KMII
[Montblanc Moderator]
51276
Gone but not forgotten - the C43 AMG 🇩🇪
The current generation Mercedes C AMGs tend to get a bit of a beating from the automotive press and in the form of the C63S at least the customer uptake tends to be drastically less than originally envisaged, or that it’s predecessors managed to routinely achieve.
It’s true that the previous 6 and 8 cylinder engines were replaced by the 4 cylinder M139l and that this as a result took one of the USPs away. At the same time the cars improved significantly objectively speaking but then that alone never sufficed for commercial success.
We ran the C43 estate for a while and I have to say that I rather enjoyed the experience. It felt a lot more compact on the road compared to the M3 Competition Touring and quite a bit more lively at speeds reasonable on public roads. Sure, at some point the acceleration would not be able to keep up with the BMW (the real difference becoming noticeable above 100mph) and neither would the top speed but as a day to day conveyance it was actually truly pleasant.
The 9 speed gearbox initially displayed some fine tuning issues but after a trip to the garage this was sorted and it remained a solid companion, always up for a spirited drive.
And to turn to a cliche, I felt the car really shrink around you on a curvy road, to an extent the M3 never would. Ultimate grip and speed might have been less but the fun certainly wasn’t.
For speed and track day lap times you’d probably take the C63S instead but the hybrid arrangement makes the boot completely unusable for a family with kids, which might be one reason for the lukewarm reception in the market.
Another aspect of the C43 was its stealth - while pretty much every crossing of the border with the M3 resulted in being stopped and questioned (one time I was asked if the Isle of Man Green was a standard color or an extra respray), the C aroused as much attention as a taxi, which suits me just fine personally.
So if you’re looking for a fun family conveyance that flies below the radar but allows for some truly fun flying at the same time, you could definitely do worse than one of these. It’s one that I could well contemplate taking for another stint.
Gone but not forgotten - the C43 AMG 🇩🇪
The current generation Mercedes C AMGs tend to get a bit of a beating from the automotive press and in the form of the C63S at least the customer uptake tends to be drastically less than originally envisaged, or that it’s predecessors managed to routinely...
Very nice CLS 450 in black!
Look at those proportions! The body looks low because the car's height looks like it's only 2x the height of the wheels/tires. Car also appears to have a longer than normal hood. Nice elongated proportions.
Indeed. That ~1.9-2.0 wheel/tire height to body ratio made Rolls Royce cars look magnificent!
Of course, that also means that RR cars have to have massive wheels and tires!
Not sure they still adhere to that…
Imagine the wheels on a Cullinan to achieve the ratio 😁
Possibly different cultural context 😊😁
Here the majority of taxis are still E-class MBs and no one does a double take.
C Class vs 3-Series In One Specific Aspect
While the current C43 AMG is not a true full-blooded AMG and an M3 is a true full-blooded M-series, the C-Class platform has one large advantage over the 3-series platform. The C Class is a double wishbone layout, the superior engineering layout. The 3-se...
The newer V8s from AMG became a tad more frugal…
I got mine to around 13,3 average, with longer stints in France or Switzerland achieving around 10. Autobahns that are unlimited see something closer to 20, though 😁😉 So the larger, 80 liter tank is a must. I recon the driving profile and use would be clo...
20 liters per 100 KM??? That's awful!
My Mercedes is driven in the USA, where our speed limits are quite low - despite the vast country. I was in a friend's M5, a 2021 model with AWD, and the car seemed to average around 10 liters per 100km! I was really impressed! This BMW M5 was also drivin...
The 20…
Is on unrestricted autobahns, where speeds will often be North of 125mph (all the way to 186), so it’s natural that punching a barn door sized hole in the air at that speed creates drag 😉
I'm doing the math...
I'm doing the math. My V8 AMG would probably need that much fuel or more at Autobahn speeds! Thirsty thing.
Most likely, we will be the last generation to enjoy internal combustion engines with 6, 8 or 12 cylinders.
Going the way of dinosaurs soon. So enjoy while you can.
Possibly so 😊
Was quite happy to enjoy the V8 parked next to the C 😉 But compared to a good electric it is a bit of a dinosaur already, albeit an intriguing one 🏁🦾
For me the big difference with the MB and the BMW is as you mentioned the looks .
I think like you said the MB is more under the radar as the BMW is more ,, here i am and look at my muscles,, type of car which in this category is for some a must . I miss my MB C63 sometimes . Such a great driver’s car 👌🏻
I can well imagine 👌🏻👍🏻
The current or one of the previous generations? And you’re right on the looks - for a long time AMG was the brash choice with the Audis and BMWs a bit more subdued, now it’s exactly the opposite 🤷🏻♂️
Very true 😊👍🏻
I am pretty sure you can kill a set of tires in one track day with the C63. Remember the days when this was work of sorts and a set would go with a 911 in 150 or so km of track use 🤷🏻♂️
Sounds like a great frequency to me, too 😊👍🏻
Enough for it to be a thrill and exciting 👌🏻
That’s better in the meantime…
In the AMGs with AWD. But there - especially with the OEM Pirelli tires it tends to be the fronts that go faster (very soft compound). Maybe it was lots of autobahn work, where you repeatedly need to brake from high speeds 🤷🏻♂️