bobpaule

Hi Guys:

I got my paws on a rare 2003 C320 6 speed manual. There are 14 cars imported so far in this configuration, and the car will be shipped from California where it was initially spec ordered.

None of the 7 dealers in WV, OH, PA could get this car earlier than 02-02-03 and i live in the middle of nowhere, so BMW and SAAB have no representation here, but don't ask me how the local Ford dealer ended up putting the MB sign on the outhouse at the end of the lot ?! You should see the local hot rides, Lincolns and the ubiquitous perlescent white shoebox Caddies.

Initially my first choice would have been the smotth BMW 330i but i am very happy with the Merc. I can only imagine the laughs when people see me in a Merc at age 30, but i think that it will be even more fun passing them while working my shiftstick. BTW track 0-60 is as low as 6.5 on the manual shifter (this from the worldwide MB site).

BTW manual trannys really bring out the performance in a car. My 2002 Saab 9-3 developed 210 lb/ft at a dismal 2000 RPMs but unluckily i totaled it last week. 5 star crash ratings mean a lot to me, esp. after i was extricated out of the car after a 65 mph collision with a milk truck and walked out of the ER with 2 stitches(no i didn't drown in it ))) This 2003 C320 exceeds all standards for safety in its class

Man, am i excited. My prior rides are VW GTI VR6, Mitsu 3000GT, and the unlucky Saab.

Are there any other owners of the 6 speed C32o out there?

Thank you all for the useful info on the forum.

B

amdeutsch

Your welcome and welcome on here.

You gotta take pics and post them.

Lynn

Welcome to the board. I think you are the first person here to get a six speed 320. I am looking forward to hearing more when you get the car.

Buellwinkle

Is that the new C320 Coupe or the sedan? I like that 3.2L motor, nice responsive engine. Wish my coupe had it but then I wouldn't be spending my free time figuring out how to squeeze that little supercharger harder. Check with Evosport, they have a pulley kit for that car that will give you about 13hp more in first gear.

bobpaule

Hi Buellwinkle:

It is the sedan, the coupe is the C230 if i remember well.

Thanks for the tip.

B

Buellwinkle

They are taking orders for the C320 Coupe now so it should be due in any day now. Don't know if they'll call it the C230 3.2L or C320 Coupe.

CitronC230K_03

SoCal240/6 will call it either the C230 3.2L Hatchback or C320 Hatchback. he will eventually. sorry MB-BOB, its sad but true, we all know that!

TimmyC230boy

even the semi-new members know this. lol


Will that be the same motor as in the C320. if so thats only 25 more HP. To me its hardly worth the extra $$$ to get it. When, for under 2 grand, you can have the same performance with the pulley, intercooler, and ECU mods. I don't know the specs onthe 3.2 liter but if it is heavier then that will make them even closer in performance.

TimmyC230boy

any
thoughts

x15jq

I agree with you Tim.

My dad has a Clk 320.

I have the C230K

I only have 400 miles so far, but the difference in performance between the two seems negligable. He has the convertible and that weighs like 3600 lbs so thats where the diff probably comes in.

I do like the sound of his engine tho. I installed an intake on his and mine, but his sounds nice and deep. Mine sounds like an electric motor.

CitronC230K_03

timmy, it only takes about 3 threads to find this out!

plus looking at the numbers i dont think there will be much of a difference. the 2002 auto C320 and 2002 auto C230, the dieffernce to 0-60 was only 0.6 seconds. i havent seen the ratings for the 2003 6 speed, so i cant say for sure. but with the weight of the extra 7inches of the car taken off, and the performance of the 2003 1.8L shaving 0.1 sec off, maybe the difference is going to be close to a full second. just my $.02

TimmyC230boy

the only reason i could see for maybe getting the C320 coupe would be so Kleemann could stick a Sc on it.

young

ok, there is some value to maintaining the car's warranty and keeping it stock. some people like to tune the car, but most people, i think, don't. for those people, a C320 coupe makes a lot of sense (depending on the final price).

having driven the 320 cars, they had very smooth acceleration and good power. i'd have to drive it again, but it didn't feel lacking at the time (pre pulley upgrade on my car). it also had much less vibration/noise like our puttering 2.3l engine. (although, i hear the slk owners enjoy the sound - sometimes i do; sometimes, i feel like she's going to blow up). the 3.2l engine is also ULEV compliant.

i still think that a c320 coupe will be a nice counterpoint to the bmw 330ci. (a c350 coupe would be even nicer ).

Matt230K

If you're looking for smoothness, the new 230 probably beats the 320. I was impressed with how smooth the new 1.8 can run.

And even the 2.3 is pretty smooth, in my opinion, you just have to listen to the engine and not the exhaust. This is why I love the pulley. It revs great and sounds great.

As far as V6's go, I think the old inline 320 was smoother.

MarkL

Excuse me, are you saying the 2.3L 4 cyl. runs smoother than the 3.2L V6? I have a C240 (same block as 320) and I test drove a C230 for comparison months after I bought mine. Have you driven a C240 or C320? The 2.3L is very rough in comparison, not even close, IMO. I haven't driven the 1.8L yet.

TimmyC230boy

i drove that hot-rod Camaro for too long. I think my "smoothness" factor is a little messed up. I think the 2.3 if smooth ebough for me. Granted, I have driven other cars thast were much smoother.

Matt230K

The 2.3L just sounds rough because of the exhaust noise, which I do like by the way. But the engine seems to run very smooth to me as it revs. This is why you have to listen to the engine and not the exhaust. But the 240 and 320 do also run smooth, I agree with you. I drive them both very often as I work for a dealer.

With the 1.8L, I had one that was sitting in the showroom for a while, so when I pulled it out, I was revving it for a while to charge the battery a little. And it revved all the way up to 4000, which is the rev limiter in park, and I could barely hear or feel the engine. I was impressed.

trench

Hmmm...interesting point about C230 3.2 vs C320 Coupe.

I wonder if the reason 1.8 L badges are beginning to appear on the sides of the 2003 C230s is that when the V6 becomes available it will still be a C230 but with a 3.2 badge on the side?

Side note - when the C320 becomes the C350 after the bigger motor becomes available next year - I wonder if they will change the C240 to C270 (which it really is) to differentiate it more from the C230? Perhaps at that time only the 3.2 L motor will be in the Coupe, so then C350 will be a sedan designation and C320 a Coupe designation.

- BT

CitronC230K_03

1.8L badges are apprearing on the sides of the 2003's? like the kompressor for the C32, on the front fender behind the front wheel?

trench

Correct, the badges are visible in most of the print and TV adds for the 2003 Coupe. However, no one on the forum has taken delivery of a 2003 with the badge, although one forum member who works at a dealership said they just received one with the badges.

Cheers, BT

CitronC230K_03

interesting, im curious to see one now. i havent seen any in brochures, ads and such. its a nice touch i think, it least it signifies the engine displacement so MB isnt fooling the public as much.

MB-BOB

Yes, he's nothing if not consistent...

As for the 1.8L or 2.3L VS 3.2L comparisons, I agree with MarkL. There's no substitute for displacement. No comparison at all.

Matt230K

Yes, I am the one who has seen them, and I appear to be the only person. If you happen to be at your dealer, it would probably only be on cars that have arrived in the past 1-2 weeks. And it isn't on every car. It seems like mostly automatics have had them, but not 6-spd's, but then I think one 6-spd. does have it. Also, a new little rubber piece on the roof. Looks like an extra little wind deflector, only in the center, about 3 inches wide, 1/2 inch tall.

Matt230K

Citron, the new full line brochure has a picture of coupe with an obvious 1.8 badge. We just received these brochures, so your dealer may or may not have them. But they are the brochures that tell a little about all the models.