It was in September 2022 when Mercedes-AMG introduced the C63 but it’s only now we get to find out how much it costs. Math at home in Germany starts at precisely €114,887, which makes the BMW M3 a “bargain” at €89,300. Ok, maybe it’s not a fair comparison since one would argue we should be looking at the starting price of the all-wheel-drive version. Even at €100,300, the M3 Competition xDrive is still considerably cheaper.

Similarly, the M3 Touring substantially undercuts the AMG C63 Estate as the former retails from €101,300 while the latter begins at €116,673. Should neither of the two performance wagons tickle your fancy, the Audi RS4 Avant is way cheaper by carrying a starting price of €86,500 in Deutschland. You can’t get the RS4 as a sedan but you can have it as an RS5 Sportback from €87,500, so a lot less than the M3 and C63 saloons.

While the M3 has an inline-six and the RS4/RS5 models share a V6, the new C63 has downsized from a V8 to a four-cylinder engine part of a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The previous generation came only with RWD whereas the new one is strictly 4Matic. On its own, the turbocharged 2.0-liter mill makes 469 hp and 402 lb-ft (545 Nm). Combined with the rear-mounted electric motor, the total output rises to 671 hp and a whopping 752 lb-ft (1,020 Nm). That’s 168 hp and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) more than the M3 Competition xDrive.

However, we should point out that the new AMG C63 sedan is extremely heavy, tipping the scales at 2,111 kilograms (4,654 pounds). That makes it about 330 kg (nearly 730 lbs) fatter than the AWD-equipped M3, which isn’t exactly a Miata either. With the M3 CS available for only a year of production, BMW also has a slightly more powerful and lighter variant of the xDrive model.

While the next-generation M5 has been confirmed to retain the V8, rumor has it the new E63 will also be bitten by the downsizing bug by losing its V8 in favor of an electrified inline-six.

Source: Mercedes-AMG