I think I should have been over taken, but... C300 content.
 

Wife sent me out to get gas in her '08 C300 sport. As I'm heading back it's a 2 1/2 mile drive back home through a wide suburban/ Industrial three lane section of road. Well as soon as I pull out of the gas station a newer, or late model Chevrolet Impala SS pulls up aggressively and leaves the light at WOT. I didn't think anything of it until I come to the next light and since I was coming up slowly while he was stopped at the next light. Anyway I come to the next light and roll by slowly then I hear his motor race up and go by me. As luck would have it we come to the next light together. I was not trying to race this guy but my lane merges over and I've got a car behind me. At any rate the light changes and I stab the throttle to ensure that I have enough room to get over except I can hear the Impala's engine screaming. In my dismay I'm still pulling but not away, but hes not catching up to me either. At anyrate I didn't get up to any fast speeds as my turn was coming up but I was surprised. I did a quick google and found that a 2007 Chevrolet Impala should have 303 hp to my 228. The Impala also does 0-60 in 5.3 seconds and has a 5.3L V8 my C 300 runs to 60 mph in 7.1 in every article I've ever read on them. I know it's a big car and FWD but it should have easily been able to keep my 228hp C300 from merging. Sorry for the long post and I useually don't post stuff like this but I was curious.

-Ryan

Was it the current generation for sure? The 2005-ish previous gen SS had a slower V6.

I can't tell you the exact year but it was definitely this bodystyle which I think started in 2006.
http://www.familycar.com/roadtests/c.../LeftFront.jpg

-Ryan

Interesting. That's def a faster car than the C300 without question. Maybe the guy wasn't pushing it as hard as you thought.

Chev
 

Looks like a Hertz special to me.

how is a car that looks as ugly as that faster than a c300???

why waste a big engine in such a non agressive non sporty car?

looks like a camry engine should be in there...

No kidding...it's disgusting

wow, you know, no wonder GM is in trouble.

Nah, they have a lot of great vehicles with better quality than MB...the Impala is just not one of their best efforts. It's kinda like the Ford Crown Victoria of GM....stuck in the 80s but people still buy them.

It may have something to do with the the more useable torque curve in the C Class, or maybe he wasn't pushing it.

C:
Power: 170 kW , 228 HP SAE @ 6,000 rpm; 221 ft lb , 300 Nm @ 2,700 rpm

SS:
Power: 226 kW , 303 HP SAE @ 5,600 rpm; 323 ft lb , 438 Nm @ 4,400 rpm

Maybe he just had SS badges :)

I haven't had a SS, but I get those Impala rentals all the time. Talk about depressing car.

Also, don't put someone in the back seat of that Impala, or several GMs. They have some kind of METAL bar and if you sit upright good posture, your backside is sitting on this metal bar that must be below no cushion. Most painful thing. Every imapala I've been in had the bar and also a pontiac. Must be GM trying to help the medical community or something.

I've sat in the back of the current gen Impala and never noticed this...interesting...

Yeah it's really bad. I don't know maybe it depends on one sits. I sit very upright, so my bottom is right at the back of the seat, and it's just terrible. I sat back there 6 hours one day, but even a short distance it was uncomfortable.

I'd rather be in the smaller backseat of the C-Class!! :) No question.

Hmm...Well I'd check it out but I doubt i'll ever be in an Impala again. Nasty car.

are you sure it was an SS? i mean he could have just stuck the badge on.

Well you know there are a few AMG badges running around here minus the engine....:rolf:

Post #10.

Interesting story. I suppose we'll never know exactly why that happened, but it is fun to speculate.

I have out-driven many cars which, on paper, are much faster than the car I was driving. I regularly outrun big-engine BMWs, Lexuses, S-classes, etc. in my little CLK 200 Kompressor as well as my C300S. Why? Probably because I have faith in the car. I know its capabilities and I'm not scared to drive it. I don't know. Sometimes it's just 'cause traffic is in my favor and there aren't any cops around. Maybe the other driver was just being timid.(?)
I'm really not so surprised to read your story.

Have fun and stay safe!