Here are some pictures of the upcoming 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG that wasn't supposed to see the light of day until the Geneva Motor Show this March.
The new C63 gets a set of SL-inspired headlamps with ornate light-piping and LED DRLs mounted in the revised fascia. LEDs make their way to the tail lamps, with redesigned 18-inch wheels.
AMG carried over the existing the 6.2-liter V8 instead of fitting its new 5.5-liter biturbo mill, so output remains at 451 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. The Development Package will reportedly stick around for 2012, raising output to 481 hp and nixing the 155 mph limiter to allow the C63 to top out at 174 mph. The sports package also includes a few interior tweaks, a carbon fiber trunk spoiler and red calipers that clamp onto 14.2-inch front discs.
The C63 now sends power to a seven-speed Speedshift MCT auto 'box which swaps out the conventional torque converter for a high-performance clutch pack said to deliver smoother, more immediate shifts.