Mercedes-Benz C63 vs Chevrolet Corvette

What's the difference?

The Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Aero Edition is an absolute beast of a car, but it comes at a pretty hefty price. Yes you get a lot of performance, and the fact there are only 63 examples being made for Australia and New Zealand could be enough to get you to sign on the line. For me, though, if I was after a C 63, it’d have to be a wagon. It doesn’t need an Aero pack to look better.

The Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray offers hypercar-level performance, aggressive design and brilliant dynamics at a bargain-price relative to similarly-configured Euro exotics. Blending raw V8 grunt with front-axle electric power it delivers an exhilarating drive experience.

While things like ingress and egress are a challenge and warranty coverage is modest, the car’s immense capability makes it an attractive option for anyone wanting a high-performance mid-engine machine without the astronomical price tag of a ‘traditional’ supercar.

I’ve never been the biggest fan of the current C-Class Coupe’s styling. To me, it has always looked a little droopy, a little melted at the back. 

I have to say, the Aero Edition has changed my opinion somewhat, as the new graphic elements help lift it up a bit, visually raising its rear up like a stretching cat, tail in the air. I’m still not 100 per cent on it, but to my eye it’s better.

The carbon-fibre trim elements that have been added to the exterior certainly add some menace to the look, too, and I simply can’t help but constantly notice out of the corner of my eye the AMG pressing in the staggered, dished rims. At a glimpse, from a distance,  it looks like rim damage, but thankfully it’s not!

The staggered set-up does really add some width and mongrel to the look, as if it needed more, with its open maw lower bumper air dam, and the signature 'Panamericana' grille treatment which looks like an evil character out of a movie. If you know the one I’m talking about, let me know in the comments.

As much as the look matters when it’s parked in your driveway, it’s the cabin that arguably matters more, right? That’s where you spend your time, after all. Check out the interior images to see if you think it lives up to the exterior look.

If you asked primary school me to draw a ‘supercar’ I’d likely hand you a roughly hewn, multi-coloured wedge in Egyptian frieze-style 2D that could be interpreted as a prescient rendering of the current Corvette E-Ray.

GM has confessed that a big part of its motivation for going mid-engine with the current-gen Corvette is to help it appeal to a younger target market (maybe not under-10s) and Chevrolet has enthusiastically embraced the low nose, wide high-tail stance. You’re not going to miss it.

The E-Ray, like its track-focused Z06 sibling, is longer (+58mm) and wider (+92mm) than the standard Corvette Stingray, with huge air intakes in the nose and deep gills behind the doors.

Its distinctly angular design retains enough Corvette DNA to keep the C8 in the family. The headlights are reminiscent of the C7 that preceded it and the dual tail-light design is a neat reinterpretation of that signature element. A clear engine lid showcases the longitudinally mounted V8’s bright red engine cover.

Far from a clean or curvaceous shape, the E-Ray is all business with function driving its fighter jet form. And that carries over to the interior with the driver-focused cockpit making no apologies for concentrating almost exclusively on the person behind the wheel.

Multiple screens wrap around the instrument binnacle with the flat top and bottom steering wheel affording a clear view of them all.

The jagged lift-up gear selector controls would be right at home in an F-22 Raptor and despite the layout’s relatively fussy look it works super-well ergonomically, with clearly marked buttons (haptic and physical) easy to sight and operate.

No two-door coupe is going to offer you the space and comfort of a sedan or wagon, that’s just a fact. But that only matters if you plan to actually use the rear seats. If you don’t, then the Coupe version of the C 63 S might be perfect for you.

Even so, I managed to (only just) squeeze myself between the seat and the door opening to slide into the rear row. This won’t be easily achieved by all attempters, especially on the driver’s side.

Let’s just say I probably looked like I was doing something very weird to the driver’s seat as I spider-manned my way in. 

The rear space is tight for someone my height (182cm/6’0”) behind their own driving position, with knees hard-up against the seat in front and not much headroom (my noggin’ was brushing the ceiling) or toe space (size 12s don’t fit so well) to speak of.

It’s certainly a selfish car. Or maybe it’d be fine for smaller kids. There are two spaces in the back, both with ISOFIX child seat anchors and top-tether points.

But there is storage in the back - cupholders and storage caddies either side of the seats, though the storage situation improves in the front zone, with bottle holders in the doors, cupholders between the seats, loose item storage under the media screen and a covered centre armrest bin, too.

The front cabin is a special looking place, with carbon-fibre abounding across the dash and nice trim on the doors. The AMG steering wheel is a sight to behold - it’s a flat-bottomed unit with carbon-fibre and Dinamica (that’s Benz talk for microsuede) trim: perfect for sapping sweat as you manhandle the C63 through the bends.

The seats are AMG Performance sports units up front, and the trim used is reserved for this model specifically: Nappa leather with yellow stripes. There are yellow details elsewhere, including on the rear seats, centre console and dash, and it certainly adds some visual excitement.

Media is controlled by a 10.25-inch display and Mercedes-Benz’s touchpad control system, but there is no touchscreen - rendering the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring technology somewhat tedious.

I’ve always had a gripe with screens that don’t allow touch but feature the tech that’s designed to transfer your phone’s screen to the media unit, and I can tell you the longer you spend twiddling the dial to get where you want to go, the more annoying it becomes.

The Burmester sound system has 13 speakers and is rather good, but I prefer the sound from the standard fit variable sports exhaust. So maybe that quibble with CarPlay isn’t that big a deal.

And if you just want to charge your phone, and there’s a second USB port up front, as well. Note: in non-Aero Edition C 63 models without the carbon-fibre interior pack, you also get Qi wireless phone charging, but it’s deleted from this variant and any model with the carbon pack.

The driver has a 12.3-inch digital info display to show where you are and what the car is up to, and there’s a head-up display as well. Yep, there’s standard sat nav with live traffic updates (and even live fuel price updates) - it’s just a shame the maps still look early 2000s-spec in 2D layout.

Cargo space is okay. The claimed cargo capacity or boot volume is 355 litres (VDA) with the rear seats in place. That’s small for a coupe of this size, and the shape of the boot (with a hump behind the rear seat) isn’t great as things do move around quite a bit.

But, thankfully, Mercedes has included its clever foldable storage box system under the boot floor - it goes where you might usually expect a spare wheel, but there isn’t one in this car. Instead you get Mercedes’ 'Tirefit' repair kit with an electric pump.

Practicality is a relative concept when you’re looking at a two-seat, mid-engine sports car, which means the Corvette E-Ray is not functional in the Kia Carnival sense. But there are some concessions to the need to store things inside it.

In terms of storing people, getting in and out of a C8 Corvette isn’t exactly straightforward. The car sits close to the ground, which despite decent door apertures, means to gain access you’re lowering yourself across and into the heavily bolstered seats using an ungainly, vaguely yoga-style technique. Same goes on exit with more than a little grunting required to hoick yourself out of the car. Not an easy proposition for a daily driver.

Once inside, headroom for me at 183cm is good and for storage there are slim pockets in the doors (with no scope for bottles), two cupholders in the centre console and an oddments tray ahead of them. The glove box is a good size, a lidded box between the seats houses USB-A and USB-C outlets and there’s an awkward-to-use upright wireless phone charging slot between the seat backrests.

Boot volume is 204 litres, unless you’ve removed the roof panel and clipped it into its storage position there. A surprisingly easy process, by the way. If that’s the case you’ll be leaning more heavily on the 142-litre frunk. Overall storage capacity of around 350L is pretty handy for a car of this type.

Not surprisingly, given the scale of this car’s wheel and tyre package, there’s no spare. The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres are run-flats.

And substantial practicality points go to the front lift system which, via the press of a console button, rapidly raises the car’s nose by 50mm to help avoid driveway and speed bump scrapes.

In the US the Corvette E-Ray is offered in three imaginatively titled trim levels - 1LZ, 2LZ and 3LZ in coupe and power-folding hardtop convertible form.

Australia takes the top-spec 3LZ coupe only, priced at $292,990, including GST and LCT but before on-road costs. 

If your heart’s set on a full-convertible Corvette you’ll need to opt for the non-hybrid Stingray ($232,990, BOC), but the coupe’s targa-style, lift-out roof panel gets you most of the way there, anyway.

Aside from the safety tech we’ll get to shortly, that figure gets you a heap of standard fruit, the highlights including:

• An extended leather interior (upper and lower sections of the instrument panel, trim panels, console cover and centre floor console) 
• Microfibre on the pillars and headlining 
• Heated, ventilated and power-adjustable ‘GT2’ seats (with nappa leather and carbon-fibre trim)
• A heated leather and carbon-fibre trimmed steering wheel 
• Carbon shift paddles
• A 14-speaker Bose audio system
• Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• A multi-readout head-up display
• A performance data recorder
• Removable roof panel 
• Body colour mirrors and spoiler
• Carbon splitters 
• Carbon rocker panels 
• Black exhaust tips
• Gloss black five-spoke forged alloy rims (20-inch fr / 21-inch rr), 
• Carbon ceramic rotors 
• Red brake calipers 
• Magnetic Selective Ride Control suspension 
• Front-lift system 
• Engine Appearance Package (including a flashy red engine cover)

Other, similarly-configured ways to accelerate from 0-100km/h in less than three seconds cost twice as much as the E-Ray. Ferrari 296 GTB? Prepare to part with $604K. Lamborghini Temerario? You’ll need to cough up $534,169. Porsche 911 Turbo S Coupe? It’s $577,300. 

On that basis, this Corvette is a supercar bargain.

Open the shapely bonnet of the C 63 S and you’ll find a hand-assembled horsepower-monster engine with a printed name plaque to prove it.

The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 produces 375kW of power at 6250rpm, and 700Nm of torque from 2000-4500rpm. It runs a standard-fit nine-speed 'Speedshift MCT' (multi-clutch transmission) automatic, and it’s rear-wheel drive. And yes, that means it likes to boogie.

The claimed 0-100km/h time is just 3.9 seconds, and top speed is apparently pegged at 250km/h. Yeesh.

The name on the “Handcrafted by” plaque on this particular engine? Hat tip to you, Julian Rembold. This is quite a piece of work. 

The Corvette E-Ray is powered by a mid-mounted 6.2-litre, naturally aspirated ‘LT2’ V8 featuring dry sump lubrication, a billet steel crank, forged conrods and variable valve timing for 369kW (at 6450rpm) and 637Nm (at 5150rpm).

It sends drive to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch auto transmission with (carbon) paddles on the steering wheel for manual shifting.  

A single 119kW/170Nm electric motor on the front axle contributes to total outputs of  488kW/806Nm and delivers ‘eAWD’. 

Claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time is a sizzling 2.9 seconds.

High numbers are what AMGs are about. Sadly that’s the case not only for performance outputs but also fuel consumption.

The official combined cycle fuel use claim for the C 63 S Coupe is 10.3 litres per 100 kilometres, and you need to fill it with 98RON premium unleaded fuel, too.

On test? Well, across a mix of different driving - urban, highway, back road and spirited stints - I saw an 'at the pump' return of 12.2L/100km, while the digital readout stated 12.0L/100km.

Given the performance on offer, and how much I took advantage of it during my week with the car, that’s not bad…

Fuel tank capacity is 66 litres. So go easy if you know there won’t be a fuel stop for a while.

The Corvette E-Ray’s official fuel consumption figure for the combined (urban/extra-urban) cycle is 11.5L/100km.

The car’s Active Fuel Management system is able to subtly drop four cylinders under light loads, a small V4 (rather than V8) light on the dashboard the only clue this sleight-of-hand trick has been performed.

Auto stop-start is also standard, although we admit to switching it off (via a haptic button on the dash) most of the time. And purely in the name of science and fully exploring the car’s performance potential we may have leaned into the E-Ray’s dynamic abilities more than once.

Overall, across a week of mainly city and suburban running with some freeway sections thrown in, we recorded an on-test average of 13.5L/100km, which is still more than acceptable for this type of performance car. 

Brim the 70-litre tank with minimum 95 RON premium fuel and using our real-world figure you can expect a driving range of around 520km.

The E-Ray features a 1.9kWh lithium-ion battery, self-replenished from coasting and braking, allowing an EV-only (and neighbour-friendly) ‘Stealth Mode’ for four to six kilometres at a maximum of 72km/h. 

And there’s a ‘Shuttle Mode’ (not suitable for public roads) which also engages just the front axle on electric power for moving silently around a driveway or into a garage to a speed of 24km/h.  

Just one word sprang to my mind when it comes to accurately describing the performance on offer from this car. The word is ‘brutal’.

Smash the accelerator and the power and torque on offer is enough to make your eyes feel like they’re not doing the right thing anymore. You get pushed back in your seat with a surge, and your ears are also rewarded with one of the best soundtracks in the automotive world. 

The engine builds pace with enormous intent, and the sound that comes from under the bonnet and out the back through the exhausts is addictive.

Yes, there is an active exhaust button which you have to press to make sure that you hear all that noise if you’re running around in 'Comfort' mode, and during my time with the car it was active the whole time.

I had some questions from neighbours over the week that I had this car about whether it was actually nice to live with on a day-to-day basis. And the answer is yes, if you put it in comfort mode it’s surprisingly amenable. 

The ride is really well sorted at pace despite having a bit of that trademark low-speed wobble that seems to afflict Mercedes products from A-Class through to the GLE SUV. But it wasn’t bad enough to really bother me, as most of my time was on highways and backroads.

The steering is direct and accurate. The only thing you need to be aware of is that you will lose traction at the rear axle when you put your foot down hard. And for the enthusiast that’s exactly what you want. 

I know I want to feel the thing squirm under throttle. It’s a rear-drive V8 coupe, after all. You want to feel like you’re a vein in its bicep muscle; you know, the one you see in a weightlifter’s arms – the one that wiggles around a lot. You want to have that. Right?

On the performance front it is exceptional. Twist the little dial on the wheel to 'Sport' or 'Sport+' (I didn’t sample 'Race' mode as I wasn’t at a racetrack), and everything feels like it’s had a protein shake.

Even so, in that mode it steers brilliantly, there's a nice feel through the wheel, and the ride, while stiff, controls the body brilliantly when you change directions. 

The transmission is very good, too. In Comfort mode it can take just a second or two at first to become accustomed to the idea that you want to drive aggressively.

But in Sport mode, or when you select the manual transmission mode using the trigger button on the steering wheel, you will certainly get the most out of the engine. That’s what I did when I was driving it in a ‘spirited’ manner.

If you are just after that high-end Coupe cruiser experience, it’s a relatively quiet car (provided the surface below isn’t the coarsest of coarse-chip bitumen), with enough luxuriousness to make it feel premium as well as sporty. That’s an important thing to consider, especially at this price point.

Let’s get the acceleration thing out of the way. The Corvette E-Ray is obscenely fast. If you’re determined to bend the space-time continuum, it’s keen to assist.

Claimed 0-100km/h time is just under three seconds but on a closed track using launch control we’ve previously recorded a time of 2.4sec, which is hypercar territory.

The big V8’s furious roar is amplified by the standard performance exhaust and the dual-clutch auto is a slick, positive, high-quality unit. Manual shifts via the wheel paddles are rapid-fire.

Suspension is by forged alloy double wishbones front and rear with magnetic adaptive damping standard, the latter allowing you to dial in Sport, Touring, Track and Weather modes as well as two customisable settings - MyMode for everyday driving and the performance-focused Z Mode. 

Weather optimises the car’s systems for slippery conditions, as its name implies, and Track is best left for the circuit as it’s unbearably harsh on anything less than a billiard table smooth surface. Sport is more liveable but the pick is Touring which retains the car’s fundamental agility while providing excellent compliance.

Shudder over patched suburban roads in Sport then switch to Touring to illustrate an amazingly forgiving ride.

Despite its aluminium-rich space frame, the E-Ray still weighs in at 1800kg but it responds like a lightweight. The steering is brilliantly precise without being overly sharp and road feel is superb. In terms of cornering, the C8 Corvette is the quintessential apex predator. 

Thanks in no small part to an electronic limited slip differential the E-Ray puts its power down on corner exit with impressive force and grip from the monster Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber is prodigious. 

The tyres measure 275/30x20 at the front and no less than 345/25x21 at the rear, bearing in mind a current F1 car’s rear tyres are 375mm across the tread.

Brakes are also professional grade with carbon ceramic rotors (398mm fr / 391mm rr) clamped by Brembo six-piston alloy calipers at the front and four-piston units at the rear. While some carbon set-ups need to be at a high temperature for optimal performance there are no such worries here. The E-Ray washes off speed with prodigious yet satisfyingly progressive power. 

Worth noting if you’re a track day demon, there’s an ‘Enhanced Performance Data Recorder’ and ‘Performance App’ that jointly provide everything from side-by-side video analysis and graphical data displays to tyre temp and pressures and even coaching tips.

‘Performance Traction Management’ also allows you to fine-tune traction and stability controls to suit specific track conditions.

Under the heading of miscellaneous observations; the GT2 seats are grippy yet supremely comfortable, an 11.1m turning circle is sizable and over-the-shoulder rear three-quarter vision is limited, although there’s enough camera coverage to minimise the problem for parking. 

No surprise, given the Corvette’s relatively low volume, it hasn’t been assessed by ANCAP but active (crash-avoidance) safety tech includes:

• Forward collision alert
• Low-speed auto emergency braking
• Follow distance indicator
• Lane-keeping assist
• Lane departure warning
• Rear cross-traffic alert and
• Blind-spot monitoring
• HD reversing camera
• Front kerb-view camera
• Dual-mode camera rearview mirror system
• Intelligent auto high beam
• Tyre pressure monitoring.

The airbag count is four, front and side for driver and passenger, which is fair enough for a two-door sports car.

For the record, no child seat top tether or ISOFIX anchor for the passenger seat. 

Mercedes-Benz is among the minority of luxury brands now offering a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty plan - most still have three-year cover. So that’s a tick.

And the service intervals are pegged at 12 months/20,000km. Another tick.

Plus you can either pre-pay your service plan in three-year ($3800), four-year ($6000) or five-year ($6550) plans - roll it into the finance package, and it won’t hurt quite as much.

According to Mercedes, the three-year coverage option makes for a $900 discount over pay-as-you-go servicing.

Roadside assistance covers the five-year new car warranty period, too. So Mercedes seemingly takes good care of its customers. But if you have any concerns or questions over reliability, problems, issues or complaints about the C 63, check out our AMG C 63 problems page.

GMSV’s warranty cover for the Corvette sits at three years/100,000km which is woefully under-done, even in the context of high-dollar sports cars.

For example, Aston, Ferrari, Lambo, McLaren and Porsche, while still at three years, offer unlimited-kilometre cover.

Service is recommended every 12 months/12,000km, the average annual price for the Corvette coming in at around $1100 over the first few years, largely because the first and every second service thereafter is a major one, including things like a transmission fluid change.

That’s way lower than most mid-engine Euros and it’s important to note service price will vary according to the car's use, different state and territory labour rates and other factors.

There are around 55 GMSV dealers in Australia focused on capital cities as well as major regional and rural centres.