They also had a special lemon flavored cola coming straight from a company based in Stuttgart. No place for outsiders at Mercedes-Benz.

AMG came a long way from building racecar engines in the sixties to making our Editor-in-Chief write about their newest child with the caps lock on. Their cars are just that good.

While the BMW M3 was shopping for a new polo shirt at J. Crew and the Audi RS4 was home studying for its SATs, the Mercedes C63 AMG was the car that was hanging out under the bleachers smoking cigarettes and trying to hook up with all the cheerleaders.

The BMW M3 GTS has a great engine and amazing chassis dynamics, the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black has a wickedly charismatic V8 and quick-acting autobox. Both are lighter than their downmarket counterparts and sport huge premium price tags. But can they compete with the Porsche GT3 RS 4.0 on road and track?

The new C-Class coupe, first shown earlier this month at the Geneva Motor Show, received its inevitable AMG upgrades this weekend ahead of next month's New York Auto Show. What can we expect? How about a heaping helping of power?

Two common Mercedes C63 AMG complaints are: The lack of grip and understated appearance. The RENNtech C74 "Konzept" fixes both problems with a wide-as-Jennifer Lopez rear track and a widebody aero kit that makes the U.S.S. Enterprise look inconspicuous.

For the super-limited-edition Mercedes-Benz C-Class DR 520, Stuttgart started with a C63 AMG, added 60 horses, the AMG Performance Pack Plus, and matte black or white vinyl wrap. Zero to 62 mph in 4.1 seconds. Win.

This faux Mercedes E63 AMG Wagon is the work of tuner Arturo Alonso. Although it's just a body kit and wheels, it reminds us Mercedes needs to follow in GM's Cadillac CTS-V Wagon-shaped footsteps and sell it in the US.

Miami Cops have unmarked Altimas and laser guns. The RENNtech AMG C63 SPEC.R has a top speed of 187 MPH and luckily, sports a custom rear-view mirror-embedded radar/laser-detecting and jamming system. I used it, often.