Finally! My C63 coupe and thoughts re: M3

[gthal]

Hi all, I am excited to say that I picked up my new C63 coupe yesterday! Specs as follows: Obsidian black Two tone red/black interior 18” OEM wheels with 19” OEM 16 spoke wheels on order (18s will be my track wheels) Performance package All other options available in Canada So far the car is amazing and I am very happy. I have had the opportunity to track the C63 coupe recently (not mine) and was impressed. I am equally impressed with it around town. Coming from a 2011 E92 M3, I thought I would post my thoughts on the differences. I really do love and appreciate both cars and think both are amazing. The C63 and the M3 feel very different to drive. I can’t quite explain how but they are different. The C63 feels much more urgent and intense. Not just in acceleration but also in handling… describing handling as “urgent” seems weird but that is the best way I can describe it. The M3 felt more relaxed to me. When you push the go pedal, the C63 has gobs and gobs of torque and acceleration. Really scary sometimes as you reach the car in front of you much faster than you may anticipate. The throttle mapping also feels aggressive… like the M3 in “power” mode. I was always a firm defender of the M3 against those who said it lacked torque and I still am. The M3 has lots of torque and great gearing to get at it. However, the C63 is really something else in this regard. Having spent a lot of time now in the C63, I think it would be hard to not have the torque on tap all of the time. The torque really is fun and addictive and so very easy to access in the C63. The C63 really pulls and pulls and pulls… This also exposes the weakness of the C63 and it is rubber and not enough of it. In the spring, there will be a set of 245/275 RE-11s on the car to deal with the power. Sound wise, the C63 is amazing and sounds perfect out of the box. The right amount of volume, tone, farts, etc. The M3 needs an after market exhaust to even get close. I have not heard the performance exhaust on an M3 and this might be the answer but I can’t say for sure. The suspension in the C63 is a little firmer than the M3. I actually think the M3 in comfort mode is more comfortable. The C63 is more like the M3 in normal or even maybe sport suspension mode. Not bad at all for daily driving but noticeably firm. Steering feedback is better in the C63 but steering weight is better in the M3. I also think the steering in the M3 is maybe a little more precise. This comes back to the “urgent” comment I made. The C63 seems very urgent in turn in and the M3 more relaxed. To me, this makes the M3 a little more precise and easier to get exactly the amount of steering input you want. Both cars feel very planted but there is a difference in feel. The C63 feels more solid and rigid than the M3. Almost like it was made from a single piece of metal. The M3 feels looser than the C63 but it also feels a little more agile and nimble. I feel very confident in the C63 but somehow don’t know where the limit is… maybe because I haven’t had the opportunity to get close to reaching it. In the M3, I somehow felt like I knew the limit of the car. Maybe this was really just familiarity with the M3 but I liked having this feeling. I suspect with a few HPDEs behind me, I will have a similar feel for the C63. I don’t know that I prefer one car to the other in handling. The C63 feels planted, secure and very solid in corners. The M3 feels maybe a tad less planted but more agile. I’m not doing a great job of explaining this but I think you get the drift (no pun intended ). Interior is hands down, way, way better in the C63. Real carbon fibre, amazing seats in the coupe (better than in the M3 in both look and feel IMO), flat top/bottom steering wheel with Alcantara, great fit and finish and very modern. The M3’s interior is dated and plain in comparison. The M3 interior is similar “quality” but not as nice to look and or sit in. On features, the C63 wins out by a margin. Lots of cool things like blind spot warnings, lane departure stuff, rear back up camera, front PDC, etc. Sound systems in both are comparable but the iPod connectivity is better in the C63 as is the Bluetooth functionality. You even get a flash card slot! One area where the M3 smacks the C63 around is the transmission. The DCT is much better than the MCT. Faster, more responsive and more connected to the car. The DCT is an amazing piece of engineering if you ask me. The MCT is very good, very fast, very capable and works well but it just is not as good as the DCT. I would have happily paid a premium in the C63 to have had the option for a comparable transmission. Exterior looks… I prefer the M3 still. The M3 is a beautiful car. The C63 looks more muscular, IMO, but overall I like the look of the M3 better. BMW really got the M3 right IMO. However, the fit and finish of the C63 is superior IMO. Paint is better, panels are better fitting, etc. Not that the M3 was bad but it isn’t as good in this respect as the C63. Brakes are similar in feel but the red Brembos look amazing on the C63. Only time will tell how they hold up on the track. The C63 coupe on stock (a.k.a. anemic) Continental tires just ran an 8:01 Nurburgring time (Sport Auto Supertest) which is a very respectable time and 12 seconds faster than a pre-2012 C63 time (which shows the level suspension improvements) and 4 seconds faster than an E92 M92 M3 with Pilot Sport Cup tires. Obviously conditions would be different (same driver) so it is hard to make a straight comparison but for tracks where the power of the C63 can be used, it does very well. I love both cars and think they are very similar overall but with a different feel. I would be very happy to own either. My ratings would be: Acceleration and torque: C63 wins by a wide margin. The difference in feel really surprised me. Sound: C63 wins by a wide margin Handling: M3 wins by a small margin Transmission: M3 wins by a wide margin Interior: C63 wins by a wide margin Exterior: M3 wins by a small margin DD fun: C63 wins as it is just a silly fast and planted car on the street Track fun: M3 will likely win here on most tracks as it is the more agile car… close but I have to say M3. Summary… it’s a tie as each car is great in its own way and both are similar overall I have said it before but if the car is a DD with the odd track weekend, I think the C63 is hard to beat. If the car is a track warrior’s tool, then the M3 is the better choice. Whichever you pick, though, I think you win. I am sure there will be days when I really miss the M3 (mainly the DCT) but I also am not sure I could go back to the 295 ft/lbs of torque now that I have lived with 443. As much as I defended the M3 in this regard (and still would), getting pushed back hard into your seat and launching through a hole in traffic (while hearing the amazing exhaust) is just a little addictive. Below are some pictures of the car. I haven’t had time to really wash it so forgive the dirt. Also, the wheels are my cheap replica winter setup with a 225/40-18 square set up. Put them on this morning. I think they look pretty good given the wheels were only $600 +/-

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[WWMIndy]

GTHAL: great write-up!

Thanks very much for the perspective...I would definitely say that you are spot on with your assessment.

Enjoy the car in good health - can't wait to hear what the babies' experience was...LOL

[Lizard]

The car looks great! Love that red interior. It look classy and sporty and matches your brakes very well.
And thanks for the comparison. I too have thought about trading up to a c63 BS but really am afraid that the transmission will make me regret my choice (as I believe that the BS has the same tranny as the standard c63??). The DCT is so involving and fun to play with that anything less than that will ruin it for me. I need to go test drive a 2012 c63. Congrats on the new car.

[ezatnova]

Great write-up and a beautiful car you have! Very relevant post to me...current 335i (tuned) owner cross shopping M3s and C63s. I've driven them over and over (and a lot in the M and M-school) and I CAN NOT make up my mind. I love each for the exact reasons you list above.

[slownrusty]

That interior is simply amazing.

[jarjoug]

Great write-up. Enjoy it and congrats.

George

[ara]

congrats on the car!

Since you've had both m3 and now this, can you comment on handling feel in regards to the glass roof? Do you feel all that weight up high? I need to drive the c63 coupe, might get one

[GBlansten]

Having had a C63 sedan for three years and now a M3 coupe I find little with which to disagree in your review. Enjoy that car.

[Helms]

Congrats man! she's a beauty!

[bmoney12]

Congrats! After that write up I really want to trade my 2010 in for a 2012. Although having owned a DCT M3 your comments about the MCT not stacking up very well is a little bit of a bummer. Then again I'm sure it's much better than my current 2010 tranny.

[wawy]

Very nice car and very nice unbiased comparison. Happy for you! Hope the M3 goes to someone that will appreciate it!

[gthal]

Originally Posted by ara

congrats on the car!

Since you've had both m3 and now this, can you comment on handling feel in regards to the glass roof? Do you feel all that weight up high? I need to drive the c63 coupe, might get one

I can't tell a difference but, in fairness, have not spent enough time at the track which, IMO, is the only place you might ever notice or sense a difference. On the street, if anyone says they can feel the weight of the panoramic roof then they are blowing smoke IMO. Having said that, the C63 does feel a little heavier than the M3 but the car manages it very well. What goes along with feeling a little heavier is also a car that feels VERY solid and planted. To me, it is a subtle trade off of one characteristic for another.

Put another way... the C63 coupe handles amazingly well and is exceptionally capable on the street. On the track, based on my more limited experience, I would give the M3 a slight nod... slight...

[gthal]

Originally Posted by Lizard

The car looks great! Love that red interior. It look classy and sporty and matches your brakes very well.
And thanks for the comparison. I too have thought about trading up to a c63 BS but really am afraid that the transmission will make me regret my choice (as I believe that the BS has the same tranny as the standard c63??). The DCT is so involving and fun to play with that anything less than that will ruin it for me. I need to go test drive a 2012 c63. Congrats on the new car.

Don't get me wrong... the MCT is not at all a bad transmission. Quite the contrary. It is very fast and responsive in manual mode. If I could summarize what I perceive to be the differences, it would be something like this...

Shift speed
- DCT instant (up or down), immediate, as soon as you hit the paddle.
- MCT very fast upshifts and downshifts but with a very slight delay... more noticeable on downshifts. Sometimes downshifts are perfect, sometimes a very slight delay.

Mechanical connection
- DCT actually feels like it is directly connected to the engine
- MCT feels a little buffered

Subjective and features
- DCT feels like a manual because it is... you can feel clutch slippage, roll back, etc. Also, you can click 2 or more times and instantly downshift multiple gears. Say I'm coming into a corner in 5 and want 3rd... two back to back clicks and the DCT is instantly in 3rd. For the MCT, I need to shift to 4th... then shift to 3rd. It is fast but not like the DCT where you can skip gears (or at least you think you are).
- If I had never owned a DCT, I would have thought the MCT was amazing... it is a great transmission and if someone hasn't owned a DCT or PDK tranny, you will not miss anything.

I would NOT let the MCT stop you from getting the car because the car is so much more and the MCT is, in fact, VERY good. Also, the BS is just on another level and if I have the chance to pick one up someday (subliminal message for 1st AMG), I couldn't care whether it had an MCT or not. That car is amazing.

[Vic55]

Not just a great write up but a fair one... most people would sit here and defend their new purchase to make themselves sleep even better at night; you remained impartial citing exactly what I felt was beneficial in my previous E92 M3.

Congrats on the new ride.

[Mort]

Congrats, great write up and sounds like you are enjoying your new ride.

It is a long wait but well worth it.

[JimmyR]

Obviously too early in your ownership of the C63 to comment, but for the M3 any observations on its reliability. Any common gremlins a la the E46 M3 (RTAB wear/leaking rear view mirror/broken rear springs/handbrake/alternator and SMG pump failures etc)??

[CELLryuu]

gthal,,,,,our cars are almost identical twins. you have good taste my friend

great write up. i agree with everything except the looks. i agree the m3 is a great looking car, but the c63 is a rare bird. i see m3's every day. i get alot of looks in the c63 cause most people have never seen one. so, i guess i agree with you on the m3's looks but favor the exclusivity of the c63.

[Nuxi]

Great write-up! She's a beauty! Congrats on the car, enjoy her in good health.

[gthal]

Originally Posted by CELLryuu

gthal,,,,,our cars are almost identical twins. you have good taste my friend

great write up. i agree with everything except the looks. i agree the m3 is a great looking car, but the c63 is a rare bird. i see m3's every day. i get alot of looks in the c63 cause most people have never seen one. so, i guess i agree with you on the m3's looks but favor the exclusivity of the c63.

I do love the look of the C63 too but there are features of the M3 I really love too... maybe it's because the M3 had my wheels and other details to finish it off and the C63 hasn't had the customization done yet. My brother in law and I took the car out for a nice drive tonight and his preference, looks wise, was also the C63.

[Rsquad911]

Congrats great write up!

Lets get an engine bay shot =O)

[1st amg]

Simply beuatiful, you definetely did a bang up job on color choices, in and out, the car looks more than the sticker price....wait until you get your AMG 19's, this car will look that much better.....in the down shifting department, I dont know if you are familiar with if your say in 5th, to shift a few gears lower, you simply just hold the downshift paddle down and the computer will choose the appropriate gear matched to the speed you are travelling, so it will more than likely go from 5th to 3rd bu holding the paddle down. I really dont think you will get bored of this car for however long you keep it, I had mine for over three years and just let it go to some fortunate Toronto resident and I miss it, thankfully my brother (Coladin) has one so I get treated weekly until my car comes in!!

[bhamg]

That was great read...enjoy your ride!

[-=Hot|Ice=-]

Gorgeous. Enjoy in good health bud! Thanks for the write up!

[King Cobra]

Amazing write up! Congrats on your new C63, have fun.

[Merconvert]

Well this is a very rare thing: an incredibly balanced initial review buy someone who clearly loves cars and isn't into the brand war nonsense. Thank you for posting. You made my day, as right now my coupe sits in Melbourne awaiting customs clearance and delivery to me in Sydney - I hope - before Christmas. Special treat: the first "real" ( not Merc PR ) pics of the two tone red seats I have seen. I also ordered these with mine.

I have struggled with M3 vs C63 for a long time, but after driving the M3 on many occasions, I concluded it was an entrancing car, but only when thrashed to 80% and above. As a DD I reckoned it was just a bit dull. The C63 sounds dramatic and thrilling at any speed. I want something I can get a buzz from at any speed,around town, on trafficked country roads, as well as on ultimate driving roads and occasionally on the track. For the moment, C63 seems to fit that bill best....