what you are describing doesn't add up for me and I've driven na cars like the original audi r8 4.2 and the last gen rs5.. I can honestly say 0 turbo lag for me and I drive in race and s+.. Well zero lag before I drain the batteries trying to figure out the command system and tinting. btw, imo the c63s is more a muscle car than a sport car. Maybe there's a problem with your c63s?

 

I suspect that what most are attributing to "turbo lag" is actually differences in transmissions.

Modern turbos have little to no lag. MCT, DCT, PDK, etc. make a huge difference.

 

correct sir.

 

If you want zero lag, drive a B8 S4 with the supercharged V6, and get a stage 2 tune on it (it'll make around 450 hp). That engine, with the DCT transmission, has zero lag. Anything else feels like it has lag compared to it, if just for the fact that torque is constant across the RPM band and the engine is always on boost.

I notice zero (actual) engine lag in the W205. I do notice transmission delay, but it's actually faster at throttle depression downshifts than Audi's DCT. Upshifts are a tad slower, but overall inconsequential for me because I'm not driving the 1/4 (ever).

 

I owned a W204 C63 w/ the 6.2L V8. The M177 is better in every conceivable way, with the possible exception of exhaust note, where it's a tie. I also find the M177 accelerator pedal to be pretty linear in terms of power delivery. I too strongly suspect what you're experiencing is transmission related.

 

I find that people who generally complain about turbo lag don't know much about it. They heard the term a long time ago and it stuck with them as a negative. They then attribute it to what ever issue they have with a car. Usually it is their driving that is the issue. The turbos on the car are small and spool rather quickly. Especially in the format that they have them set up and the size of the motor.

If there is ever a time that you are noticing lag, your driving the car wrong. If you manually throw the car in a high gear with a low rpm and floor it, you will find lag. This is horrible for the motor and should NEVER be driven this way.

 

For the W205, in comfort mode the car starts in 2nd gear for a smoother feel. May be what you and others are describing. Huge difference in the off the line feel between comfort, sport, and sport+. And yes the car needs to warm up a bit before things smooth out. Noticed this as well on ours. Even if we start in sport+, we give it a few minutes of driving before we really start driving it hard.

I would say the other impact to off the line performance, is traction control. Getting the power to the ground and having the car hookup, sometimes feels like it’s really holding back. Flashing traction control light on the dash is a dead give away.

 

I've always been a NA guy, but as somebody esle already said, need to get on board with the times. Only reason I'm considering selling my current 2016 Cayman GTS is due to being overly sporty for my wife (54). It's a shame, because doubt will find a better driver's car. But again, there will be advantages, like a quieter cabin, better ride, which will equate to more pleasant trips, which is what I have to do to get to any twisty roads. Anyway, rented a C63 from Hertz (4-dr), and was really surprised how close to NA the powerplant feels. What was a bit of a letdown was the tranny, mainly its harshness on certain ocassions, like when upshifting at easy throttle, resulting in a very un-MB 'BANG'. I drove it almost the entire time in manual mode, which is what I do 100% with my Porsche PDK (I'm used to manuals, and this was my first auto. A thing of the times too. He he). Doubt there's a better tranny than the PDK, but it's obviously less reliable in the long run, especially on a heavier car, so yet another compromise. However, I was satisfied with the speed the tranny shifts, and the way it takes off most of the time, resembling a manual tranny (with the wet clutch pack). But sometimes the engine revved too high, and no movement, like when backing up on a slight incline. Wonder how long the clutches last. If they last over 100K miles, I wouldn't worry about this tranny at all, since it's a planetary gear unit, and can't get much robust than that. What I also liked is at 3K rpm in 7th, it does around 100 mph, which is a nicely relaxed pace for good fuel economy. I don't like the coupe (which I'd buy) is geared shorter (via the diff), but would like to know exactly what speed it travels at 3K rpm in 7th. Was very disappointed to hear the coupe is louder than the sedan in another post, and that might prove to be a fatal flaw, but will continue looking for answers. Still want to drive one. But if top gear is just like 85 at 3K rpm, might as well just write it off right now. Would have to look into the new E43 coupe, but also read it was surprisingly loud inside the cabin, mostly wind noise. Or just keep my car. Don't want too big of a compromise, or won't be happy. The C63 coupe seems to be exactly that, but never imagine it'd be that noisy. The sedan is, but obviously less than my car, and therefore acceptable. But it was louder than I expected for sure.