It’s Official: Mercedes-Benz Unveils Hot C63 AMG Coupe Black Series

Well, it was no big secret (not after some tell-tales spilled the beans facing the Germans’ wrath) that Mercedes-Benz was planning to unveil the Black Series edition of its C63 AMG Coupe during the German Grand Prix at Nürburgring.

Now the company has gone ahead as planned and revealed the C63 AMG Coupe’s hardcore sibling, the C63 AMG Coupe Black Series. The most potent version of the C-Class Coupe does not stray away from the successful formula of the models that carried the Black Series tag before it.

The Black Series is powered by the "regular" C63 Coupe's naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 but thanks to AMG’s modifications that include forged pistons, conrods and crankshaft, a 50% bigger oil cooler and a new ECU, it churns out 517HP (60HP more than the standard model) and, more importantly, 620 Nm (457 lb-ft)of tarmac-tearing torque.

All this power is channeled to the 19-inch rear wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch AMG Speedshift transmission. The gearbox has four modes and its fastest gear change time, in Sport or Manual, is just 100 milliseconds. Performance is, of course, exceptional: the C63 AMG Black Series accelerates from a standstill to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 4.2 seconds.

The C63 AMG Coupe Black Series has a standard limited-slip differential. The novelty is that it’s electronically controlled and linked to the ESP stability control system, which itself has three settings, and unusually for a Mercedes, in its sportiest one is completely deactivated.

AMG’s engineers widened the front and rear tracks by 40 mm and 70 mm respectively, and also fitted stiffer anti-roll bars along with an adjustable coil-over sports suspension. The braking system comprises of 390 mm front and 360 mm rear discs, with six and four-piston calipers respectively.

Visually, the newest member of the Black Series clan gains a different front bumper with huge air intakes, bloated wheel arches, chunkier side sills and a redesigned rear bumper with quad exhausts.

Inside, the C63 AMG Black Series comes with a two-seat configuration, though Mercedes does offers a four-seat layout as an option. The car also gets red seat belts, a sport steering wheel covered in nappa leather and high-gloss black piano inserts on the dashboard along with the Black Series logo.

Mercedes-Benz offers two optional packages with self-explanatory names: the Track package, which features special Dunlop tires and a differential cooler, and the Aerodynamic package with carbonfibre aerodynamic aids on the front bumper and a carbonfibre rear spoiler.

Sales of the new C6 AMG Coupe Black Series are expected to commence in January, with a starting price in Germany of €115,430 ($165,722).

On a side note, Mercedes-Benz also announced that former McLaren-Mercedes F1 driver David Coulthard is the AMG divisions new ambassador. The 40-year old Scot will aid the AMG development team in testing and also take part in customer and press events starting with the campaign for the new, 557HP V8 biturbo E63 AMG.

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BMW Marks Returns to DTM with New M3 Coupe Concept Racer

New DTM racing cars are like public transportation: you wait for ages and then , all of a sudden, three or four buses appear at the same time. Just yesterday we posted Audi’s new entry into the German Touring Car Championship or, as it’s more commonly known, DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters). Today, BMW pulled the wraps off its new own DTM racer based on the coupe version of M3.

And mind you, unlike Audi, BMW revealed the M3 in the flesh clad in carbon fiber and looking quite menacing with its matte paint, flared wheel arches and aerodynamic package.

This isn’t the final form of the racer as BMW Motorsport’s engineers will hone it for its 2012 premiere. Set to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, it is powered by a 480HP V8 built according to the racing series’ new regulations.

This is the first time that BMW will officially participate in the DTM series since its departure in 1994.

“The DTM comeback sees BMW return to its roots” said member of the board Dr. Klaus Draeger. “We will be facing our main competitors in the premium sector and we are looking forward to this challenge. We have enjoyed great success in the past, and I am convinced we will follow on in 2012 where we left off”.

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen commented:

"The entire team at BMW Motorsport is approaching this exciting project with absolute commitment. We began making technical preparations following our declaration of intent in April, and established parameters for a high-performance vehicle concept for deployment in the DTM. The positive decision of the BMW Board of Management means we can now shift up a gear and give the green light for development."

Now we’ll have to wait for Mercedes’ competitor which will, more than likely, be based on the brand new C-Class Coupe. This three-way battle between the German premium automakers’ pumped-up coupes should be quite interesting to watch.

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New Audi A5 Coupe DTM Racing Concept to Replace A4 Sedan from 2012

Get excited DTM fans because there’s a new kid coming to town. We’re talking about Audi’s freshly revealed A5 Coupe racecar, internally named “R17,” that will replace the four-door A4 with which Audi has conquered the DTM title four times since 2004.

Ingolstadt’s new touring model is based on the facelifted A5 Coupe that was presented earlier this week and it complies with the new technical and safety regulations that will come in effect in the German touring model championship next year.

The new Audi A5 DTM sports a high-strength carbon-fiber monocoque combined with a steel tube cage. The racing model adopts the current A4 DTM’s V8 engine with some minor changes and an output or around 460-horses. A six-speed transmission will continue to be used as well.

For now, Audi has shared a trio of renderings of the A5 DTM but we’ll get the chance to see the real thing at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

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