That the C63 would get a face lift like the rest of the 2012 C-class lineup was a given. We’d already told you that the littlest AMG wouldn’t, like other 63 cars, swap its angry 6.2-liter V-8 for Mercedes’ new downsized and twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter engine. But the AMG engineers have fitted the seven-speed Speedshift Plus MCT automatic, which trades a conventional torque converter for a clutch pack.

Power from the 6.2-liter V-8 is unchanged. In standard spec, it puts out 451 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque; as before, the Development Package adds 30 hp (481 total) and raises the speed limiter from 155 to 174 mph. The new transmission, first seen in the SL63 and now spreading throughout the lineup, allows the driver to choose from four different driving modes and includes AMG’s Race Start launch-control function. So there’s a chance we’ll see a slight drop in the car’s 0-to-60-mph time, which was 3.9 seconds when we tested a 2010 Development Pack car.

Mercedes has made some changes to the C63’s suspension, as well. More negative camber has been dialed in, and a larger-diameter rear anti-roll bar has been fitted. New spring and damper rates are supposed to improve dynamics while reducing tire noise and vibration.

Looks More Muscle-y

The white car seen here happens to be one of the Development Package models, which is visually differentiated by its carbon-fiber trunklid spoiler and two-piece front brake rotors with red calipers all around. Like the plain-Jane C-classes, the C63’s headlights are reshaped and the taillights get the LED treatment. In addition, the AMG car’s front fascia is new—rectangular daytime running lights, a wider center opening, a reduction in vertical gill count to one per side—and includes a grille with one fewer horizontal bar (for a total of one). A resurfaced hood now has the power bulges extending into a raised area near the cowl. The rear fascia also has been reworked, with the black diffuser portion extending a little more up the bumper. The new lights and visual adjustments make a mean-looking car look a bit more sinister. The standard car will wear a new, twin-five-spoke 18-inch wheel design.

Inside, the C63 gets the same updates as the rest of the C-class line: a reworked dash with a 5.8-inch central display running a new interface and a crisp 4.5-inch color display in the gauge pod. There’s also a new multifunction steering wheel and new standard seat coverings: leatherette bolsters and seating surfaces made from a new man-made fiber that M-B calls Dinamica. Upgrade to leather and you can choose from four solid-color or three great-looking two-tone seats—we’ll take the red-and-black ones.

If This Doesn’t Keep Your Attention . . .

Mercedes’ Attention Assist, newly available across the C-class lineup, is standard here, although you’d have to be on something pretty strong to get drowsy at the wheel of this car. (We recommend hitting the left paddle for a couple of downshifts at highway speed to wake you up. If that doesn’t work, we’d be happy to slap you awake ourselves and take away the keys.) Adaptive high beams are now part of the optional lighting package, and a new self-park system will be offered as a standalone option.

The 2012 C63 AMG will go on sale this fall alongside the rest of the 2012 C-class lineup, and makes its debut at March’s Geneva auto show. Pricing hasn’t yet been announced, but we don’t expect it to stray too far from the current base price of $61,175. There’s still no official info on the C AMG coupe—or any two-door C-class, for that matter—but we expect details on it soon.