Lexus RC F vs Mercedes-Benz C63

What's the difference?

Ford’s growling Mustang GT isn’t the only rear-wheel drive performance coupe powered by a naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre V8 engine on the Australian new car market.

Pfft! Those things are everywhere. If you’re willing to literally double-down and spend twice the pony car’s circa $65K asking price, the Lexus RC F comes into range; the Japanese luxury brand’s take on a two-door, four-seat, muscle car.

Rather than wrestling with the blue oval, it’s a challenger to the German ‘Big Three’, pitching its deep-breathing, high-revving atmo power against shove-in-back, low-down, turbo-torque.  

We spent a week behind the wheel to see how this mature, but recently updated machine, measures up in 2020.

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.