The Mercedes-AMG C63 is one of those cars that attracts a lot of attention from a lot of different places, none more so than in the aftermarket world. Really, over the past few months, the AMG C63->ke1593 has arguably received the most tuning programs of any recent model. Tuners like Vath and Brabus have released their own programs for the model, and in the case of the latter, it’s actually come out with two tuning kits for the popular Mercedes.->ke187 Well, now you can add B&B Automobiltechnik to that list because the German tuner has just introduced its own kit for the hot rod Benz.

In some ways, having so many tuners build their own kits kind of makes it more difficult for the next one to be different. That’s always been one of the most common issues in the tuning industry, and if you look at B&B's program relative to the other programs, it kind of feels like B&B could’ve done more to separate itself. See, there’s that feeling that when a bar is set, the only way to be better is to raise that bar yourself. I don’t necessarily know if B&B accomplished that, but that’s not to say that it doesn’t have an impressive program for the AMG C63 – It does. I mean, 600 horsepower is still 600 horsepower; it’s just that it could’ve been better given the circumstances.

Still, if you’re an owner of the AMG C63, count your blessings that there are tuners like B&B that have taken the time to offer you something more than what you’re getting out of your car. That’s exactly what you get with this kit.

Continue after the jump to read the full review.

Exterior

There are no exterior modifications to speak of, so if anybody’s in the market for a tuning program with an accompanying aero kit, they better start looking elsewhere. The truth is, B&B has rarely been the type to dress up its programs with upgrades to the body and interior of the cars. That said, the tuner is offering a new set of its deep-dish B&B B21 alloy wheels. Take that for what its worth.

Interior

The same holds true with the interior of the AMG C63. B&B left it untouched so don’t think you’re going to see the typical modifications you normally see in other tuning programs. Even the typical aftermarket floor mats aren’t present here. That tells you the lengths B&B took to completely ignore the cabin of the AMG C63.

Drivetrain

At this point, there’s still little about this kit that makes you wonder what the modifications are exactly. Fortunately, we’ve come to the part where B&B focused all of its attention: the AMG C63’s 4.0-liter bi-turbo V-8 engine. In this department, B&B is offering two separate tuning programs for the entire AMG C63 family. Yep, there’s a kit for everyone, including the saloon, estate, coupe, and cabriolet variants of the performance model.

The first of the two kits is only made up of an ECU remap. Simple as that may be, it’s still good enough to increase the V-8’s output to 575 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque. That’s a significant spike from the AMG C63’s output of 476 ponies and 479 pound-feet of torque. Even more so for the AMG C63 A, whose standard output of 510 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of twist also gets an uptick in power. Then there’s the stage 2 kit, which adds a modified intake system that increases air flow to and from the engine. Together with some well-timed recalibrations of the fuel and ignition maps to improve the efficiency of the engine’s combustion, B&B managed to get 600 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque out of the AMG C63’s V-8.

The more powerful engine upgrade reflects itself quite nicely in the performance sheets as the AMG C63 is now capable of sprinting from 0 to 62 mph in just 3.5 seconds, six-tenths quicker than the standard model’s 4.1-second time. Likewise, the tuned up V-8 engine can cover 0 to 124 mph in just 11.5 seconds, more than a second quicker than the 13.1 seconds it takes the standard model to reach the same speed. Top speed has also been increased 198 mph on account of the removal of the car’s speed limiter.

Suspension

Plenty of work was done on the cars chassis to accommodate the improvements on the engine. The most important addition is a new sport spring set, which helps drop the car’s rider height by close to an inch on all four corners. This not only improves the AMG C63’s handling and cornering abilities, but it also gives the car a stouter stance, something that should prove to be a welcome addition to a program that lacks any cosmetic refinements. The sprint set is a welcome addition, but the most important upgrade in this department is the height-adjustable coil-over suspension kit, which comes with its own user-adjustable bounce and rebound control.

Pricing

The price for the whole kit varies depending on the engine upgrade you get. For instance, a program with the stage 1 kit costs €9,977, which is about $11,260 based on current exchange rates. Meanwhile, a program that comes with the stage 2 kit is €2,000 more expensive so that adds up to a total of €11,977, or around $13,430.

Competition

Mercedes-AMG C63 by Vath

There are no shortage of aftermarket firms that have taken a crack at building kits for the Mercedes-AMG C63. Back in December 2015, noted Mercedes tuner Vath presented its own program for the performance C-Class and like B&B’s own take, this kit focused a lot of its attention on the car’s 4.0-liter bi-turbo V-8. That’s not to say that Vath completely disregarded the aesthetic aspects of a proper tune. Not much can be found in the exterior, but the interior did receive a set of aluminum pedals, black velour floor mats with the tuner’s logo embroidered in them, and a new speedometer that goes up to 224 mph. Curious, right?

On that end, Vath clearly exerted itself with a tuning kit made up of an engine remapping software and a new oil cooling system. It looks rather straightforward and for the most part, it is. But these two additions still helped the AMG C63’s V-8 produce an impressive 609 horsepower and 598 pound-feet of torque – a little more than the promised output from B&B. Vath didn’t elaborate on the car’s new 0-to-60-mph time, but all signs seem to point to a time below 3.5 seconds. The tuner did say that its program resulted in an increased output of 199 mph, just a shade higher than B&B’s kit.

Read our full review here.

Mercedes-AMG C63 S by Brabus

Since B&B’s kit is available for both the AMG C63 and the AMG C63 S, let’s focus the second competitor in this section on a tuning program developed specifically for the more powerful AMG S variant. This one comes by way of Brabus, a tuner that really needs no introduction. In any event, the highly regarded Mercedes tuner presented its program for the AMG C63 S back at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show and as you can expect from Brabus, the kit is comprehensive. On the aerodynamic front, the tuner added its usual collection of carbon fiber body components, including front fender vents, side mirrors, air intake surrounds, front and rear spoilers, and a carbon fiber diffuser.

On the performance front, Brabus relied on its PowerXtra B40S-650 kit to light some fireworks under the Merc’s V-8 engine. The kit is made up of a pair of turbochargers with larger compressors, new core assemblies, and reinforced axial bearings. It also comes with an engine-specific ECU remap that helps drive the output to an impressive 650 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque. The only downside to this kit is that even with the carbon fiber aero bits, its 0-to-60-mph time was only cut down to 3.7 seconds with the top speed remaining at 186 mph.

Read our full review here.

Conclusion

I appreciate the fact that there are so many tuners out there that are building kits for the Mercedes-AMG C63. That goes to show how tuner-friendly the model is and just as important, how popular the model is to customers. But the downside to having so many available kits in the market is the difficulty a tuner has in trying to differentiate itself from its competitors.

For the most part, that’s the issue I have with B&B’s program. On its own, the modifications are great, especially on the AMG C63’s V-8 engine. Extra points for having options too! But other than that, there’s very little about this kit that screams “different!” from what others have introduced and that’s the ultimate take-away here. It’s a good kit; it just doesn’t stand out.