German Muscle

Yes, this post is about another German sports car, but it's not a BMW so you can keep reading.  Last week, my friends at eCarOne gave me a 2012 Mercedes C63 AMG Coupe.... that's a long title but the "Coupe" is important to know because this is new for 2012 and it's extremely rare to find one, especially a used one.  Although with only 2,500 miles on the odometer, you can hardly call this one used.  First, let me say that this has to be one of the best looking four-seat cars Mercedes has every built.  Of course, the SL, SLR, and SLS are beautiful roadsters but the C Coupe is one of the sexiest 4-seat Mercedes to ever hit the road.

Everything about this car is inviting.  The front of the car means business, the wheels, brakes, and even the stance make a subtle statement that this car is special.  Even the sunroof retracts to the outside similar to a panoramic but in a single piece.  The back of the car is menacing with huge quad exhaust pipes and a very tasteful lip spoiler.  I love the way this car looks.

And the interior is even better!  The seats are nothing short of spectacular... not only do they look fantastic with the Alcantara inserts and heavy bolsters, but they are extremely comfortable.  They are so comfortable that you forget you're sitting down.  Let me explain.... you know you're in comfort when you are no longer aware of the seat that's surrounding you... it's like you're sitting on air.  I have an extremely sensitive back and if I'm not sitting just right, I start to get back aches.  Not this time, I loved this seat.  Additionally, all the controls are in the right place and even the center console is on the same level as the elbow pad on the driver's door so you can rest both elbows and still maintain a very even driving position with your hands at 3 and 9 or if you want to be lazy; at 4 and 8.

Then you take notice of the steering wheel... it's a work of art... perfect diameter, perfect thickness, perfect shape... yes I'm still talking about the steering wheel... stay focused!  The sound system is excellent, the NAV is easy to manipulate and the rest of the controls are intuitive.  Very rarely does a car impress me from both the outside and inside the cabin but this one did... two thumbs up for exterior and interior design.

Now let's talk about the fun stuff... we're not talking a regular sports car here.... this is a super sports car with a 6.3L V8 pumping out 450+ HP, rocketing to 60mph in less than 4 seconds, to 100mph in less than 10 seconds and blasting through the 1/4 mile in 12 seconds.  We're talking Lamborghini numbers... with two extra seats, a four year 50,000 mile warranty, a Navigation, and a fully automatic grocery getting transmission!  And if you want to be noticed, hit the throttle and listen to the beautiful harmony of the exhaust note... it is pure muscle car.  I wish I could post a sound clip but it would not do it justice... you have to listen to it yourself.  It's so addicting that I found myself punching it off the line just to hear the exhaust or putting the car in manual mode to get the revs a little higher.  But even with the revs low, there's still a beautiful rumble that made me smile every time I heard it.

The engineers at MB also read my mind and gave the user a mode selector... Comfort, Sport, and Manual. I kept it in "Sport".  The shifts become more pronounced and the gear is held to a higher rpm.  Also, you can hear the downshifts and the blip of the throttle.  Additionally, there is a more noticeable exhaust rumble when downshifting and it is oh so satisfying!

The evening I returned this car to eCarOne, the founder was telling some of our friends about my writing a blog for eCarOne and of courseI was asked by one of them which was my favorite car.  My gut reaction answer was the C63 I just drove.  I may be crossing over from BMW territory and joining the AMG bandwagon... I really and truly enjoyed this car in every way.

As for a pro and con wrap-up.  The pros are clearly stated above and in a nutshell, it's everything you want in a sports coupe and then some.  As for cons, maybe a bit more rear legroom but truly that's all I can think of.

Do yourself a favor and even if you're not shopping for a car... go see this one, sit in it and listen to it if you can.  It's a magical experience and if you're a car fan you know exactly what I'm talking about.  If you're not a car fan but happen to be reading this post, then you may become one after seeing this C63 AMG.

Thank you for reading and happy driving.

The Other M3

If you’re a purist, you’ll shoot me because to you there is only one M3.  Well, this may be right but there is another car that I will put up against an M3 anytime and I’ll bet I’ll also have more fun owning it.  It’s not an Audi or a Mercedes or a Porsche.  It’s another BMW and it’s less expensive than the M3.

A couple of weeks ago, the guys at eCarOne gave me a 2011 BMW 335is for a week.  Yes, it’s just a 3-series coupe so how can I say it rivals the almighty M3?  Well, it’s a 3-series coupe outfitted with a stiffer suspension, fatter tires, and a bad-ass twin turbo six-cylinder that pumps out over 300 HP and about the same torque.  Ok, that’s 100 less than the M3 so I’m still blowing smoke…

It’s a smaller engine so yes, out of the box it is rated at roughly 100HP lower than the M3.  However it's twin turbocharged and this means there are many more options to getting more power than the non-turbo V8 that comes with the M3.  Here is my case in point.

About 3 years ago, I purchased a 2007 BMW 335i coupe from eCarOne which is essentially the same as the 2011 model I drove except the 335is comes with stiffer suspension, more aggressive body styling, and bigger tires.  But if you read anything about my history, you’d know what’s coming next.  Immediately after buying the 15,000 miles 335i from eCarOne, I took it to a local performance shop and added a free flowing exhaust, upgraded engine software, a short-throw shifter, bigger tires and wheels, lowering springs, and more aggressive front and rear bumpers.  All in all, it cost me roughly $5,000 in parts and labor on top of the $33ish I paid for the car so I was all-in under $40k.  We put the car on a DynoJet chassis dyno and it made close to 370HP at the wheels.  This translates to roughly 450HP at the engine, which is the number you see published.  More importantly, it made 350 lb-ft of torque at the wheels which translates to 440 at the engine.

What does all this mean?  It means that car would blow the doors off the stock M3 any day.  It also blows the doors off most Porsche 911s and the like.  Ok, why not modify the M3?  Because it’s a naturally aspirated V8 and short of spending $20k to supercharge it, there is not much more you can do to get any decent increase in output.  The moral of the story is that I think BMW will hurt M3 sales by offering the 335is because anyone who knows about turbocharged cars will always take the 335 and spend some money on it and have a car that is better than the M3 in many ways.

In my opinion, this is why the M3 sedan always suffered in the US market.  The sedan buyer has a practical side and hence is more influenced by cost than the coupe buyer.  Someone who’s buying an M3 sedan may not necessary want an M3 but is rather looking for a fast, good handling car that will fit into his family lifestyle.  Since BMW has a 335i sedan that is very fast and very capable of any twisty road you venture upon, the M3 then becomes a non-rational decision.  A guy buying a 4-door always has a logical side and will always think about money.  To me, I’d take a 335i sedan and spend $5k in aftermarket parts and end up having a car that is every bit an M3 for $10,000 to $15,000 less.  Plus, I get better fuel consumption.  What more do I want?

If you want an excellent road car that has been named Car and Driver top 10 for as many years as I can remember, you need to do yourself a favor and go drive this 2011 335is at eCarOne.  You’ll know what I’m talking about after you drive it.

Good luck and happy driving.