Chevrolet Corvette vs Mercedes-Benz C63

What's the difference?

For many, Chevrolet’s repositioning of the engine in its Corvette from the nose to behind its passengers was a shock, although Chevy had seemingly been itching to make the shift since showing its XP-880 Astro II concept car close to 60 years ago.

But the idea of an electric motor in ‘America’s Sports Car’ was probably even more confronting.

However, when you add the critical detail that the petrol-electric hybrid E-Ray version of the current C8 Corvette puts out 488kW (655hp) and 806Nm, surely fears the end is nigh for muscle car enthusiasts ebb away.

The C8 ‘Vette has been with us for five years, blurring the line between traditional US-style performance and mid-engine Euro exotics, maintaining good ol' boy naturally aspirated V8 power but locating it between the axles, and in the E-Ray, hooking it up with a chunky electric drive unit up front.

There are potential changes on the horizon, with the even more thunderous Corvette Grand Sport X hybrid lurking in the wings. But right now, this is Chevrolet’s hybrid hero.

Could this cut-price supercar be your next four-wheeled piece of mechanical pride and joy?

If you know the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S, you know it’s a hardcore V8 thumper with little in the way of bashfulness. It’s a brawler. A beast. 

Now there’s an even more eye-catching AMG C 63 S Coupe, which we’re testing here. It’s the Aero Edition - a collector’s version of the current-generation C 63 S Coupe with a bit more visual bling that also helps it stick to the road better.

It is a local area special edition, with only 63 examples to be sold across Australia and New Zealand. And if the rumours are true, the next-generation will see the V8 engine in danger of being axed in favour of a hybrid, high-performance four-cylinder version. Say it ain’t so! 

Well, if the CarsGuide crystal ball turns out to be right, maybe one of these C 63 S Aero Editions is worth getting in your garage quick-smart. Or is it? Let’s go through the criteria and see how it stacks up.