Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S E-Performance：丑小鸭的变形：但它不会变成天鹅！
A four-cylinder engine with almost 700 horsepower? We had to examine how this technological marvel weighing 2.3 tons coped with itself.
There are a number of ways to look at the new AMG GLC. The first one is not very friendly, but it is obvious. After a stunning, thunderous, intoxicating, hellish but charismatic eight-cylinder engine, who would buy a four-cylinder engine? All eight points of AMG sound like the best available. Here, somehow, the turbocharger does not interfere with the sound in the free passage of the exhaust pipe, the result of which contributes to at least half of the driving experience. From this point of view, the novelty is very challenging.
Second view
But we can also look at the bright side: which car in this class can really achieve the technology transfer from F1 to the ordinary road? What Mercedes-AMG has done with the new GLC 63 S is as bold as it is fascinating. The risk of the transition from eight to four cylinders is balanced by the use of technologies that have not yet been encountered in ordinary cars, as well as the performance that attracts tabloid attention: 500 kW (680 hp) and 1,020 um! For this 2.3-ton behemoth, the acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes only 3.5 seconds. You won't find many cars that will be able to solve this problem.
Science and Technology Festival
The secret of this feat is a little more complicated than you might think. The car actually has two power units. The 2-liter four-cylinder engine is equipped with an adult head-sized turbocharger with a maximum output of 350 kW (476 hp) and sends it to all four wheels via a 4Matic+ system with an active rear differential. While a head-sized turbo is great for maximum power as it can provide up to 2.3 bar boost pressure, a large turbine has a lot of inertia and therefore takes a long time to spin behind the throttle and provide enough air to the engine for maximum power. Strength. This manifests itself as a turbine hole while driving.
Here is a direct inheritance of F1's technology: in AMG, the turbine is connected to a 6 kW electric motor, which actively rotates the turbine before the exhaust gases gain enough energy to take over this role. In this way, the turbine hole is almost eliminated. An electric motor can even replace the function of a bypass valve, recovering excess energy from the turbine and sending it to the 6.1 kWh super-powerful battery, which has a direct connection to motorsport. This brings us to the second power unit, which is an electric motor with a maximum output of 150 kW (204 hp) for 10 seconds and a continuous output of 80 kW.
It is located on the rear axle and has its own 2-speed gearbox for speeds of around 120 km/h. So, it is true that the car can reach the stated maximum power only with the right combination of gears and the position of the Moon relative to Mercury, but the focus is on a truly lightning-fast reaction to the gas and the fact that you can control the car while driving, similar to how Hamilton controls his single-seater Mercedes...... Soon after, in fact, a Ferrari. You can adjust the level of energy recuperation via the rotation controller under the steering wheel, you can activate the maximum power by pressing the accelerator pedal to the force downshift position, and you will immediately get a kick in the back...... All this, the third electric motor in the form of a starter generator is really just a fashion accessory, although it is important.
Ecology?
Let's not forget that this AMG is actually a plug-in hybrid. However, not to drive more economically. The WLTP value is good, and theoretically you can drive to work with electricity only, but you have to keep it less than 10 km from home. You will no longer be switching to electricity. And you can only charge the battery very slowly from the outlet. Prepare for an hour or so. No, that's not the point of the plug-in hybrid AMG. The electricity here will only give you more performance. Do you want to know if it's worth such a heavy weight? Good question.
Digital analogue
In fact, at AMG, they call every system you can imagine. We've already mentioned the variable all-wheel drive system and the active rear differential. Rear axle steering, adaptive shock absorbers, and active roll suppression are added. All of these systems work together to make the Mercedes-AMG GLC the driving performance at its best. Do you know? Useful. Do you know what is most admirable about it? The resulting driver feels less reminiscent of some kind of digital computer game, but rather an honestly tuned, predictable and fully controllable car.
I think the way the engineers managed to match all the systems together to get the simulation results was the most successful. You can also adjust your car's settings via the AMG Driving Dynamics system, which, outside of the stability control frame, affects how the car understeers or oversteers and reacts to gas release in corners.
It's a different kind of joy
The results of the hard work of the engineers are truly breathtaking. Yes, you'll hardly use that power, and you'll always miss the sound of the eight-cylinder. But if you look at this car as a technical showcase, it's a gem that is also very fun to drive. We came to the Slovak Ring to try it to the fullest, and the average car owner may never accept it. There is no bulky eight-cylinder engine, the battery is located in the rear, and the GLC is very balanced, especially on longer corners. The car gives you the option to rotate it during a turn to adjust the track.
By transferring the weight, you can place it beautifully when turning. Pressing the right amount of throttle can even make you drift in reverse, which is what surprised me the most. Nowadays, Mercedes can boast of its truly finely tuned steering, the accuracy of which does not leave you guessing what the car will do, and you can estimate the grip well when cornering, since it weighs well in your hands. The only thing that's not perfect is that the steering wheel rim is slightly thinner.
The brakes are taking a hit, but they're trying. The pedals feel very good. The grip of the heated tires is incomprehensible, and when driving out of corners, you can use the extra electric "boost" provided by the rear-axle motor to pull you out perfectly with a slight slippage of all four wheels. Acceleration can be frightening at times – both for its intensity and its brutal start, which would not have been possible without electric assistance.
However, I must also stress the urgency of the four-cylinder. It's an extremely high-end engine with a taste that increases with revs and a proportions that have a good sound. It's a pity that the sound in the cabin is drowned out by the failed artificial sound coming from the speakers. It is not possible to open the flap of the exhaust port, only to close the artificial coloring. It won't be a V8 engine, but it will definitely help. It would also help if the two-speed gearbox shifted faster. When accelerating to around 120 km/h, you can feel the car temporarily stop pulling, which is not very comfortable, especially when overtaking.
Back to Earth
The AMG GLC is very beautiful to drive. The best ever driven. And when you return from the track to the public road, you will find that this is also the most comfortable. However, it must be noted that it is still a relatively stiff car that will give you the most punishment when it comes to short bumps, which will give a shock to the entire bodywork. Considering the price tag of the car, I was surprised that the interior would squeak in such a situation. That shouldn't have happened. In addition, in cold conditions, the transmission is sometimes hesitant and sometimes unstable. In short, the car is a constant reminder that you are driving a very complex organism.
Can it still be loved? It's really beautiful and luxuriously equipped. If that's enough for you, then yes. He even drove like he didn't have the authority to drive anything that weighed 2,310 kilograms. I personally prefer deep respect to love. The four-liter eight-cylinder footprint left too deep a mark on me, and the previous generation of owners probably did the same. But who knows, maybe the GLC 63 S E Performance will appeal to a whole new demographic.