jtc55

don't think this has been posted yet:

http://www.speedtv.com/articles/auto.../42261/?page=1

i must admit that i have been going back and forth about getting the C63. there are now many options for a sporty sedan/coupe (M3, RS4, Corvette, Skyline GTR, etc.) to think about. since the C63 isn't out yet, we can only go by reviews of magazine testers. with some of the reviews of the C63 being inferior to the M3 on the racetrack, little bits of doubt started creeping into my head (get the f**k out i would say ).

i am glad to say that my faith in the C63 is now stronger than ever w/ this review. this article confirms to me all the attributes i want in a sports sedan/coupe (big engine w/ lots of torque, great steering feel, transmission, and exhaust note).

the other issue in question from lots of members here was the interior of the C63. i'm glad to hear such good reviews of the interior. to me, the interior pics in the article looks great to me (especially the black wood inserts).

with all the negative talk going on in this forum of the C63 (about people pulling their deposit for the C63), i thought this article is a sign of relief.

marc32

nice article

juicee63

This car will be fun and you think its fast wait till the ecu is tuned so the engine produces 514 bhp.......This car is going to smash the 1/4 mile IMHO

KiwiRobbie

That's the Autocar review, the problem with this review is it's only testing the C63 by itself, in isolation the C63 is a sparkling awesome car, it's only when you directly compare it to the competition that it's weak points are exposed. I would wait for Autocar to do a group test and I'm sure like all the other group tests the C63 will be found wanting in comparisson to the M3.

GBlansten

LOL, a harsh suspension is only a good thing as far as I'm concerned. If I don't get a little transient hematuria driving around then the suspension is too soft.

PC Valkyrie

I couldn't have said it myself. Many of you may not remember, but all previous C-AMG cars (C36, C43, C32, C55) always got positive reviews in their "first drives" or single car road test from many magazines. The problem is that the M3 historically has always been considered the superior car (when it comes to driving dynamics, driver involvement, and driving "feel") when they are actually compared head to head. And of the direct comparison tests we have so far, the new M3 has still been winning most of them over the C63. If you look at the what's happening, nothing's really changed from the past. M3 is still the better driver's car, and it handles a bit better, but it loses a bit in straight line acceleration. Problem now is that the C63 has lost its comfort advantage compared to the new M3 with adjustable dampers (which was one of the major reasons to get a C-AMG car over the M3 when it came to a good daily driver on the streets).

Sure, the C63 is a major improvement from the C55 (just like the C55 was a major improvement over the C32, and the C32 over the C43, etc, etc). This is not in dispute.

One thing though, the C63's acceleration advantage over the E92 M3 is a MUCH bigger than the small advantage the C55/C32 had over the E46 M3. This fact alone may make HP junkies salivate and gravitate towards the C63. But this point basically builds upon AMG's strength anyways.....blowing away the competition because of power. It just hasn't broken into BMW M's driving experience and handling........so nothing is really new at all.

juicee63

Same folks reviewed the M3 and enjoyed the C63 much more seemingly in every category. C63 FTW..The review said it was a much more engaging benz, did you guys read it ??

"it is a genuine driver’s car, rather than merely a very powerful, faster version of an ordinary Mercedes. This time AMG has focused as hard on getting the dynamics right as it has on delivering huge power, hence the steering, brakes, suspension and even the ESP have all been completely redesigned to deliver a sharper driving experience. The results are spectacular".

"If the exterior leaves you in little doubt as to the overtly sporting nature of the C63, the theme continues inside, and how. The excellent basic platform that is the standard new C-class cabin has been taken to another place altogether, and the result is extremely successful (more so than in the new M3, we feel)".

"If there is any doubt whatsoever why the C63 should get full marks in this section, consider this: Although it may not be quite as explosive compared with an M3 over the final 1500rpm, the AMG blitzes the BMW for overall performance. And the BMW got five stars for performance when we tested it last summer.

Blitzes? You’d better believe it. Despite the C63’s faintly amusing traction issues over the first few feet, it’s still quick enough to level with the M3 from 0-30mph (2.1sec). But from that moment onward it drives away from the BMW under a full-bore acceleration run, so that by the time 150mph is registered it is a quite incredible 3.6sec further down the road (22.9sec vs. 26.5sec), having knocked off 0-60mph in 4.4sec (M3 4.7sec) and 0-100mph in 9.7sec (M3 10.2sec)".

"It has better steering than the M3, we feel, thanks to its crisper response just off center, specifically when turning in to quicker corners. And the way the chassis loads up so smoothly when you begin to really commit to corners also makes the BMW feel edgier by comparison, particularly in the wet, when the C63 feels more planted than the BMW, period, be that at the front or rear, on the way into or out of corners".

The entire review is a comparison to the NEW M3 and this car is better hands down

KiwiRobbie

Which same folks are you talking about, as far as I know Autocar hasn't done a group test between the C63 and M3.

Improviz

Except for one small problem: when the two cars have been compared on tracks, the M3 has pulled substantially better lap times. Which may or may not be important to some people, but it does indicate that this subjective review isn't on the mark insofar as the two cars' at the limit behavior is concerned.

AMGTTV8

All I know without having personally set foot in the C63 is that I cant wait for it to hit the ground, and that undoubtedly, it will be a fantastic machine. I personally find that AMG's have always had a perfect balance between sport and luxury. Clearly AMG's focus more on performance than normal sedans do from a luxury standpoint, but that is what you are paying for in the end. For "one" to so quickly judge a machine that hasn't hit the ground yet based on preliminary availability of OPTIONAL equipment is absurd in my book. It's the fundamentals that matter to me in the end. That being that the lack of the 030 package will not DRAMATICALLY change the car, rather that it is only there to supplement its underlying performance, not make it. And for all of you that are so hung up on these silly GO and 030 options, you will be happy to know that I just heard down the MBUSA pipeline that the first few months of the C63's release it will be an 08, therefore not offering those options. A couple months after, the car will switch to an 09, therefore making those options available for build. Good hunting.

juicee63

link?

juicee63

Speedtv reviewed the new M3 just prior to the review of the C63 they seemed to like the C63 better. I have not seem lap times ? patiently waiting a link to some real road tests

Improviz

Quoted from EVO magazine:
http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/sho...58&postcount=3
Bedford Autodrome - West Circuit
1.26,6 BMW M3
1.29,5 Mercedes C63
1.30,0 Vauxhall VXR8

As performed by Top Gear:
M3: 2.38.9
C63: 2.43.5
RS4: 2.43.9


Autozeitung: C63 vs M3 V8

Stats:

Braking distance:
M3: 35.7m (cold) - 35.0m (warm)
C63: 36.2m (cold) - 35.4m (warm)

0-100 kph | 0-200 kph:
M3: 5.1s | 16.1s
C63: 4.6s | 15.3s

laptimes:
M3: 1.39,0
C63: 1.40,3

slalom:
M3: 62.1 Kph
C63: 59.7 kph

Both cars on 18" wheels

Those are the ones I've seen....will that suffice?

juicee63

Yep , I would buy the 63 over the M3 for numerous reasons. Obviously different day , different drivers , completely different outcome. I had no idea the C63 was .3 slower to 60 mph than the much heavier saloon I drive. When the car is out I will be more than happy to run an M3 at Willow it will be a blast both are vastly improved and thats a good thing

Improviz

Well, don't forget: 100km/h is 62.5 mph, and it takes a car a few extra tenths to make up that extra few mph. So its 0-60 time should be more like in the low 4's, if not faster (Car & Driver broke 4 seconds in the C63 they tested, hitting 3.9 0-60 and a 12.3/116 1/4 mile).

juicee63

OH MY!! Thanks

for the numbers man, cannot wait to drive this car and push it

HLG600

This is yet another battle in the war between AMG's blitzkreig power and M's driving precision (although I credit AMG for its improvements over the C55 in driving response). As always, it comes down to driver preference. While the M3 can post a few ticks quicker around the track, the C63 would be the dominant car in more realistic driving scenarios on public roads. In stock trim, it will hang with the big brother M5 off the line or on a highway, and we will more likely see C63's over M3's in the kill stories section. Forgive my crude example, but liken this to the ZO6 vs. SL65 debate. Granted, the ZO6 is the superior car around the track, but the SL65 seems to be outrunning it often in either a stop-light grand prix or on the highway. Now, tuners seem to easily be able to unlock 550bhp from the 6.2 Liter, so with a few tweaks, we could see some scary drag times and trap speeds. Not bad for a 5 seater...