performance from a bright-red sports car, it’s those understated sleepers that’ll surprise you. And one of the most compelling of the bunch is the new Mercedes-Benz AMG C 43 4Matic sedan, a distinguished but not outrageously expensive four-door family automobile that just happens to have a Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1-derived engine under the hood—one of the most powerful 2.0-liter motors in the world.
Sure, there are plenty of AMG models that push more than 600 horsepower, including the new, mind-bendingly fast 671-horsepower C 63 S E Performance edition. But the South African-assembled C 43 and its 402-HP electric exhaust-gas turbocharged 2.0-liter powertrain create a middle ground that’s still plenty speedy, but compact enough to actually use all that power for fun drives in a land without Autobahns. Plus, it makes fantastic noises, just like its higher-output relatives, and its hybrid assist system even delivers an extra 13 horsepower of boost when required.
With a nine-speed automatic transmission, standard all-wheel drive, and a tremendously rigid ride-control suspension system, plus corner-carving and parking-simplifying rear-axle steering, drivers can push this amped-up C-Class platform to the limit. Rear seat room is consequently not quite as ample as E- or S-Class sedans, but there’s still room for passengers—provided they hang on.
For even more oomph, options including red brake calipers, a performance exhaust system, adaptive steering, and even electromagnetic dynamic engine mounts are some choice add-ons, plus a panoramic roof, 20-inch Maybach-styled wheels, and digital display LED headlamps to round out the package.
