W205 C63 or AMG GT S/R
Discussion
Thinking of changing the weekend/toy car, currently I have an M8 Comp.
Usage is weekly commute in London and some weekend blasts.
Hard requiremens include high build quality (hate rattles etc), reliability (I have zero interest in spending time dealing with dealerships and repairs) and ease to resell after 12-18 months (which is how often I change the toy car). For those reasons I’ve ruled out 570s and most likely Aston Martins, too.
I’d love a really nice interior which would suggest a vote for AMG GT. Budget can be stretched to £100-120k so it really comes down to choosing the most appropriate car.
Has anyone owned or driven both?
Usage is weekly commute in London and some weekend blasts.
Hard requiremens include high build quality (hate rattles etc), reliability (I have zero interest in spending time dealing with dealerships and repairs) and ease to resell after 12-18 months (which is how often I change the toy car). For those reasons I’ve ruled out 570s and most likely Aston Martins, too.
I’d love a really nice interior which would suggest a vote for AMG GT. Budget can be stretched to £100-120k so it really comes down to choosing the most appropriate car.
Has anyone owned or driven both?
You’ve driven both the AMG GT and R8 then?
I’ve had a Huracan for a weekend once and agree it was incredible. Wifey drew the line at Lambo though, apparently a middle aged loser’s car;) R8 looks much more subtle.
I’ll check those out. One dilemma I already see coming is 2019 are the facelift cars which I’d prefer but 2018 and earlier will probably sound better
I’ve had a Huracan for a weekend once and agree it was incredible. Wifey drew the line at Lambo though, apparently a middle aged loser’s car;) R8 looks much more subtle.
I’ll check those out. One dilemma I already see coming is 2019 are the facelift cars which I’d prefer but 2018 and earlier will probably sound better
Having driven both, although they share many components they are both pretty different.
C63 - Muscle car - (assuming coupe to relate to the GT) more usable everyday but then the most normal. The back seats are small but short journeys could be possible. Dont discount the facelift either, they still sound brilliant! Facelift does have a slightly better infotainment, digi instruments.
GT/GTS - Muscle/GT car - (assuming 2door and not the 4 door) middle ground, feel really special and design standing test of time well. Long bonnet, Wide sills and the interior is slightly less ergonomic. Facelift doesnt do much on these, avoid the later ones (with digi dials) though as they do add sound in through the speakers.
GTR - GT/Track car - Hardcore dailyable, can be soft-er by having the normal seats without the track pack... but still 911 GT3 ish suspension. Rarer though, better as a toy in the garage than a daily but peoole have daily driven harder.
Other points - AMG Performance seats are firm for longer journeys but amazingly supportive, heated bucket seats are amazing as well. Neither are great in slippy conditions, both have suprisingly big boots.
The AMG 4.0 isnt the old 6.2 but it is still quite a beast! Sound is amazing, power is good and so is reliability. GTs can have transmission issues but its not common and most MB dealers know how to work on them and parts are pretty readily avalible.
Both will always be sought after, they are the last of an era. New GT is much more GT than muscle and the people who buy them want the muscle. Then the new 2.0 C63 may have better stats, but its not got the drama that AMG customers want.
Any other questions let me know!
C63 - Muscle car - (assuming coupe to relate to the GT) more usable everyday but then the most normal. The back seats are small but short journeys could be possible. Dont discount the facelift either, they still sound brilliant! Facelift does have a slightly better infotainment, digi instruments.
GT/GTS - Muscle/GT car - (assuming 2door and not the 4 door) middle ground, feel really special and design standing test of time well. Long bonnet, Wide sills and the interior is slightly less ergonomic. Facelift doesnt do much on these, avoid the later ones (with digi dials) though as they do add sound in through the speakers.
GTR - GT/Track car - Hardcore dailyable, can be soft-er by having the normal seats without the track pack... but still 911 GT3 ish suspension. Rarer though, better as a toy in the garage than a daily but peoole have daily driven harder.
Other points - AMG Performance seats are firm for longer journeys but amazingly supportive, heated bucket seats are amazing as well. Neither are great in slippy conditions, both have suprisingly big boots.
The AMG 4.0 isnt the old 6.2 but it is still quite a beast! Sound is amazing, power is good and so is reliability. GTs can have transmission issues but its not common and most MB dealers know how to work on them and parts are pretty readily avalible.
Both will always be sought after, they are the last of an era. New GT is much more GT than muscle and the people who buy them want the muscle. Then the new 2.0 C63 may have better stats, but its not got the drama that AMG customers want.
Any other questions let me know!
Edited by BEARDYB0Y on Wednesday 18th December 21:46
BEARDYB0Y said:
Having driven both, although they share many components they are both pretty different.
C63 - Muscle car - (assuming coupe to relate to the GT) more usable everyday but then the most normal. The back seats are small but short journeys could be possible. Dont discount the facelift either, they still sound brilliant! Facelift does have a slightly better infotainment, digi instruments.
GT/GTS - Muscle/GT car - (assuming 2door and not the 4 door) middle ground, feel really special and design standing test of time well. Long bonnet, Wide sills and the interior is slightly less ergonomic. Facelift doesnt do much on these, avoid the later ones (with digi dials) though as they do add sound in through the speakers.
GTR - GT/Track car - Hardcore dailyable, can be soft-er by having the normal seats without the track pack... but still 911 GT3 ish suspension. Rarer though, better as a toy in the garage than a daily but peoole have daily driven harder.
Other points - AMG Performance seats are firm for longer journeys but amazingly supportive, heated bucket seats are amazing as well. Neither are great in slippy conditions, both have suprisingly big boots.
The AMG 4.0 isnt the old 6.2 but it is still quite a beast! Sound is amazing, power is good and so is reliability. GTs can have transmission issues but its not common and most MB dealers know how to work on them and parts are pretty readily avalible.
Both will always be sought after, they are the last of an era. New GT is much more GT than muscle and the people who buy them want the muscle. Then the new 2.0 C63 may have better stats, but its not got the drama that AMG customers want.
Any other questions let me know!
Thanks, very helpfulC63 - Muscle car - (assuming coupe to relate to the GT) more usable everyday but then the most normal. The back seats are small but short journeys could be possible. Dont discount the facelift either, they still sound brilliant! Facelift does have a slightly better infotainment, digi instruments.
GT/GTS - Muscle/GT car - (assuming 2door and not the 4 door) middle ground, feel really special and design standing test of time well. Long bonnet, Wide sills and the interior is slightly less ergonomic. Facelift doesnt do much on these, avoid the later ones (with digi dials) though as they do add sound in through the speakers.
GTR - GT/Track car - Hardcore dailyable, can be soft-er by having the normal seats without the track pack... but still 911 GT3 ish suspension. Rarer though, better as a toy in the garage than a daily but peoole have daily driven harder.
Other points - AMG Performance seats are firm for longer journeys but amazingly supportive, heated bucket seats are amazing as well. Neither are great in slippy conditions, both have suprisingly big boots.
The AMG 4.0 isnt the old 6.2 but it is still quite a beast! Sound is amazing, power is good and so is reliability. GTs can have transmission issues but its not common and most MB dealers know how to work on them and parts are pretty readily avalible.
Both will always be sought after, they are the last of an era. New GT is much more GT than muscle and the people who buy them want the muscle. Then the new 2.0 C63 may have better stats, but its not got the drama that AMG customers want.
Any other questions let me know!
Edited by BEARDYB0Y on Wednesday 18th December 21:46
I definitely want the car to feel special - there is zero need for it to be particularly practical - so that would point to AMG GT S/R vs C63.
Sound - do 2020/22 cars sound much worse than 2018/2019 (due to GPF)? With any model I’m considering there is this tradeoff, unfortunately; newer cars have better tech, CarPlay (a must for me), but also sound a bit worse/quieter
Interior quality - any issues/rattles in the AMGs you’ve had?
pmn3 said:
Thanks, very helpful
I definitely want the car to feel special - there is zero need for it to be particularly practical - so that would point to AMG GT S/R vs C63.
Sound - do 2020/22 cars sound much worse than 2018/2019 (due to GPF)? With any model I’m considering there is this tradeoff, unfortunately; newer cars have better tech, CarPlay (a must for me), but also sound a bit worse/quieter
Interior quality - any issues/rattles in the AMGs you’ve had?
I agree the R8, whilst amazing, is not that special, more or less an overgrown TT.I definitely want the car to feel special - there is zero need for it to be particularly practical - so that would point to AMG GT S/R vs C63.
Sound - do 2020/22 cars sound much worse than 2018/2019 (due to GPF)? With any model I’m considering there is this tradeoff, unfortunately; newer cars have better tech, CarPlay (a must for me), but also sound a bit worse/quieter
Interior quality - any issues/rattles in the AMGs you’ve had?
I would love an AMG GTR, a bit more special than a C63.
pmn3 said:
Thanks, very helpful
I definitely want the car to feel special - there is zero need for it to be particularly practical - so that would point to AMG GT S/R vs C63.
Sound - do 2020/22 cars sound much worse than 2018/2019 (due to GPF)? With any model I’m considering there is this tradeoff, unfortunately; newer cars have better tech, CarPlay (a must for me), but also sound a bit worse/quieter
Interior quality - any issues/rattles in the AMGs you’ve had?
The last C63 I drove was a very very last off the line 2023 model and it still sounded fabulous! Maybe slightly deeper and less harsh than the 2016 prefacelifts but still amazing. The facelift C class being released in 2018 was right before all the noise regs spoilt everything. Because they came out before the updated regs, production continued with the old regs right up until 2023. I definitely want the car to feel special - there is zero need for it to be particularly practical - so that would point to AMG GT S/R vs C63.
Sound - do 2020/22 cars sound much worse than 2018/2019 (due to GPF)? With any model I’m considering there is this tradeoff, unfortunately; newer cars have better tech, CarPlay (a must for me), but also sound a bit worse/quieter
Interior quality - any issues/rattles in the AMGs you’ve had?
Facelift GTs came out in 2019/20 so complied with the new regs. They still sound decent but the synthesised sound through the speakers ruins it for me no matter how good it is from the outside. You can however get a few 2018/19 cars with the facelift infotainment but pre synthesised sound. Try and get one without the digital buttons down the center console as generally those were the later regulation restricted models
You can get aftermarket carplay/andriod auto fitted to older models but I woukd never really bother. Im not a big tech chaser. Just make sure you get someone who knows what they are doing, some installs are horrific!
Quality is good on both. Interior materials on the facelift C63 are slightly better than pre facelift but all are good. (The black plastic trim on older C class is pretty naff though, you can fit the nicer wood or carbon trims but its seriously expensive) Id take rattles on a case by case basis, I couldn't point to one model and say that will be worse than another.
(Yes I am a bit of an AMG nerd... and every car has to sound good to be worth buying!)
I have a 2018 C63S coupe, owned it for 4 years. Originally wanted a 911 but they just didn't do it for me despite how hard I tried.
Looked at a couple of AMG GT's and while they were probably 10% more special with the bespoke interior, lower seating position, long bonnet, rear mounted gearbox and race car styling I simply wanted a big, loud V8 and decided the AMG GT was a bit much for what I needed it for. The C63 has more power, grip and handling than you can use on the UK roads by a long way.
I use the rear seats in the C63 a from time to time, even taken it to LeMans with a couple of mates which was a squeeze with all the camping gear.
Looked at a couple of AMG GT's and while they were probably 10% more special with the bespoke interior, lower seating position, long bonnet, rear mounted gearbox and race car styling I simply wanted a big, loud V8 and decided the AMG GT was a bit much for what I needed it for. The C63 has more power, grip and handling than you can use on the UK roads by a long way.
I use the rear seats in the C63 a from time to time, even taken it to LeMans with a couple of mates which was a squeeze with all the camping gear.
They're both awesome cars but quite different, if you are quite conscious about build quality the GT interior is better put together as the C-Class after all is still a C-Class, its by no means bad but there is a difference when you compare with E-Class or higher in the range.
On the subject of interior quality for the GT, I'm not a big fan of the LCD screen switches that used in the facelift cars, the steering wheel controls I can live with as they function well but the centre console switches are bit iffy for me, I would live with it though as the telematics system in the facelift cars is much better.
Go and get a drive in both the options and I think you'll find your answer there, I've done a good bit of seat time in both and they are very both very good, personally I enjoy the the less extreme spec GT's as a great daily driver and true GT car.
Either option, defo worth considering an extended warranty, the transmissions in the GT's can have problems and not very serviceable for low level repairs. All parts and repairs on theses cars will come with a hefty price tag but I can't imagine you M8 will be much different on this front
On the subject of interior quality for the GT, I'm not a big fan of the LCD screen switches that used in the facelift cars, the steering wheel controls I can live with as they function well but the centre console switches are bit iffy for me, I would live with it though as the telematics system in the facelift cars is much better.
Go and get a drive in both the options and I think you'll find your answer there, I've done a good bit of seat time in both and they are very both very good, personally I enjoy the the less extreme spec GT's as a great daily driver and true GT car.
Either option, defo worth considering an extended warranty, the transmissions in the GT's can have problems and not very serviceable for low level repairs. All parts and repairs on theses cars will come with a hefty price tag but I can't imagine you M8 will be much different on this front
After owning a Gtr, imo it doesn't know what it wants to be, too harshly sprung for the road I.e GT car and too heavy to make a decent track car plus the 4 wheel steer takes some getting used to.
I had a 570s before and scouring the classifieds to get back into a Mclaren, I had a 1.5 years without issue, they really shouldn't be discounted as reliability issues are more Internet hear say than actual ownership experience
I had a 570s before and scouring the classifieds to get back into a Mclaren, I had a 1.5 years without issue, they really shouldn't be discounted as reliability issues are more Internet hear say than actual ownership experience
I wanted a GT-R for the engine sound, driving position and Merc interior. I somehow had the impression that the V8 engine in those AMG GT’s sounds special, maybe that isn’t the case…
As for 570s, I had one for a weekend and loved it. It was a rental though so I knew I wouldn’t have to deal with any repairs or issues. I did consider a 720s now as it’s within budget.
As for 570s, I had one for a weekend and loved it. It was a rental though so I knew I wouldn’t have to deal with any repairs or issues. I did consider a 720s now as it’s within budget.
Edited by pmn3 on Wednesday 25th December 20:26
Streetbeat said:
After owning a Gtr, imo it doesn't know what it wants to be, too harshly sprung for the road I.e GT car and too heavy to make a decent track car plus the 4 wheel steer takes some getting used to.
I had a 570s before and scouring the classifieds to get back into a Mclaren, I had a 1.5 years without issue, they really shouldn't be discounted as reliability issues are more Internet hear say than actual ownership experience
OP - try a GTC. Best bits of the R (wide body, 4ws) but a little toned down.I had a 570s before and scouring the classifieds to get back into a Mclaren, I had a 1.5 years without issue, they really shouldn't be discounted as reliability issues are more Internet hear say than actual ownership experience
Sits between the s and the r but very often overlooked
Some owner experiences here > https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
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