Mercedes C32

Super Star
25/03/2002 10:42 AM - Richard Bosselman

There are quickish sedans, there are truly fast sedans... and then, at the very pinnacle of four-door performance, there's the C32 AMG.

This super C-Class is astounding in its alacrity, but in a very sly, stealthy way. It's the sort of car that can all too easily lead a driver into an "honest, officer, I had no idea I was going so fast..." conversation.

Mercedes-Benz tells no lies about this car's actual performance. If anything they understate the abilities of this star car. For instance, I wouldn't have clocked it as a BMW M3-beater. Certainly, that's not something that Benz makes a big deal about.

Yet independently collated figures tell all. In pitting the C against the mighty M, authoritative British magazine Autocar discovered the AMG raced through the 0-100kmh sprint in 4.6s and hit 160kmh from a standing start in 10.8s. The M3 did it for them in 4.8s and 11.5s.

The times are quicker than those quoted in New Zealand, perhaps because of differing fuel quality. Still, what makes the feat all the more impressive is that, whereas the M3 comes as a manual, the C32 is only dished up with a five-speed automatic.

A standard C-Class transmission with tip-shift and shift points recalibrated by AMG engineers to give 35 percent faster responses, the transmission was acclaimed as being the best in purely accelerative terms they'd ever tested.

However, pure pace isn't the be-all and end-all of this kind of package. Different philosophies apply to these peak performers and they're not entirely alike.

Think of the M3 is a thinly-disguised circuit racer, whereas the super-C is more of a superfast limo. As such, it's never as involving at the wheel. When you drive an M3, it's an absolute thrill; you know exactly what this car will do, and what it expects of you.

Not so the C32. You get the clear impression it's fast and mean, but somehow the feedback is more remote, and the car is more aloof in its mannerisms.

If anything, you get the impression Mercedes have set out to create a cosseting cruise missile, one that lays on luxury as thickly as it will, with the traction control disabled, lay patches.

The Mercedes' AMG credo seems to be that, even when hooting along at its regulated maximum pace of 250kmh, it should still be a refined car. Thus, when Merc talks about optimum performance, they don't just mean absolute speed. They're also seeking to quantify other qualities... of the cabin furnishings, the excellence of a premier sound system and the smooth slur of the transmission.

The C-Class provides an excellent platform for achieving refinement at a high level. But and anything wearing a Mercedes star doesn't come cheap.

The car dubbed the "sportiest C Class ever" costs more than the M3 - $55,000 against $46,900.

Exclusivity is assured, as Mercedes-AMG only built about 3500 C32s in 2001, most in left-hand drive. Just a handful are likely to ever find a home in this country.

Mercedes C32

The C32 marks the beginning of a different approach to AMG's pursuit of power. The car's immediate predecessors, the C43 and C55 AMG models, were V8s, whereas the C32 comes with a 3199cc V6.

But change is for the better, and supercharging is the reason. Having taken a standard V6 from the C320 and modified the camshafts, crank, conrods, valve springs and oil pumps, AMG has then bolted on a neat little helical blower.

With 260kW and an impressive 450Nm, it easily makes up in outright muscle what it loses in capacity and cylinder count. That stupendous 0-100kmh time leaves it just 0.7s behind a certain Ferrari and comfortably ahead of BMW's M5 (5.5s) and Subaru's WRX STi (5.8s). Porsche's $100,000-dearer 911 Carrera is but 0.1s faster.

Maximum torque figure at 4400rpm outclasses all other series production cars in its compact sports sedan segment. More than 400Nm is available at 2300rpm and torque delivery is consistent right up to the 6100rpm redline.

It's generally smooth and quiet, raising its voice only under extreme acceleration, so the big danger is that it could suck you into over-the-limit driving before you know it.

Mercedes claims average fuel consumption of a relatively-frugal 11.3 L/100km and says the C32 AMG already complies with the demanding European EU 4 standard which comes into force in 2005.

Its credentials go beyond the output and performance claims. Major chassis differences compared with the more prosaic C320 include retuned spring-damper units all round and the body is 30mm lower to the road.

Even so, the Merc's chassis mods are nowhere near as extensive as those from Beamer's M-Sport division. It's more of a mildly-tweaked C320. Stiffer springs and uprated dampers provide sharper dynamics, but it's just not as incisive through bends and the BMW and ride has suffered dreadfully. The C32 struts over ruts and has lost a lot of the standard car's much-lauded suppleness.

Wheels are disappointing-looking 17-inch AMG alloys; 7.5 inches wide at the front and 8.5 inches wide at the rear. Tyres are 225/45 R17s front and 245/40 R17s rear, while the braking system uses 345x30mm internally ventilated perforated front discs and 300x22mm internally ventilated rears. Braking performance is superb, but tyre noise is a problem, to the point that, at highway pace on coarse chip, the M3 is actually the quieter car.

A thorough complement of active and passive safety gear is blissfully reassuring.The AMG car comes fully loaded with acronyms. Benz's ABS, ESP, ASR and Brake Assist systems are all standard. Grip levels are high, so it's a pity the traction control is unnecessarily obtrusive.

Think of the C-Class as a shrink-wrapped S-Class. It displays all the pertness and style of its bigger sibling, but visually has a more youthful, athletic on-road presence than the previous model, even when it's stationary.

Dressing up such a stunning shape hasn't been easy. The AMG's visual cues include the deep front air dam with integral fog lights, side skirts and the chunky rear apron. Yet it doesn't look overly hot-rodded, and the best indicator that it's a real racer comes from looking around the back. The rear muffler features the firm's trademark "dual oval" chrome tailpipe and has been tuned to sound the part.

Interior details include an AMG instrument cluster with speedometer calibrated up to 300kmh, an ergonomic leather-clad steering wheel and AMG sports seats (upholstered in nappa leather as standard).

The cabin is most C-standard, expensive in a restrained Teutonic way. The C32 dresses conservatively, with a sombre black interior enlivened - barely - by carbon fibre infills scattered here and there. The front seats are embossed with AMG logos, but even these are ultra-subtle.

A sprinkling of dead switches and slightly overdone plastic trim and knobs downgrade the ambience. The ergonomics are faultless but some switchgear does look, and feel, out of place. The glovebox placement of the CD stacker is an anachronism when in-dash stackers are available.

The driver is well catered for with a height- and reach-adjustable steering wheel and electric driver's seat height and backrest adjustment. Significantly, interior space is far better than the old C, particular for back-seat passengers.

How much? $55,000
Engine and transmission: 3199cc V6 six, 3 valves per cylinder, producing 260kW at 6100rpm and 450Nm at 4400rpm. Five-speed automatic, rear-drive
Suspension and brakes: MacPherson struts with anti-roll bar front, multi-link with anti-roll bar rear. 345mm ventilated discs front, 300mm ventilated discs rear, anti-lock with stability, brake, traction controls
How big? 4528mm long, 1970mm wide, 1415mm high, 2715mm wheelbase
For: Refinement plus from Stuttgart's star performer, faster than you think
Against: Tyre roar, less involving driver's car than a BMW M3