Mazhar Shah

Hi guys,
Have had a nagging thought since I got the c43:
Maybe should have gotten the c63 instead.
Couldn't(still can't) easily afford almost twice the used price.
wondering if any of you have had the chance to compare a c63 to a jb4 tuned C43(which is what I have) and is there really that much of a difference?
I know silly question, but just wondering if the c63 really is all that, or if my tuned C43 is close enough in terms of brutish-ness. I know V8, sounds much better anyway. Plus I don't have the PE on mine. What do u think?

Thanks.

skaura23

Sorry can't answer your question as I am wondering the same thing. I have a C43 tuned with a JB4, PE, weistec down pipes and a BMS intake if someone has an opinion.

zibby43

Maybe the following won't be helpful, but as someone who has had several powerful RWD cars (including a C63 for 5 years), I hope it's helpful. You really can't compare the C43 and the C63. Basically, it's not just about the power. They're completely different animals.

With the C63 being RWD, on OEM tires, in real world conditions, you're never going to launch like you do with a C43 will (even a stock C43 on crappy RFTs). Stoplight to stoplight (and I'm not condoning street racing here, just using that as a term for real world acceleration), the C43 is always going to be right there with it.

It's the rolling launches where the V8 shines. Despite also having forced induction motor, the C63 is going to pull like a freight train when you mash the gas from higher rolling speeds. It was always fun doing this in my 6.2L NA V8 C63 (which felt like it pinned me back into my seat 60-120 as hard it did 0-60), but the C43's power delivery is more accessible on a daily basis.

If you want everyday usable power for city driving, a C43 (stock or tuned) is going to be great. If you want to be a highway star and shred your tires when launching from a stop, the C63 wins.

Mazhar Shah

Makes sense. I do understand what you mean about accessing all the power and torque on a daily basis.

still curious however, how a JB4 c43 compares to a c63 from 0-60. ☺️
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Ramsino

From 0-60, the C43 will either win by a tiny bit or tie with the C63 due to its AWD nature and grip. This all depends on how the C63 launches, but with the C43, the results are consistent every time. Once tuned, the C43 will win 0-60 every time. Like others have mentioned, it's from about 30mph onward that the C63 will pull ahead of the C43 hard, and of course if you're on the highway already going at high speed, the C63 will continue to pull hard whereas the C43 starts to lose steam here.

If you care for 0-60 times, get the C43. A tuned C43 can put its power down from 0mph whereas a tuned C63 will struggle for grip even more so it doesn't even matter from 0mph. I love the C43 because it can make use of all that power (after tune) from a stop due to AWD.

zibby43

Nailed it.

Howyalivin

With a JB4 and Map 2, you should run identical times through the quarter mile as a Stock C63s (notice I said "s"). Your MPH will be lower, so the first half of the track you'll be ahead, after that the C63 will start to play catch-up and by the end of the track you'll be door to door. At highway speeds, that will mean he's going to run away from you, but from a stop, you should win the dash to 60 handily, every time. If you have a well tuned map 6 and higher octane than pump gas (Either part E85 or using something like Boostane), you'll outrun him through the quarter mile as well. Yes C63's can modify their cars too and outrun you, but on the street, from a stop, they're going to be increasingly less able to launch. Launch control helps, but that just means the engine is backing down the power to try to get off the line, which will last longer and longer the more actual power the car is making.

BMS

The C63 will run a quicker trap vs a tuned C43 but both are in the high 11s so might be a closer match than you think from a dig. Of course, the C63 can get a JB4 and run low 11s....