C230 Coupe!??
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Joined: Feb 2003
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From: In your rear view mirror!
2015 Yas Marina M4
C230 Coupe!??
I'm new to this forum, and I currently drive an 03' M3. However, my girlfriend is considering a C230 Kompressor coupe. What types of strengths/weaknesses does the car have? How easy is it to modify the supercharger on the motor, and what mods make the easiest horsepower gains. What's a good price range to look for as well. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanx in advance!
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Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
2005 smart cabrio; 2008 Mercedes-Benz B 200
advice
Are you sure your girlfriend really wants a modified car, or is it you projecting your ///M ideas on her? 
The 2002 C Sportcoupé had a 2.3 L iron block four (M111) with a light-pressure (0.5 bar I believe) blower setting, so it was relatively easy to get more puff without overstessing the engine. In stock form it produced 83.7 HP/L. Numerous pulley kits are available, some more successful than others
The 2003 C Sportcoupé has a 1.8 L all aluminium four (M271) with 189 HP, already producing 105 HP/L (more than your M3) so I would hazard a guess that there's not much more safe room to tweak the engine with high reliability reserves. I'm not sure if anyone's offering pulley kits for this engine as of yet.
To put it another way, the 2.3 likely has more tuning potential, either to the same output as the 1.8 with higher reliability or to a higher absolute output level than the 1.8 with the same reliability.
So if she wants a new car, it'll have to be the 1.8, so you should let her know about the potential tuning limitations.
If she does not give a rat's **** about tuning potential, the 1.8 will be fine - it's nearly as powerful in stock form as the 2.3 (less favourable torque figure/band though) and it's a fair bit smoother too.
Did you recently get the free 100 K mile extended warranty on your M3's engine? I think everyone's got it now, right? I hope the M3 engine blowup issue is resolved...
The 2002 C Sportcoupé had a 2.3 L iron block four (M111) with a light-pressure (0.5 bar I believe) blower setting, so it was relatively easy to get more puff without overstessing the engine. In stock form it produced 83.7 HP/L. Numerous pulley kits are available, some more successful than others
The 2003 C Sportcoupé has a 1.8 L all aluminium four (M271) with 189 HP, already producing 105 HP/L (more than your M3) so I would hazard a guess that there's not much more safe room to tweak the engine with high reliability reserves. I'm not sure if anyone's offering pulley kits for this engine as of yet.
To put it another way, the 2.3 likely has more tuning potential, either to the same output as the 1.8 with higher reliability or to a higher absolute output level than the 1.8 with the same reliability.
So if she wants a new car, it'll have to be the 1.8, so you should let her know about the potential tuning limitations.
If she does not give a rat's **** about tuning potential, the 1.8 will be fine - it's nearly as powerful in stock form as the 2.3 (less favourable torque figure/band though) and it's a fair bit smoother too.
Did you recently get the free 100 K mile extended warranty on your M3's engine? I think everyone's got it now, right? I hope the M3 engine blowup issue is resolved...
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From: Orlando, Florida
2003 C230K
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From: Diamond Bar, CA
W206 PHEV AMG
I don't know much about modifing a car. As far as a stock C-coupe goes.
Strength: It's a MB, so you can't go wrong on safety features. 189 hp from a s/c inline-4 cyclinder which only displays 1.8 liter. You get pretty much all the standard feature you would need in a car.
Weakness: Less space in the trunk compare to the NEW C230k SEDAN. Individual options really reflects on the final MSRP of the car. The C230k sedan is roughly only $2000 dollar more expensive.
Strength: It's a MB, so you can't go wrong on safety features. 189 hp from a s/c inline-4 cyclinder which only displays 1.8 liter. You get pretty much all the standard feature you would need in a car.
Weakness: Less space in the trunk compare to the NEW C230k SEDAN. Individual options really reflects on the final MSRP of the car. The C230k sedan is roughly only $2000 dollar more expensive.
