With the release of the 2012 AMG C63 Coupe, Mercedes has shown those pesky boys at BMW and Audi that it has the guts and capability to launch a beastly car that can wipe the smiles off the faces of those M and RS drivers.

At the heart of this brawler is the venerable 6.2 liter engine that made the C63 sedan a favorite of many hardcore enthusiasts. Its throaty growl is quite unlike the whisper-quiet powerplants of other Mercedes cars, advertising to those around it its 450 horsepower. For those thinking of thumbing their nose at that power output, AMG is offering a Development Package which lightens the reciprocating mass by seven pounds and adds 30 more horsepower. 0-60 times are 4.3 seconds with that extra horsepower, although it seems conservative. Nevertheless top speed is now 174 mph with the Development Package, which will add an additional $6,000 to the price of the car. If you can afford the base price in the first place, what’s the little extra to you in exchange for making sure that you leave most cars in the dust? And before you complain that the car doesn’t have a clutch pedal, try the 100 millisecond shifts that result from squeezing the steering paddles all the way to 7th gear.

As befits the car’s hardcore character, shocks, springs and bushings have been recalibrated and the brake system has been upgraded to ensure the balance necessary for going as well as stopping.