Samir

Setup a friendly race with an E46 M3 driver from one of the other boards to silence all the critics. He beat me off the line on the first run (he called the count), but even then I pulled on him and was able to tie him. Next run, we both had a perfect start and I was able to beat him by a full car length. Traction was definitely a problem for me though (265s don't provide enough patch). The M3 is a great car...very quick for 262lbs of torque, but I think all the publications that tested the CLK55 vs. M3, definitely over-exaggerated the M3's capabilites and gave insufficient credit to the CLK55 for being an automatic. I love this car

http://www.bmwforums.net/video/CLK55vsM3.avi

LowRydeR

Very nice !! Both cars are nice and SUPER fast !!

Brian Yee

Hey Samir!

Glad to see you carrying the torch for us "lowly CLK55 owners"( In the eyes of the M3 fanatics...) This should give them something to think and agonize over. The guys at Roadfly should be heavily "dissing" the M driver for lack of driving skill by now. BTW, I was listening very carefully to the audio of the second run. It sounded like the M3 bogged/missed a gear(?) a bit and had to get back on the pipes to catch up(?)....Did your friend mention this to you as an excuse for the outcome?? I don't want your victory to be hollow! ( though I think if the race went on for say a half mile or so , I think you would have really handed him his A$$.) The CLK sounded awsome while the M3 IMHO, sounded very disappointing...Almost an "emasculated" sound of an engine.
If these were "no excuse" runs, Congratulations!....Wanna go M3 hunting now!

Samir

After our run, the M3 driver gave me a nice thumbs up to the CLK He definitely has more respect for the car now. In terms of bogging, he didn't really complain about his shifts, but he did mention his shift knob felt a little loose. Either way, I definitely made sure not to jump off the line to make it as fair as possible.

As for roadfly , I'm not even going to bother posting it over there...those people are just going to make excuses for the loss.

bodyart27

With so much torque you just can't put enough power down off the line with 245 tires. Given enough pavement I think the CLK holds it's own very well with an M3 (see my 1/4 mile post).

On a road course - it is just going to depend on the layout - different tracks will favor the attributes of different cars. It also depends on what kind of car you prefer. A manual "sports car" or an automatic "GT - Grand Tourer."

I guess in conlcusion I would sum it up that CLK can play the role of a sports coupe pretty well for being a GT

linh

I don't understand how you can beat the new E46 M3. I read alot of magazine but none of them have ever quote an Clk 55 do 0-60 in less the 5.0s !!!! Clk 55 times are usually quote around 5.2-5.3s for 0-60. All the magazines are quoting M3, Slk32 0-60 around 4.5-4.6s. The C 32 were quote 4.9-50s for 0-60. I personnally saw a drag race between the E55, CLK 430 Kleemann supercharger and a bone stock C32 at ours last meeting in Erwin Spectrum. All three cars line up and drag race at the same time. The nC32 were driven by a little kid. The E55 were driven by a professional driver named SIMON at Evosport and the Kleemann car were driven by Kleemann representive. The starting line take off were PERFECTLY (none of the car had any kind of wheels spin). The E55 pull out ahead of the other two right away about a fender but then the C32 past the othe two cars at the end about a car lenght. So the finish line were C32, Clk 430 Kleemann S/C and last were the E55. The E55 and Kleemann drivers admitted that the C32 totally BEAT them !!! I personnally ask the Kleemann driver why Kleemann car produced over 400 hp&tq but could beat the C32. His excuse reply were, it was designed for top speed...yeah ?!!! I heard alot about CLK 55 beat M3 and M3 beat Clk 55 from ..guess who? Theirs owner !! And that is understandable. No one want to admitted that their car is slow. Personnally for me, i don't own none of them and so does all the magazine that had tested them. They said that M3, Slk32 and C32 are all faster then the CLK 55. Thank you.

Samir

Uhhh...so are you saying I doctored that clip? I would be the highest paid video editor in the world, if I could fake movie clips like that. The proof is there...mind you, the driver of the M3 was hardly a pro driver, but nonetheless he did know how to drive. I will also have a clip soon of my car vs. a C32, so that should be interesting.

///MB

Nice video of the races. You can't even hear the CLK until it goes by. All you hear is the M3 revving up.

It sounded like someone had too much wheelspin on the second launch. I'm guessing that was the M3? Either way, it is much more difficult to perfectly launch a manual tranny. It would be nice to compare the CLK55 with an M3 SMG, then there would be less driver error involved.

Brian Yee

...Cmon, guys. My conclusion? FWIW, In the real world, one is "underrated", one obviously over.....We'll let you all sort that one out. One thing the clip proves is that the CLK is consistent, results with the M3 can vary widely. Regardless what the magazines say, it's what happens in the field that counts. As A CLK 55 owner, obviously I'm pleased with the outcome. As for current and future owners of M3s?? Get over it. I find it extremely amusing that "driver error" is the standard explanation when the "M" loses. Could it be POSSIBLE(?!) that torque makes up for the CLK's lack of a manual gearbox?? The weight figures for the two cars are practically identical, the CLK has more horsepower and a hell of a lot more torque. In a straight line, this usually prevails. I can openly admit that the outcome would be entirely different if the two cars faced off at the track. Why can't M3 owners accept the fact that the CLK COULD be better in a straight line?? You can't have everything. Food for thought guys....

JamE55

Daamn that was a pretty good movie! It's like the euro version of the fast and the furious!

Brian Yee

Now, jamE55 THAT would be a great idea for "F&F II" !!! Though the dialog ( for those who saw the movie) would need to address the "$200k" under the hood vs. 100k. This would be a perfect venue for all the Euro tuners to strut their their stuff to the general audience! Could you imagine AMG, RUF, Hamann, etc. providing cars for the film??.....Wipin' the drool off my keyboard....

JamE55

Brian

Exactly what i have in mind. Just imagine instead of domestic cars hondas,acuras and civic it'll be benzs, BMW's and audi's. That would be something i'm not gonna miss!

linh

So Brian Yee !!! I guess that you also think that the Clk 55 is also faster then the C32 and Slk32 too..right? Let me remind you that Clk 55 is the fourth slowest in the Mercedes high class. The top dog is Slk32, C32, E55 and then the Clk 55. Believe it or not but the E55 actaully are little bit faster then the Clk 55 because of the exhaust system lay out, it got more torque then the Clk 55.

Brian Yee

Sorry, Linh. I'm more of the visual sort. What's the old saying?? " A Video clip is worth a thousand magazine articles"....
So, what's your astute explanation of Samir's clip?? Is he lying?? Is he insane?? was it an illusion?? Or was it plain s#itty driving on the M3 owner's behalf?? (Standard M3 owner's excuse; as always, awaiting your perspicacious retort...)Peace, bro!

Samir

Linh: I really could care less about your excuses...the video clearly shows the outcome. You also need to take into consideration more than just 0-60 when talking about a cars performance. Overall topend...top dawg is E55, CLK55...then C32, and SLK32. More torque always wins on top end. Just look at the new SL55...it's quicker 0-187MPH (32sec) than the Murcielago!

Brian Yee

No, no Samir, you got it ALL wrong, buddy! It's CLK 55, THEN E55. Because my MBZ brochure says so, and I know better. End of subject.
Hey, I got a brilliant idea! Why don't you and jamE55 or Mr. Vanos do a friendly run to determine Linh's true nemesis, now that we know the M3 "ain't all that"?? ...Help the boy out so he can sleep at night.

kingman18

.

Brian Yee

I agree, Kingman....As Jack Nickolsen(sp?) so eloquently stated in that famous line to Tom Cruise; And I quote.... "You want the truth?? Son, you can't HANDLE the truth!" ( yes; applicable to some.) As for Samir; Ok. Samir, You were a bad, bad boy for street racing.... Looking forward to your C32 video.

JamE55

Why do i feel like there's a hate starting to brewing on this thread?? In any case both the CLK55 and E46 M3 are great cars! So stop the hating and let's all get along!

Brian Yee

Hell, I love everybody! (especially the monkey;Got me beat in output! Where do you get those icons??!! Funny as hell!)

JamE55

hey brian!

I get them from other forums too!

Fast Eddy

Hey linh, buddy, when you saw that drag race between those cars was "professional driver SIMON from evosport" wearing helmet and a jacket with "PENZOIL" or "VALVOLINE" stickers on it?

linh

Guys !!! I don't own neither one (m3 & 55) but i do own an Slk & Clk , so i don't really care and not bais toward Mercedes or BMW. My opinion is straight out from Magazines all pointed toward the M3 is faster. As for your video? Yes, it clearly show 55 beat the M3 but then i do see other video from BMW forum also clearly show the M3 beat the 55. Both forum only put up video that show theirs car are faster then other. So to make my opinion i disregarded both video from both forum and go with what ever the majority magazines said. This is just an opinion guys. There's no hard feeling. Mach430, once said over the mbnz.org forum that his Clk 430 beat an M5 from traffic to traffic lights. Now, should we believe him? He saw it with his own eyes, just like if it would be in the video. You know what i mean.

Mach430

There comes a point where power is no longer the key issue, and more emphasis is placed on the driver and the car. Not that I'm some awesome driver, the M5 I went against simply sucked. But with the power to weight ratio that either the M3 or CLK55 put to the wheels, there isn't much of a difference. On a track, a stock M3 would most likely beat a stock CLK 55 (given same driving skills), but even then, that depends on the track (turns, straight aways, etc). Basically, if you have a 55, I'd say sometimes you'll win and sometimes you'll lose.

Fast Eddy

if that buddy in the M3 does everything right, he MAY beat CLK by2-3 feet as in the first run but if he misfires as in the second run he looses by more then a car length . That M3 in that video sounds like it's being raped by dude with a big D. you know that guy's shaking in there to switch gears in time and so on while PRINCE SAMIR'S CLK is practicly silent and all prince Samir has to do is floor it seat back and weight. ....and my pick is .........DA BENZZZZZZZZ!