Thoughts on my C63S vs my 992 C2S

[Engadine]

I am trying to live up to my own promise of not comparing my W204 C63 and W205 C63S on here. But I thought I would share my thoughts on another comparison.

In 2020 I bought a 992 C2S, with the aim of it replacing my W204 C63 estate. my elder daughter had gone off to uni so we only needed a two seater with occasional from for three, for school runs and so on. I had owned a few 911s as weekend cars but never really got thrilled by them, for me they were always fun practical cars, rather than pure toys. So this seemed like the perfect opportunity, no need for the Estate, and I found an excellent nearly new 992 C2S cabrio for a chunk off its new price (this was before the recent used car price boom).

We had the intention of selling the W204, but I'm glad I didn't. After a few months using the 992 it became clear that it was a brilliant car for a specific purpose: barrelling down country lanes at high speed, pushing it towards the limit and getting some movement out of the chassis. Loverly.

In town and in extra urban daily driving though, it turned out to be..meh. Not a pain, like my 3.2 or 964, years back. Just a bit dull. Not much sense of joy,nor brute power, nor anything other than efficiency combined with a hard ride, loads of road noise, and skittiness in the wet. A 992 on the M25 in A December downpour is not a death trap like old 911s, but it's still not like driving a good AMG.

so the 992 went, and we had the W204 C63 for another year or so, while the special order C63 Brabus 600 was made and shipped from Stuttgart to Bottrop and finally to the UK.

I have now used the W205 C63 Brabus 600 for a few months. With its tweaks, it's the same price as 992 C2S with options. For my purposes, it's a much better car. The Brabus work on the engine keeps the car's refinement and drivability but adds a huge and progressive extra life through the revs. A lot more muscular. for handling my car is standard C63S except for MPS4Ss. It's a lot more fun in the day to day fight. Hunkers down in corners and roundabouts, you feel the weight transfer and that e diff working, AMG dialled a sense of joy into the car.

On a good country road it's nowhere near the Porsche for precision and ultimate handling finesse, and if I lived in the Scottish Borders I might have a different view, but I just dont get on that handling test type of road much in these cars.

And in terms of practicality, the C is in a different league. Much more space, sits higher in traffic, much better refinement (992 is noisy in the cabin), and with the Brabus interior it's a nicer place to be in. You can amble around with the occasional busts of speed and feel satisfied, while the 992 just feels like it hasn't really woken up. Again, on a track, the 992 would monster the Brabus, but I don't track these cars.

So for my purposes, this is a much better car. And objectively, the Brabus has someting the 992 will never have, which is joy. You can really feel the determination of AMG to make this a fun car, a hoot, rather than just a very competent fast car. Don't get me wrong the C2S is a brilliant car, but it's clinical.

Much of this could be said for a standard W205 C63 though its important to note the engine upgrade doesn't just give you better performance and better ability to squeeze through traffic, it makes the chassis come alive more because it prods and provokes it more, pushes it to its envelope, in that sense the 600hp conversion makes the W205 more like the W204 C63, a bit more mad, closer to the edge.

In conclusion, I sold my 992 C2S after six months, and I have no intention of selling my Brabus.

 

[BaldGuy]

I am trying to live up to my own promise of not comparing my W204 C63 and W205 C63S on here. But I thought I would share my thoughts on another comparison.

In 2020 I bought a 992 C2S, with the aim of it replacing my W204 C63 estate. my elder daughter had gone off to uni so we only needed a two seater with occasional from for three, for school runs and so on. I had owned a few 911s as weekend cars but never really got thrilled by them, for me they were always fun practical cars, rather than pure toys. So this seemed like the perfect opportunity, no need for the Estate, and I found an excellent nearly new 992 C2S cabrio for a chunk off its new price (this was before the recent used car price boom).

We had the intention of selling the W204, but I'm glad I didn't. After a few months using the 992 it became clear that it was a brilliant car for a specific purpose: barrelling down country lanes at high speed, pushing it towards the limit and getting some movement out of the chassis. Loverly.

In town and in extra urban daily driving though, it turned out to be..meh. Not a pain, like my 3.2 or 964, years back. Just a bit dull. Not much sense of joy,nor brute power, nor anything other than efficiency combined with a hard ride, loads of road noise, and skittiness in the wet. A 992 on the M25 in A December downpour is not a death trap like old 911s, but it's still not like driving a good AMG.

so the 992 went, and we had the W204 C63 for another year or so, while the special order C63 Brabus 600 was made and shipped from Stuttgart to Bottrop and finally to the UK.

I have now used the W205 C63 Brabus 600 for a few months. With its tweaks, it's the same price as 992 C2S with options. For my purposes, it's a much better car. The Brabus work on the engine keeps the car's refinement and drivability but adds a huge and progressive extra life through the revs. A lot more muscular. for handling my car is standard C63S except for MPS4Ss. It's a lot more fun in the day to day fight. Hunkers down in corners and roundabouts, you feel the weight transfer and that e diff working, AMG dialled a sense of joy into the car.

On a good country road it's nowhere near the Porsche for precision and ultimate handling finesse, and if I lived in the Scottish Borders I might have a different view, but I just dont get on that handling test type of road much in these cars.

And in terms of practicality, the C is in a different league. Much more space, sits higher in traffic, much better refinement (992 is noisy in the cabin), and with the Brabus interior it's a nicer place to be in. You can amble around with the occasional busts of speed and feel satisfied, while the 992 just feels like it hasn't really woken up. Again, on a track, the 992 would monster the Brabus, but I don't track these cars.

So for my purposes, this is a much better car. And objectively, the Brabus has someting the 992 will never have, which is joy. You can really feel the determination of AMG to make this a fun car, a hoot, rather than just a very competent fast car. Don't get me wrong the C2S is a brilliant car, but it's clinical.

Much of this could be said for a standard W205 C63 though its important to note the engine upgrade doesn't just give you better performance and better ability to squeeze through traffic, it makes the chassis come alive more because it prods and provokes it more, pushes it to its envelope, in that sense the 600hp conversion makes the W205 more like the W204 C63, a bit more mad, closer to the edge.

In conclusion, I sold my 992 C2S after six months, and I have no intention of selling my Brabus.

The new 992 is too clinical for me... had a few of the previous models like you and far better IMO

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I’ve not driven a 992 yet, but I can imagine that I might concur with your comments should I have a go in one, perhaps with the exception of the GT 3 and GT 3 Touring.

Previous generation GT 3 have been a little too track orientated for my tastes but I love that sound. I think the 992 Turbo S Cabriolet is the sweet spot for me.

AMG do a great job of engineering fast road cars, and with Brabus tweaks you can tailor the aesthetics and driving experience to your own preferences. Perfect.

PS You can’t start a thread like this without photos

 

[Londonscottish]

I am trying to live up to my own promise of not comparing my W204 C63 and W205 C63S on here. But I thought I would share my thoughts on another comparison.

In 2020 I bought a 992 C2S, with the aim of it replacing my W204 C63 estate. my elder daughter had gone off to uni so we only needed a two seater with occasional from for three, for school runs and so on. I had owned a few 911s as weekend cars but never really got thrilled by them, for me they were always fun practical cars, rather than pure toys. So this seemed like the perfect opportunity, no need for the Estate, and I found an excellent nearly new 992 C2S cabrio for a chunk off its new price (this was before the recent used car price boom).

We had the intention of selling the W204, but I'm glad I didn't. After a few months using the 992 it became clear that it was a brilliant car for a specific purpose: barrelling down country lanes at high speed, pushing it towards the limit and getting some movement out of the chassis. Loverly.

In town and in extra urban daily driving though, it turned out to be..meh. Not a pain, like my 3.2 or 964, years back. Just a bit dull. Not much sense of joy,nor brute power, nor anything other than efficiency combined with a hard ride, loads of road noise, and skittiness in the wet. A 992 on the M25 in A December downpour is not a death trap like old 911s, but it's still not like driving a good AMG.

so the 992 went, and we had the W204 C63 for another year or so, while the special order C63 Brabus 600 was made and shipped from Stuttgart to Bottrop and finally to the UK.

I have now used the W205 C63 Brabus 600 for a few months. With its tweaks, it's the same price as 992 C2S with options. For my purposes, it's a much better car. The Brabus work on the engine keeps the car's refinement and drivability but adds a huge and progressive extra life through the revs. A lot more muscular. for handling my car is standard C63S except for MPS4Ss. It's a lot more fun in the day to day fight. Hunkers down in corners and roundabouts, you feel the weight transfer and that e diff working, AMG dialled a sense of joy into the car.

On a good country road it's nowhere near the Porsche for precision and ultimate handling finesse, and if I lived in the Scottish Borders I might have a different view, but I just dont get on that handling test type of road much in these cars.

And in terms of practicality, the C is in a different league. Much more space, sits higher in traffic, much better refinement (992 is noisy in the cabin), and with the Brabus interior it's a nicer place to be in. You can amble around with the occasional busts of speed and feel satisfied, while the 992 just feels like it hasn't really woken up. Again, on a track, the 992 would monster the Brabus, but I don't track these cars.

So for my purposes, this is a much better car. And objectively, the Brabus has someting the 992 will never have, which is joy. You can really feel the determination of AMG to make this a fun car, a hoot, rather than just a very competent fast car. Don't get me wrong the C2S is a brilliant car, but it's clinical.

Much of this could be said for a standard W205 C63 though its important to note the engine upgrade doesn't just give you better performance and better ability to squeeze through traffic, it makes the chassis come alive more because it prods and provokes it more, pushes it to its envelope, in that sense the 600hp conversion makes the W205 more like the W204 C63, a bit more mad, closer to the edge.

In conclusion, I sold my 992 C2S after six months, and I have no intention of selling my Brabus.

Thanks, that's a really interesting comparison.

Over the years I've read so many press articles where the journo's are searching for the ultimate handling finesse on deserted Scottish or Welsh roads and always seem to end up plumping for the ultimate 911 or the most hardcore M car.

Which is all well and good but, as you point out, life's often not actually about that at all.

Nice set of car, BTW.

 

[f17ant]

What a rubbish dilemma to be in

 

[E55BOF]

Really interesting thread, from someone who kniows what they're talking about. AMGs aren't track monsters, nor are they intended to be; they're muscle cars.

 

[nn7man]

Have to agree with @Engadine having owned similar cars.

Had plenty of 911's including a new 992 2020 C4S but found it a bit too clinical, was very accomplished but un-involving on normal roads. And not as practical as a C.

I've looked into ordering a 992 GTS which might improve on the S but its a daft wait and probably won't be that much different. So am returning to the fold with a C63 S Final Edition, order in, allocation awaited.

Intention is to keep it so currently pondering some Brabus treatment...

 

[Red C220]

Have to agree with @Engadine having owned similar cars.

Had plenty of 911's including a new 992 2020 C4S but found it a bit too clinical, was very accomplished but un-involving on normal roads. And not as practical as a C.

I've looked into ordering a 992 GTS which might improve on the S but its a daft wait and probably won't be that much different. So am returning to the fold with a C63 S Final Edition, order in, allocation awaited.

Intention is to keep it so currently pondering some Brabus treatment...

Current wait on a 992GTS approx 12 months, regular 992 Carrera about 18 months.

My business partner got a 992 C4 GTS Targa on a 48 hr test drive. He adored it. It did absolutely nothing for me.

It is without doubt a great piece of engineering but it somehow just seemed soulless.

I'm down to an electric city car and an SL at the moment after our Taycan disaster and I've got no idea what to buy. I've got so many plates spinning at the moment in life that I'm reluctant to commit to something only to find it's useless/not appropriate in 6 months time.

The only car I really want is a Ferrari FF, but right now I'd have to sell the SL to buy that and I simply can't part with the SL.

Really is nothing else that I'm interested in whatsoever. Not something I've had an a problem with before. Maybe I'm just getting old/uninterested in stuff.

 

[Engadine]

Very interesting replies. I don’t mean to be down on the 992 which is a conundrum. A great car for the right circumstances. It may be that my circumstances are wrong and the car is right!

I drove a 992 C2S Cabrio round Europe during summer 2020, by myself, business trip via Swiss mountain passes. Beautiful weather and I loved it.

The following summer I had a 992 T4S around Europe. Longer route, less time, two up, bad weather. Different experience and not a great one. My passenger didn’t like whirling around switchbacks either.

I suspect the Brabus is not a car for the mountain passes. But outside that fantasy life..

992 is a car I respect a lot. They engineered some life back in after the softness and remoteness of standard 991s but while it’s sharper it’s not exactly fun. I was in a R8 V10 last week and that was more fun than a 992 Turbo S, if less complete.

I am in a 992 GTS next month, I expect an even better mountain pass car.

Our AMGs have an old fashioned sense of fun dialled in. The way you feel the back dig in around corner exits even at low speed - that took a lot of time and effort to dial in. Much easier to make a car that just does it but doesn’t tell you about it.

Manufacturers have been engineering the fun back into cars as the ICE dies. It never left the C63 but look at the Ferrari 812, 992 Turbo S, Huracan RWD. Much more fun than predecessors.….along with the current crop of AMGs we may be at peak car fun.