-=Hot|Ice=-

Overview:

I come from a BMW family. The very first BMW that I can remember is the 1998 BMW 740i my father drove. The car was great! Very comfortable, and effortless to drive. That opened the door for another 14 years of BMW cars. It all started after we sold the 740i in 2004. 2004 330ci, 2004 M3, a 2007 X3, a 2007 530i, a 2008 328xi, 2009 650i, 2011 X5 to a 2008 M5 and a 2011 BMW M3. There are a couple others but you get the point. You'd expect me to be a little biased towards BMW but I like to think of my self as an automotive enthusiast. I don't like to stick to just one brand so I would like to offer my take on these two incredible, amazing machines.

The Cars

The BMW M3 has been THE car. Back in the day, every TRUE auto enthusiast wanted one. The sheer balance the car provided was unrivaled. The performance the car offered for the money was unmatched. Today, BMW has stuck to that recipe(if it ain't broke don't fix it, right?) and even 6 years after it's introduction, the BMW M3 is still taking names. The sheer balance this car provides is so amazing! The car is so predictable, it's uncanny. That free revving engine just seems like there's no inertia! 8400 RPM's and the engine sings all the way to it's limit. Downshifting puts a huge grin on your face. It's such an amazing car to drive.

The car isn't perfect for daily driving, though. I found myself constantly downshifting to keep the car in it's power band. While you want the car up high in the rev band on the track, that's not so on the street. I don't want my car to be attracting attention to itself as I'm driving along trying to pass a truck. I also don't want it around some riced out Subaru. The last thing I want is for someone like that to think I want to race them. The way the car delivers the power is very linear. It builds as you go higher in the rev range but for the street, you don't want to start out with little power or torque. You want that torque delivered quickly so you are able to pass. The problem is not the amount of torque the car has, it's the way it's delivered. The M-DCT makes me wish MB actually bought their transmissions from BMW. Shifts were crsip and smooth! Feedback was minimal through the steering wheel and steering feel was a bit light.


The Mercedes Benz C63 AMG has always been the car that's nipping at the heels of BMW. While BMW's M division is geared towards going around a corner, AMG's of yore were built to go fast in a straight line. Well, the C63 AMG is here to completely shatter that trend. MB is very very close to figuring out the formula that BMW's M division has held onto for such a long time. The current generation C63 not only thrills you around town with all that punch, but it can actually corner without letting that tail end slide out. Yes, it's easy to MAKE it slide but the difference is, it won't let out on you until you make it do so. This car has power NOW. You want to speed up, mash throttle and in two seconds you're there. Unlike the M, there is no "building up" of power. It's right there, at the disposal of your right foot anytime you desire whatever gear you're in. The fun factor on this car blows past the competition. This car provides more feel and better response then the M3. The nose is more eager to turn in.

The C63 AMG isn't perfect either though. This car has three main faults in my eyes. That stupid glass roof, and that MCT transmission(Good but no match for the M-DCT) The glass roof is way too heavy for a car in this segment and the MCT while good is no match for that M-DCT that bangs off shifts so crisply and smoothly. If I were MBZ, I'd start offering more CF. CF roof like the M3 would help lower that center of gravity. The C63 has a very small bit of body roll, again thanks to that heavy glass roof. Another gripe I had were the anemic rear tires. What was Mercedes thinking putting 255's on the rear of this car!?


Interior:

The interior of the M3 in my eyes is starting to look a bit dated but that's not to say that I don't like the simplicity of it. I like the fact that there aren't buttons scattered everywhere. It looks clean and functional. The iDrive has improved significantly and BMW is far ahead of MB in offering connectivity options. The screen on the new BMW's is simply amazing. They're nice and wide. They also offer free traffic updates which MBZ does not.

The problem I saw though, was with the quality of materials being used. While it's better then a regular 3 series, I can't say that it is MUCH better. Everything feels a bit tighter but the leather quality wasn't up to par. Wrinkles form very quickly and discoloration seems to occur fast as well. The leather shows age too quickly. I also heard a couple of squeaks. I'd say that the quality of materials was only slightly better then what Mercedes was using during those dark ages when quality plummeted.

The C63's interior has improved and honestly, it's a night and day difference. Not only has Mercedes changed layout but they bumped up the quality of materials. Everything feels nice and tight around you. The leather is soft and does not show it's age as quickly. Wrinkles in the leather were hard to find. It's vastly improved over the introduction model. Everything feels good.


Exterior:

Personally, I think the e92 was one of the best looking cars around. The e92 M3 will look good years from now when we look back on it. It's gorgeous, purposeful, and the stance on the car just looks perfect!

The only gripe I have with the C63 is the rear bumper. It doesn't wrap around the car, instead it sticks out. Other then that, the car looks good. Just wish it had some wider tires to make the car look wider and meaner.

Conclusion:

You really can't go wrong with either car but it comes down to what you will be using the car for. Having to rev the snot out of the M3's engine can be great fun, but it gets old very quickly. Personally, I think the C63 is MORE fun, MORE of the time. It provides instant response with steering feel and very good feedback. It's not the best drivers car out there, it's not as light or as balanced as the M3, but even with it's faults, it is mighty close to matching the M3's ballerina like agility and that's why I would take the C63 today if I were to buy one today.


I'm not liking that BMW is milking a badge for what use to stand for an enthusiasts wet dream. I'm sure the next generation M3 will be a blast to drive and of course I'll want to see what BMW has to offer, but ///Marketing is taking that brand over and every grandma and their mother has one now. Now nothing will set apart an M from the rest of the line up. The introduction of their M Performance line really doesn't help this either as we'll be seeing ///M328's more often. Those very people that you and I made fun of for being 'posers'.

Anyway, That's my review of two absolutely amazing machines. Two great cars that go about doing the same thing, in a different way. Thanks for taking the time to read this!

HuangYiChao

Agreed.

AMG3.2

Like you said, the two cars are very similar, but worlds apart. I still don't know myself which one I would choose and I have been thinking about it for a long time now. Eventually, I'd like to buy one or the other.

The M3 is so good looking, but so is the C63. I think it all comes down to preference with how you like the car to feel. I've heard people say that the M3 is just boring to drive on the streets because of the lack of torque. Then you'll hear others that are perfectly content with the torque numbers. - All preference.

I think both are great cars and one truly couldn't go wrong with either one. OP, what do you think about the ISF?

rage2

Post that on an M3 forum and send us a link. I'd like to see the responses.

ferrariyellow44

Nice review! I absolutley agree on BMW's quality, its sub-MB at this point in time. As for the "timeless" looks of the M3, I couldnt disagree more! Its a good looking car, dont get me wrong, but I dont see it being timeless. As far as im concerned, the only car that has a timeless look is the current S class...

-=Hot|Ice=-

It's not that the M3 lacks torque, it's just delivered in a different way. The M3 has to build up torque while in the C63, it's instantaneous. Any gear, anytime.

The IS-F is a car that is coming up and a car the Germans should be watching.. The addition of a standard LSD has help it in the corners. This car has a HUGE fault though. The torque delivery on the IS-F doesn't even build up like the M3's. It's all at the top end so you have to wrench the engine for all it's worth to get any sort of power out of it. Power delivery isn't linear either and the 8 Speed auto hunts for gears and can't really make up it's mind on where it wants to be. Good first try, but I wouldn't consider it until these faults are revised.



Haha, they're all fan boys. Diss the precious M3 and you're the Anti-Christ.

Thanks! I think the e92 looks great personally. It has withstood the test of time fairly well, I think. Should be interesting to see in another 10 years if there are any around.

Ex_Red

Perhaps you were thinking of M3 Post?

...or "jealous" or "can't afford one" or "not a real driver"

But check this out from M3 Forum: http://m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=395265

...and this: http://m3forum.net/m3forum/showthread.php?t=395094

Their background is mainly E36/E46 M3...not as fanatical as the E9x crowd.

Freudian slip?

My opinion has always been that of the E46 M3 being the most timeless design of them all.

-=Hot|Ice=-

Whoops, Fixed that error. The E46 looked great and was probably the best M3 there was. I'll join in on M3forum, they seem like a good crowd.

gthal

Great review Hot|Ice... very similar impressions to mine! Every day I love the C63 and I rarely, if ever, miss the M3. For tires, I have 245/265 Michelin PSS at the dealer waiting for spring install. They are noticeably wider than the anemic Contis due to a more square sidewall even though they are only 10mm wider be spec. Upgrade the tires to take one of the main issues off the table.

Not always bad... I posted my review with similar conclusions on M3Post and 95% of the responses were reasonable and positive. Now, having said that, I had been a long standing member with 1,400+ posts so everyone knew me and I tried to be balanced in my review... that might have helped with the reasonable responses.

-=Hot|Ice=-

Thanks Gthal! I posted it up on M3 post. We'll see what happens.

GBlansten

The best thing is to get to have both the C63 and the M3 at some point.

GBlansten

And I helped your thread on the other forum. You can thank me later.

-=Hot|Ice=-

And that thread is going to go to hell now.

GBlansten

And you didn't see that was me.

-=Hot|Ice=-

No, didn't pay attention to the user. Then I saw your username and remembered you were also on the MB forums and own both. Sorry! I still love you GB. Delete my quote. They'll banz me again for the 4th straight time for posting a review.

GBlansten

GBlansten

I do wish MB had rolled out the rear tire wells for even wider tires than will fit now. I know they did this for the Black Series but it would have been fantastic on my C63 when I had it. Going to 265s helped some but not enough.

-=Hot|Ice=-

I think you can go as far as going to 285's in the rear without rubbing. That's the route I think I'll be taking. 265 in the front and 275 or 285's in the rear.

GBlansten

285/30/19's on the Black Series. Major lust for that car. I would skip the rear spoiler though.

trakker

Thanks for the comments. I'd have to say my experience owning two M3's and driving the newest is very similar. That's why I ended up with an IS F. Actually my favorite car ever. However ... after two years already itchy and trying to decide whether or not to wait for the new M3 or go for he 2012 C63, so appreciated the post.

-=Hot|Ice=-

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...1#post11294641

The fanboys are coming. Disregard that little convo I had with GB. Didn't realize it was him.

-=Hot|Ice=-

Amen. I think there is an option to delete the spoiler.

balthaser

One thing I feel like being cheap shot by MBZ is that LSD does not come as STANDARD on C63. Seriously? This is ridiculous for a car with such a torque.

Besides that, I really love this car and every minutes I'm with it.

-=Hot|Ice=-

Standard Xenons wouldn't hurt either. By the way, the 2013 MY cars will be getting mBrace as STANDARD with mBrace 2 as an option.

balthaser

Well then, the "should be standard" list can go on you know.

Say, Keyless GO. Even my cousin's 06 Lexus IS 350 has that little touch button to start the engine. That pisses me off.
Rearview camera. Yes my cousin Lexus has it as well. Yes I'm jealous about that.