Edmunds Inside Line: Upcoming C63 AMG drops a hammer on RS4 & M3

Lately MB had upped the BHPs of their cars greatly.
U can see
5.5 V8 with 382BHP.
6.0 V12 biturbo with 517BHP
6.3 AMG with upto 520BHP
6.5 AMG with upto 612BHP

And i strongly believe that the new C63 AMG will have more HP than the RS4 and upcoimg M3.

JUGNU

the 5.5 that you mention is the unsupercharged (non kompressed) version. the kompressors have around 470-500, i think.
used it on all mercs more expensive than the e class (post 2001). c class, clk, slk used the unkompressed engine. (as did the old e class and s class to 2001)

AMG only focus on HP wars. Always AMG models come with more HP than the competition but get smacked on a race track. Also their cars r ment to b luxury cruisers more than sport cars.

I suppose somebody better bring up the fact that these engines cannot manage anywhere near 100bhp/litre (like M cars do!)

Both the BMW M3 and the Audi RS4 will get trashed in the straights, clearly.

Nut - Who cares!! That will be the only thing the C63 will have to brag about. When the tests are done it will be 3rd in line below the M3 and the RS4, b/c 0-60 is only a fraction of what it takes to win a comparison test.

No Manual tranny for the C63 like every other AMG cars...

i love teh new c63 amg, and will prolly get one a year or two after it comes out ( because im not rich).
teh new styling. i dont know about you guys, but i will never be reaicng aorund a track. teh most ill do is race form stop light to stop light on teh local racing ave. and i believe i will be one of teh fastest in neighborhood iwth that engine in that lil car. :D

Mark - It will be able to brag about it's refinement and luxury also, not only the straight line. Don't under-estimate AMG by thinking their only about HP. All premium brands think about handling as well. However, for MB, since they are more luxury oriented they will lack in some handling but more than make up for it's luxury and grunt from it's engines.

The RS4 is a great car with a sexy sound produced by its engine. One advantage is it's AWD. The interior philosophy is totally different than that of the C63. The price is a little pricey if you check on the US & CANADA websites.

The M3, will be a great car with it's traditional great fun and dynamic driving. However, it will lack the luxury that MB is known to have. M3 has the DNA of a sports car. The C63 has the DNA of a luxury saloon. Totally different philosophies but somehow categorized in the same market.

First off the 4-door vs 2 door M3. RS4 vs C63 is a more likely challenge and class.

I will give you the interior. The 07 C-Class interior is very nicely done and almost, almost perfect in functionality.

I'll still push for the RS4 when it goes head to head with the C63.

Keep this in mind.

The CLK63 AMG has 481 HP, the 335i 300 HP officialy (325 to 350 unofficialy).

Yet, both on SportAuto's test (Germany) and Auto Express (UK) the 335i trumped the AMG on a track.

Even more embarassingly for the AMG, on SportAuto's test, the 335i camed with the CRAPY RUNFLATS.

So even if the C63 will have more HP, it will probably loose against the M3.

I would take the C63 AMG hands down because it doesn't try to be something it's not. Nothing puts a smile on my face more then sheer raw unadulterated power. The M3 and RS4 are not the precision track instruments that they used to be.

If this car is based on the same C-Class that has been out since 2001 then wake me up when they redesign the thing. Throwing a new engine into an ageing platform doesn’t all of a sudden make it competitive with the new M3. The New M3 BTW is a completely resigned car. The C-class is a 5 year old design, enough said.

njshift

I would take the C63 AMG hands down because it doesn't try to be something it's not. Nothing puts a smile on my face more then sheer raw unadulterated power. The M3 and RS4 are not the precision track instruments that they used to be.
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I agree that the M3 and RS4 lost some of their (track)
orientated purity.

Nevertheless, the C55 also improved handling/driving dynamics and becamed more than a comfy dragster.

So it goes both ways.

I agree with you 100%. I never said that the AMG couldn't handle. While both the M3 and RS4 lost some of their track appeal. AMG has remained loyal to its roots as a well rounded, high performance, luxury, autobahn bruiser.

Well the M3 and RS4 will probably get the more hardcore CSL and RS+ versions.

Also the 335i while being more comfy and for everyday use, it also bested the E46 M3 on a track in some test made by a german magazine, and there is a 335 SI coming, so that means the new M3 will be even more performant and agile.

This is a moot discussion because right now only one of the 3 cars mentioned above actually exists. The RS4. I drove one last Friday and almost traded in my '06 S4. The acceleration is incredible, especially for a car that weighs over 3,500 lbs. The dynamic ride control also keeps the car flat around corners, no pitch and roll. A truly amazing vehicle. Test drive one if they will let you and then make your comments. Too many of you here just like to hear yourself talking out your ass. Stop it and educate yourself instead.

1) The M3 has been left in the dust and until there actually IS a new V8 M3 that can compete, there is no justification for making comparisons. As of now, the "new" M3 is all talk and won't be available for purchase any time soon.

2) Same with the C63 AMG. Besides, anyone who does their homework knows that Mercedes is way behind both Audi and BMW when it comes to reliability. They're also overpriced for what you get unless the name means that much to you. I think we're talking about a different kind of buyer here anyway, M3 and S4/RS4 vs. the C63. You will NOT see any C63 owners racing their cars around a track, that's just not what that car is meant for. It's a luxury car with an oversized engine for people with oversized egos (sorry for the cheap shot, but I couldn't resist). Mercedes owners are a different sort. Not better or worse, just different.

3) Driving in a straight line is boring. So what if the C63 ends up beating the RS4 0-60 by 0.1 or 0.2 seconds. The RS4 will leave it in the dust in real world driving conditions. Don't even try to tell me that the C63 is going to be able to corner worth a damn. It's going to be nose heavy and just plain heavy in general. Besides, AWD is superior to RWD when it comes to handling and that claim isn't even disputable. On wet pavement it's not even close.

4) Bottom line, as of right now both BMW and Mercedes are trailing Audi for different reasons. That's just a fact. You can buy an RS4 right now, but you can only talk about the "new" M3 and the C63. How much is that C63 going to cost with options anyway? 90K? Forget it.

So why are you still arguing this if it's moot? Two of the three cars are not even out yet like you said. I don't think anyone argued that the AMG would be the dominant car on a road course/twisties anyway.

Although, in the real world most people go at it on the highways or drag strips not their local back roads/road courses. Highways and drag strips are where most of the AMG's shine. Unfortunately, this is where the majority of M3 and RS4 owners get butt-hurt (since we're making digs)...

According to you this is all a moot discussion because 2 of the 3 cars aren't even available to the public. So why are you making claims that the C63 can't handle, it's heavier then the RS4, and its nose heavy? There are no real specs on this car so how can you make those judgments? Perhaps you're talking out of your ass as well.