| First Drive | Sussex, England | Mercedes-Benz C-Class DR520 Estate |

Madcap Benz C 63 AMG power is upped to 513bhp: we like.

In the Metal

This Special Projects DR520 might have a matt black wrap (white is also offered), but it's not what you'd call stealthy. The matt finish seems to accentuate the C 63 AMG's comically swelled proportions - be it the wheelarches or the contoured bonnet. Red brake callipers on the massive brakes don't help, but it's the noise emanating from the DR520's quad tailpipes that really get you noticed. Created by the people in the Special Projects division at Mercedes-Benz World, Brooklands, this DR520 is a one-of-20 model that gains power - an additional 60bhp - and some unique styling touches.

Most obvious is that matt effect wrap. There are also some subtle DR520 badges, while the interior features lashings of Alcantara and leather stitched in contrasting red (again, white is offered).

What you get for your Money

You're paying for those styling tweaks and an increase in power. The DR520 gets 520PS, or 513bhp. Torque is up too, from 457- to 479lb.ft, while the top speed rises to 187mph and the 0-62mph sprint time drops from 4.6- to 4.2 seconds. The saloon is a touch faster to 62mph, but we like our loony machines estate car shaped here. The DR520 gets the upgrades of the AMG Performance Plus Package allied to some engine fettling. It's not simply an ECU job though, as the Special Projects team fits new forged pistons as well as revised crankshaft and connecting rods.

All that costs an additional £9,000 over the standard C 63 AMG wagon, pushing up the price to £64,170. To that you need to add AMG's optional limited-slip differential for £1,560, while the Comand multimedia, satnav, telephone and iPod connection adds another £2,000 or so to that - making the DR520 a near £70,000 C-Class.

Driving it

It's been a while since we drove the standard C 63 AMG but we don't recall feeling short changed by the performance. The DR520 ups the bar though, with the 6.2-litre V8 unleashing even more ferocity. Hit the ESP Sport button and the electronic nanny threshold is raised higher and the DR520 can be power oversteered out of parking spaces. It's an absolute scream to drive, with the mighty 479lb.ft of torque doing its best to leave black lines everywhere. All that power definitely corrupts, but it's you, the driver, who is corrupted rather than the chassis. The DR520 is hugely forgiving, allowing you to really explore the engine's massive output without fear of visiting the scenery. Traction is easily broken, but the quick steering and friendly way the rear moves around makes the DR520 hugely exploitable. And brilliant fun.

The suspension is supple given its focus, but the ride improves markedly with speed. Low speed town driving sees the DR520 bouncing around a bit, but it's a small price to pay for the composure when the pace increases. The seven-speed automatic is smooth, but it feels lazy compared to the best dual-clutch systems on offer from rivals. Inputs at the paddle-shifters are not always translated to shifts, either, necessitating a double pull to get the gearbox to do what you want. The brakes are mighty though, and the sound coming out of the tailpipes is just sensational.

It's the flexibility of the engine that really astounds, the DR520 proving stupidly fast at any point in the rev range and insanely so in the upper reaches. Throttle response is immediate too, with even the tiniest inputs translating to big increases in velocity. Yet it remains an easy car to trickle around town in; pop it into Drive and it's just as at home in traffic as any of its lesser C-Class brethren.

Worth Noting

The limited slip differential is an option on the DR520 - a must have one at that. We can't understand why Mercedes hasn't added it to the standard specification. In case you're wondering the DR stands for 'Dyno Rated', though you don't need to put this car on a rolling road to realise it's been fettled with...

Summary

Well over £60,000 is a lot of money, but then we're struggling to think of a more entertaining estate car out there. Allied to that, Mercedes is only building 20 examples, which will no doubt all sell without any trouble. We'd have one - and set up an account at our local tyre fitters.