You’re not alone if you think estate sedans are a bit bland. It’s a perception that this type of car has hard a difficult time shaking off. Bless the gods, then, that there’s a model like the Mercedes-AMG C63 S Estate that’s able to shatter this preconceived notion, thanks in large part to having loads of power and for being, well, a Mercedes. It certainly helps its cause, too, that aftermarket tuners seem to have a proper appreciation for its potential, and we see that on full display with this new program presented by Wimmer RS for the AMG C63 S Estate.

At this point, we all know what Wimmer RS is capable of when you give it a chance to work on a Mercedes, let alone one that’s carrying an AMG badge. It’s done work on the AMG C63 Sedan and even has a long history with the wagon version. Today, the German tuner writes a new chapter in its quest to show the world what a fully loaded AMG C63 S Estate is capable of. The focal point of this tuning kit is the engine upgrade program, which puts in a good dose of extra power to a wagon that already boasts a potent amount. Think 510 horsepower is enough for this car? Simmer doesn’t think so, which is why it’s offering a program that uncorks 801 ponies out of the car’s bi-turbo V-8 engine.

Continue after the jump to read more about the Mercedes-AMG C63 S Estate.

2017 Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate By Wimmer RS

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2017 Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate By Wimmer RS
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 801
  • Torque: 664
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

There are no aerodynamic upgrades to speak of here. That shouldn’t come as a surprise because Wimmer isn’t particularly known for developing over-the-top aerodynamic body kits to begin with. It does have a reputation for offering fancy body wraps, including this metallic green finish with the tuner’s name displayed on the doors and the checkered flag livery draped all over the rear end. It’s not something that appeals to everyone (I’m not a big fan), but you have to give credit where it's due for keeping this cosmetic theme among its tuning programs. Remember the last time it presented a program for the AMG C63 S Estate? That one came with a wrap that the tuner called “Electric Yellow.” Not very subtle, is it?

note: photo of the 2012 Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate by Wimmer RS

Look to others for those aerodynamic kits

It’s not uncommon to find a tuner that resisted on developing any aero kits for the AMG C63 S Estate. B&B Automobiltechnik also has a program for the car, but like Wimmer RS, the kit is mostly about giving the wagon more power than it already has. Fortunately for aero-starved owners of the AMG C63 S Estate, there are other tuners out there that have the kits they’re looking for. One, in particular, is Piecha Design and its “Rottweiler” program for the high-performance wagon. In keeping with the theme of naming the program after one of the most ferocious dogs in the world, Piecha’s aero kit for the AMG C63 S Estate is made up of a front spoiler lip, side skirts, and a rood-edge spoiler made from glass-fiber reinforced plastic. On the cosmetic side of things, Piecha’s tuning kit also featured a two-color racing stripe that runs the whole length of the wagon.

Mercedes-AMG C63 S Estate “Rottweiler” by Piecha Design

Mercedes-AMG C63 S Estate by B&B Automobiltechnik.


Interior

note: interior photo of the Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate.

Don’t count on any upgrades in this section either, because Wimmer has nothing to show for it. In fact, most tuners have shown a propensity to leave the interior of the AMG C63 S Estate alone. They all have reasons for doing so, but for the most part, it’s likely tied to the growing popularity of personalization divisions of the automakers. Even Piecha Design’s Rottweiler kit for the wagon only had four-point LED entry lights that could be considered as “aftermarket upgrades.”

If owners of the AMG C63 S Estate really want to get personal with their cabins, the way to go about it is to get the upgrades from Mercedes-AMG itself. This is actually the best option to consider unless there’s really a need to completely reconfigure the layout of the interior to serve whatever specific purpose a customer has. But, if the goal is to give the cabin a more premium dress-up than the one it already has, Mercedes-AMG has a long list of interior leather options to consider, including a Black and Red Pepper treatment, a Black and Platinum White Pearl finish, and a hand-made Artico leather with a Dynamica microfiber. Likewise, the cabin’s interior trim can also be customized depending on the preference of the owner. Black Piano Lacquer and carbon fiber are two of the more popular choices in this regard, but there are plenty more options to choose from depending on what your local AMG dealership has available.

So, don’t fret. Just because a tuner like Wimmer RS doesn’t have any interior upgrades to speak of, that doesn’t mean that the interior of the AMG C63 S Estate is going to be left to its own devices. Just look hard enough and you’ll come across the upgrades you’re looking for.

Drivetrain

This is where Wimmer RS flexes its muscles. The tuner managed to increase the AMG C63 S Estate’s output numbers by almost 300 horsepower! That’s not a misprint, folks. So, how exactly did the tuner do it? The first thing to note is that no engine swaps happened here. That’s a common practice among tuners who are dealing with small displacement engines but want significant power gains. That’s not the case here, though, as the high-performance wagon still makes use of its 4.0-liter bi-turbo V-8 engine.

In order to achieve its desired results, Wimmer upgraded the turbochargers and injectors to increase their overall efficiency. In addition, modifications to the fuel pump and intercooler were also undertaken, as was the installation of a new water pump. Throw in the customary software engine tune and the installation of a stainless steel exhaust system, and that’s the extent of the engine upgrade program. It sounds simple mentioning the specific upgrades, but the final product is anything but. With all these modifications in place, Wimmer RS was able to increase the wagon’s output to a whopping 801 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. Do the math and that adds up to 291 extra horsepower and 148 pound-feet of twist from the car’s standard output of 510 ponies and 516 pound-feet of twist.

The result of the massive power increase is evident on the car’s performance times. The tuner didn’t say how it affects its acceleration time to 60 mph, but with the standard model capable of covering that ground in 4.1 seconds, expect the Wimmer-tuned version to do the same in about 3.6 seconds. The wagon’s top speed did increase to 199 mph, significantly faster than the electronically limited 155-mph top speed of the standard version.

Wimmer’s new program is also a significant step-up from one of its past kits for the AMG C63 S Estate. The aforementioned kit from 2012 came with improvements to the engine’s cylinder heads and throttle body. It also got components like a pair of sport camshafts, an air filter, intake manifold, and a stainless steel exhaust system with HJS high-flow sport cats. There were a lot of changes there, but the tuner only managed to massage 615 horsepower – well short of the number it got with its latest kit for the high-performance wagon.

Other tuners don’t come close

It’s important to remember the old program Wimmer presented for the AMG C63 S Estate because it elevates this new program to a higher plane compared to what other tuners were able to do with their own engine kits. Piecha Design’s Rottweiler kit, for example, was only able to get 612 horsepower and 620 pound-feet of torque out of a program that relied on similar software upgrades to the car’s bi-turbo V-8 mill. It’s an impressive increase of 102 ponies and 104 pound-feet of twist, but it’s nowhere close to what Wimmer RS was able to achieve.

B&B Automobiltechnik’s kit for the AMG C63 Estate also falls short of what Wimmer RS is offering. It also featured an ECU remap, modifications to the intake system, and recalibrations to the fuel and ignition maps. The result? 600 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. It’s good enough to get significant gains, but again, it falls way short of the number Wimmer was able to get.

Check out the table below to see how these programs compare to one another.

Model/Tuner

Horsepower

Torque

0 to 60 MPH

Top Speed

Mercedes-AMG C63 S Estate by Wimmer RS

801 horsepower

664 pound-feet

3.5 seconds*

199 mph

Mercedes-AMG C63 S Estate Rottweiler by Piecha Design

612 horsepower

620 pound-feet

3.8 seconds*

186 mph*

Mercedes-AMG C63 S Estate by B&B Automobiltechnik

600 horsepower

590 pound-feet

3.9 seconds*

186 mph*


note: *estimate

 

Suspension

To accommodate the massive power gains (and they are massive for a car like the AMG C63 Estate), Wimmer RS threw on a KW coilover suspension to help the wagon retain a semblance of the handling capabilities its known for relative to its size. Remember, an 800-horsepower station wagon is going to be a lot to deal with, so any help to keep it in tip-top handling condition is a welcome addition.

Pricing

Here’s a bit of good news to those looking into this program. The whole thing is actually not that expensive. It’s priced at €29,500, which converts to a little over $33,000 based on current exchange rates. Even if you throw in the AMG C63 Estate’s €86,334 price tag in Germany (over $97,000), the total cost only adds up to €115,834, which prices it at just over $130,000.

Competition

Mercedes C63 Estate AMG by Loewenstein

Back when the wagon version of the AMG C63 was still carrying a bigger 6.3-liter V-8 engine, attaining 800 horsepower, or at least close to it, was still very much possible. German tuner Loewenstein came close back in 2013 when it presented an engine upgrade program that included a bespoke compressor kit, a carbon fiber suction air induction system, a specially developed exhaust manifold with catalytic converter pipes, an in-house performance module, and an automatic limited-slip differential that it co-developed with Quaife, the same company that made recent headlines with the Ford Focus RS Limited Edition. All those upgrades helped Loewenstein ring up an output of 702 horsepower and 651 pound-feet out of the high-performance wagon.

Conclusion

If you’re a customer who goes by numbers, Wimmer’s program for the Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate is like Christmas in June. The combination of astounding power at a price point that’s not going to bleed your offshore bank accounts dry is a tempting offer. Even better is that it comes from a tuning company that has a long history of developing impressive programs for a wide variety of Mercedes-AMG models. I’m not a fan of the metallic green body wrap, but I don’t believe it’s a standard feature of the tuning kit. So, yes, you can get 800 horsepower for your Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate without making it look like a shiny Christmas tree.