I know that I will get flammed for this but, I too like those Bimmwads. I would choose a ///M3 over a C AMG class anyday of the week. (sorry Noah) I think the bimmers are also better looking cars, and pick up more chicks However the Benz has more luxury and is a safer car. As for reliablility almost any car is reliable and doesn't give problems as long as its not abused and well maintained.

__________________
"Damn the torpedos, four bells full speed ahead"
-Admiral Farragut




-1987 300E Smoke Silver
-1997 S320 Black on Black
-Soon To be E55 AMG
-27 foot Grady White Offshore Sportfish.

OK, everyone just assumes that the M3 is going to blow the C32 away in speed, handling, etc. This has happened before. Remember when the M5 arrived ? After all the hype with it's 400 horses and 6 speed manual. Lets examine the #'s : so after all the hype the M5 was .1 seconds quicker to 60, and .3 seconds quicker than the E55 to 100 mph, and the E55 was faster around the slalom at 65.9 mph and the M5 went 65.6 mph (Motor Trend). Then Road & Track tested both cars around Willow Raceway and the M5 was .81 seconds faster around the track. When you look at the numbers of the E55 and M5 they are just about identical, and the E55 would have probably been faster if it had been available with a manual gearbox. Now there is that same hype about the M3. The C32 has more HP and a lot more Torque than the M3, though the M3 has less weight and a 6-speed. But I think that the C32 will be as fast as the M3 AND handle just as well w/ it's new AMG tuned suspension, and as we all know, the new C-class has a pretty sporty chassis. Personally, I think that the C32 is nicer than the M3. Then again i'm not saying the M3 won't live up to the hype, it just don't think it will live up to the hype that it will cream the C32. And I really like the M3, I just think that people will be surprised by the C32 as it will probably be as fast and handle just as good as the M3.

[Edited by SV on 12-06-2000 at 10:02 PM]

I'd be happy to drive either car, and love every minute of it.

I've driven M3's, I've driven an M5, They are all great, fast, light and responsive, and good looking.

I just always wanted a benz. I looked at BMW's vs my 300CE, my experience with the 3 series BMW versus my coupe as far as the feel of the cars, I thought the benz felt better, even though it was slower, heavier, Automatic, and higher mileage. The benz feels great even with high mileage. The BMW is very nice too, I've driven one with 115k of perfectly maintained miles, and it drove just like one with 2000 miles.

BMW Has gotten alot better over the last decade. Don't count them out, they do make very good cars.

I just like Mercedes-Benz better.

Alon

__________________
'92 300CE - Sold
2004 C240 - 744 - C7 Wheels - Android Radio
2002 C320 - 816 - Sport Wagon

the AMG 55 motor in the CLK is rated @ 342hp. how can a 3.2 liter put out more? i dont believe it is super charged..

Go to the following link and read the official press release for the C32 AMG.

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Speedway/5350/w203c32.htm

The engine is a supercharged 3.2L V6 producing 354hp and 450N-m (that translates into 349HP and 332ft-lb in US units).

Here are the major specs of the C32 vs. CLK55:

max power...: 349hp / 342hp
max torque..: 332ft-lb / 376lb-ft
weight......: 3597lbs / 3564lbs
Tire size...: same
Transmission: same
Axle ratio..: 3.07:1 / 2.82:1

Acceleration of the two cars will be very close because the C32, although it has less torque and slightly more weight, has a big advantage with the differential ratio. Officially, the C32 is 0.2s faster from 0-100kph. Not bad considering it will cost $15K less.

Dosen't the C32 have 354 HP ? Anyways can someone explain to me about axle ratios ? And why the hell is the C32 as heavy as an E55 ? Maybe the car they gave the weight to in the press release included the driver, and maybe the C32 will weigh only 3500 lbs w/o all those extra options.

Q: Dosen't the C32 have 354 HP?
A: Yes, the Mercedes press release gives the engine specs in metric figures. 354 metric horsepower = 349 US horsepower. America has bigger horses. :-)

Q: Anyways can someone explain to me about axle ratios?
A: The axle ratio is the ratio of the revolutions of the driveshaft to the revolutions of the wheels. I.e. in the case of the C32, for every 3.06 turns of the driveshaft, the wheels turns once.

Q: And why the hell is the C32 as heavy as an E55? Maybe the car they gave the weight to in the press release included the driver, and maybe the C32 will weigh only 3500 lbs w/o all those extra options.
A: The European E55 weighs 3762lbs, almost 200lbs more than the C32. (FYI, the weights I quoted for C32 and CLK55 were also for the European spec cars). All weights are per European standard and include the weight of the car, plus 150-pound driver, plus 15-pound luggage. I'm not sure but I think also the fuel tank is 90% full. Expect all C32s that come to the U.S. to be fully loaded and heavy as they get.

BTW, the real killer is going to be the SLK32 AMG. It will have the same basic specs as the C32 except that it will weigh only 3289 lbs. Order yours today :-)

Hi guys..

Sorry for posting this here, but I just have to share what happened to me tonight.

Anyways, earlier tonight, I was driving my girlfriend back home, and as I started to enter a merge to freeway 88(A local 8 lane freeway here in Seoul,Korea),I noticed a set of Zenon lights coming closer and closer in my rear view mirror. Right away, I knew it was an M5(E39), but I wasn't 100% sure. At first, I thought this guy was in a hurry, cause he was right on my tail. So, I let him pass me. I switched lanes, but this guy stayed on my tail and kept tailgating me. I looked at my girlfriend, and without a word she put on her seatbelt. Although it was about 12:30 AM, there were light traffic here and there. (We were going about 60~65 mph at this point). He made the first move. He quickly changed lanes and started to pass by me on my right. All I could see was his dual exhausts and his M5 badge. I responded by slamming my foot on the accelerator, but that wasn't much help. At first, my E320 was no match, but due to the light traffic, there were no straight lines for him to pull away. He wasn't going anywhere far. He started weaving through cars like a madman, and I did the same. There weren't any clear openings on the road for him to create a distance between us, so I was in luck. After all my practicing on WestEndHighway in Manhattan, my driving skills were paying off. I managed to pull ahead of him about 5 car lengths. I was in the lead and we were still weaving through cars at high speeds for at least another 15 mins. At this point, it has been a while since I passed my exit, and I didn't know where the hell I was going, but I was still in the lead. Finally, the freeway got narrower and narrower, and ended at a traffic light. I pulled up to the red light first and he pulled up next to me. I looked over at his car and he opened the window and gave me a thumbs up and I smiled and waved to him.

To get to the point, the M5 is a damn fast car. Much faster than my (slightly modified)97'E320 and I know my car wouldn't have beaten him if there were less cars on the road, but it was a cool experience (being the underdog and all...) And I just wanna say, I've never been more prouder of my MB than tonight. hehe. Cheers !!

Chuck

Thanks for the info Brian_R170. And that story about the M5 and E320 is pretty cool.

the brake calipers on the C32 are pretty slick looking vs the CLK 55 (open wheels vs "closed" monoblocks). the rotors look huge on the front. i have been talking to brabus to see if they will special order powder coated wheels in the color of the car (black opal). ill know by monday..

Will the C32 ever be offered with a 6 speed? Also come to think of it I see no reason for why the c32 will not beat the doors off the new M3.

__________________
"Damn the torpedos, four bells full speed ahead"
-Admiral Farragut




-1987 300E Smoke Silver
-1997 S320 Black on Black
-Soon To be E55 AMG
-27 foot Grady White Offshore Sportfish.

There won't be a 6-speed C32 at least for now. But who knows ? Maybe if there is enough demand in a couple of years. Offering a 6-speed on the C240, SLK230, and SLK320 is a step in the right direction. More people wan't manual MB's now more than ever.

I assume you mean the 6-speed manual. The likelyhood of the 6-speed manual making it's way into the C32 seems pretty small. M-B is finally offering the 6-speed on the CLK320 in Europe. I expect the C320 will be next, but probably for Europe only. I think it's more likely that M-B will develop the Sequentronic sequential manual for AMG models, but even that seems far off given that the Sequentronic just started production.

Mercedes is also working on a 6-speed automatic that should first appear in the new E-class, then trickle down to other models shortly afterward.

MB has said that they are entertaining the six speed in the C320. If this happens, you would think it would be available in the C32 AMG.

If they do put the six speed in the C320. I will probably order one, it will also give me a chance to get the comand system. I had to compromise to buy my C240. I needed a car at the time and would not have bought anything with an automatic. The comand wasn't available, and the C320 wasn't available with the six speed.

A C32 AMG six speed would be the ultimate car for me.

My $0.02,