SL65amg

If you guys had to choose between the new C63 with a Kleemann S/c and the works thrown at it or the new M3 with a Dinan supercharger and other upgrades thrown at it, which would you choose? The high-revving speed racer or the plush big-bore Benz with room for more than two?

MercedesFTW

Who says it's going to be plush?

360_iti

The cost to install Kleemann supercharger and the works might be around 30k. If finance came into consideration, I wouldn't spend that much of money on upgrading a C class. I'd rather spend it on a different class of AMG like E or SL.
BUT, to answer your question, performance is not the only thing comes to my mind when considering a car. I like a car that I can enjoy driving when dealing with traffic jam, or when cruising an open highway, or when driving to the mountains in a beautiful Saturday morning. I drive my car on a regular basis, therefore I'd pick the plush C63. Especially after reading the reviews on this model, everyone stated that handling was significantly improved, state of the art gadgets, insane power, and I have a hope that build quality has been improved as well.
I have been an admirer of MB since I was a little kid and I’ve mentioned before that it would take something extraordinary to make me shift gear to the other side.

Vadim @ FD

The problem is that neither car exists.

Kleemann is not going to make SC kit for 63s and E92 M3 has just came out this month.

In stock form C63 should eat M3 wihout a problem.

SLK55R

Not enough information yet to make a decision IMHO.

The only thing that seem to still ring true though is torque. If you love a torque monster C63 most likely will be your preference. If you love to wring the hell out of the engine the M3 might be better.

M3 will have to be amazing to compete against the C63 though. It seems that AMG has finally upped their game on the baby benz.

I think Mercedes needs to do something about the 335 though. THe normal C class is pathetically less sporty than the new BMW 335.

MB_Forever

If both cars did hypothetically exist, then I would choose the C63 right away. It has a bigger and more powerful engine, more torque, more room, better looks, and from what I hear, very good handling.

360_iti

Of course, neither exists yet, and I'm sure the OP is very well aware of that as well. Just in case anyone can't see it, this is obviously a "what if" thread, assuming the modification cost and power gain would be similar between the two.

I'm not sure whether MB needs to do something or not in regards of their C350 vs 335i. Their target consumer is slightly different, and maybe MB just doesn't have the needs to be BMW. And who knows, maybe that's what most MB C-Class customers want, a smooth and well appointed vehicle to drive day to day. That has been proven by a significant increase in C-Class demand in the first half of 2007. If you need something more sporty and less luxurious, there's a BMW for you.

SL65amg

Isn't Benz going to go direct-injection soon for the 350 engines? That's what is going around correct? It makes logical sense now that the 335 engine is out, and should put the car to over 300 horsepower to be much more competitive with the tt 335 engine.

Come to think of it, if they go DI for the 350 engines, they'll probably do it for the V-8's also, which would put the 550 V-8 somewhere over what? 420 or 430 HP?

Eurosport

natural aspirated+stick that's the one i'd take