Article: 2015 BMW F80 M3 vs. Mercedes-AMG W205 C63 S EVO deadly rivals - Laptime comparison

[SpeedLimit?]

[BlackJetE90OC]

Mercedes that is what happens when your car weighs 400lbs+.

With that said, the C63S is the ultimate daily driver. A mini-E63.

[SpeedLimit?]

Mercedes that is what happens when your car weighs 400lbs+.

With that said, the C63S is the ultimate daily driver. A mini-E63.

Agreed...i also noticed it had the pano-roof which couldn't have helped. Does the C63 have a carbon brake option?

[Sticky]

The more things change the more they stay the same. With this new generation of turbocharged German sport sedans the result is similar to what the previous generation naturally aspirated battle brought. That being the BMW is more nimble and offers a smaller motor whereas the AMG is more of a brute.

The F80 M3 is not light weighing in at the 35XX range depending on options but that is roughly 500 pounds less than a C63 AMG with the panoramic roof option. The W205 generation C63 AMG is simply heavy but anyone who is serious about performance should skip the pano roof in order to get weight down in the 38XX pounds range. Not to mention take weight off a position at the top of the car which does not help handling.

The engines may be turbocharged now but the AMG again has the larger motor offering more horsepower and torque. The BMW M3 again has a dual clutch box and the C3 AMG again does not. That helps the BMW's efficiency and helps it make up the power disparity. EVO makes a mistake when discussing the C63 AMG gearbox stating it is a single clutch when it isn't, it is a multi-clutch design. What they means to say is it can only have a single gear selected at a time and not have the next gear preselected.

EVO prattles on and on about how the C63 AMG S has more power and torque and that is true although the M3 S55 inline-6 is very underrated in its power output. The M177 twin turbo 4.0 liter V8 in the C63 is underrated as well just not quite to the same degree as the M. The difference between the two is roughly 40 wheel horsepower and 60 lb-ft of wheel torque.

EVO feels the M3 has sharper throttle response and the quicker gearbox. The C63 is said to feel faster and with its torque advantage plus its heavier weight that seat of pants feeling makes sense. The S model will out accelerate the M3 but the standard C63 and M3 should actually be very close.

Around the track the M3 is just more composed. Its corner entry and exits are cleaner. The M3 has a lead of 4/10's halfway through the track comparison. It quickly opens a lead and increases it. The M3 laps the course in 1:23.27 compared to 1:24.0 for the C63 AMG S.

Is anyone really surprised? The lighter car with the quicker gearbox offering less snap on oversteer due to torque delivery manages the tight course better. It's the same thing as the last generation all over again. The M3 again is the scalpel to the C63's sledgehammer.

[BMW M4 Power]

LMAO... eat it and weep Merc fanboy's... it's very telling when a car released AFTER the new M3 (which Merc was gunning for) gets beat "convincingly."

Unrelated: Congrats to the pure turbo's M4 for putting down 708+rwhp/710rwt!! with just 4 mods (exhaust, JB4, Meth, turbos) on the stock clutch!! lol

[Sticky]

The AMG guys have never been fans of finesse anyway. They always made a big deal about straightline acceleration but with this turbo era it's not hard to offset the displacement advantage.

I like the C63 a lot but I'd rather have the lighter car with the DCT here as I'm not always drag racing.

That said, Mercedes does have better track cars than BMW in the lineup and true sports cars. Not to mention high end performers in the Black Series which BMW has no answer for.

[zeenon53]

Two sick cars!

[BlackJetE90OC]

The AMG guys have never been fans of finesse anyway. They always made a big deal about straightline acceleration but with this turbo era it's not hard to offset the displacement advantage.

I like the C63 a lot but I'd rather have the lighter car with the DCT here as I'm not always drag racing.

That said, Mercedes does have better track cars than BMW in the lineup and true sports cars. Not to mention high end performers in the Black Series which BMW has no answer for.

Agree, unless your car is never going to see a track day or you are solely into roll racing/drag racing, the M3 remains the better all-arounder.

[ezec63]

Even though the m3 took a convincing win here still closer then expected at a very tight and technical track where the c63 doesn't have much of a chance to flex its straight line muscle. A c63 with no pano roof and carbon ceramic brakes which the m3 in the video had should be very close in times to the m3 which is impressive given the much nicer interior and all around better daily drive ability of it in addition to the stronger motor

[ezec63]

Though if your really going to take it to the track often the m3 will do better on repeated laps vs just a hot lap like the magazines do here due to the lower weight taking less of a toll on the car. I'm glad they are different in some ways gives the consumer a choice on what's best for them would be boring if they were the same. Interested in how the ats-v stacks up against both

[BlackJetE90OC]

Even though the m3 took a convincing win here still closer then expected at a very tight and technical track where the c63 doesn't have much of a chance to flex its straight line muscle. A c63 with no pano roof and carbon ceramic brakes which the m3 in the video had should be very close in times to the m3 which is impressive given the much nicer interior and all around better daily drive ability of it in addition to the stronger motor

Agree with this as well. Cut 200lbs of this spec car, add ccb. The gap will surely close.

Interesting C63 lost most of its time corner exit, trying to get the power down. Peddling the car and correcting major oversteer kills your speed on the straights. So the C63 had to use its extra hp just to play catch up. Would be fun to put proper rubber on both cars and see were they end up.

[Sticky]

Even though the m3 took a convincing win here still closer then expected at a very tight and technical track where the c63 doesn't have much of a chance to flex its straight line muscle. A c63 with no pano roof and carbon ceramic brakes which the m3 in the video had should be very close in times to the m3 which is impressive given the much nicer interior and all around better daily drive ability of it in addition to the stronger motor

It will be closer but it's still just not as good of a driver's car. The W204 C63 wasn't and the W205 C63 isn't. The fact only one of them comes in manual says a lot too.

[ezec63]

Agree with this as well. Cut 200lbs of this spec car, add ccb. The gap will surely close.

Interesting C63 lost most of its time corner exit, trying to get the power down. Peddling the car and correcting major oversteer kills your speed on the straights. So the C63 had to use its extra hp just to play catch up. Would be fun to put proper rubber on both cars and see were they end up.

Exactly cutting off close to 200 pounds off the roof of the car lowering its center of gravity big time and reducing unsprung rotational mass with CCB's while also getting better braking will help track times significantly IMO. That last corner exit took off .3 seconds alone. Will be interesting to see times at the ring, hockenheim and other tracks where it can flex its muscles in the straights.

[Sticky]

Exactly cutting off close to 200 pounds off the roof of the car lowering its center of gravity big time and reducing unsprung rotational mass with CCB's while also getting better braking will help track times significantly IMO. That last corner exit took off .3 seconds alone. Will be interesting to see times at the ring, hockenheim and other tracks where it can flex its muscles in the straights.

It doesn't matter. The C63 is basically an E63 with a smaller motor.

The M3/M4 will simply always offer a sportier experience. If the C63 needs to use power to close the gap it clearly is more of a straightline car. It is.

[ezec63]

It will be closer but it's still just not as good of a driver's car. The W204 C63 wasn't and the W205 C63 isn't. The fact only one of them comes in manual says a lot too.

Absolutely will be closer but I agree the c63 is geared more towards a street car and has big cojones under the hood. But saying the fact that it's manual says a lot doesn't mean much IMO a gt3 RS comes in DCT only and it makes the m3 look like a bus. The AMG GT-S DCT only was tested at this same track at 1:17 flat. If you want something that's serious for track duty skip all the Germans and go see Uncle Sam hell put you in a gt350R for the same price

[Sticky]

But saying the fact that it's manual says a lot doesn't mean much IMO

I think it does. AMG would never even consider it on the C63.

a gt3 RS comes in DCT only and it makes the m3 look like a bus

Right but the C63 doesn't have a DCT. The GT3 uses it for performance. It makes sense. 911's still come in manual by the way, AMG's don't.

The AMG GT-S DCT only was tested at this same track at 1:17 flat. If you want something that's serious for track duty skip all the Germans and go see Uncle Sam hell put you in a gt350R for the same price

Well, yeah, I think the Americans are building the best driver's cars in the world today. That isn't the point though.

[UsualSuspect]

I like the M3/M4, the new C63/C63S has a strange looking side profile. But it seems everyone today is roll racing and drag racing...only a few of us continue to enjoy the circuit.

[Sticky]

I like the M3/M4, the new C63/C63S has a strange looking side profile. But it seems everyone today is roll racing and drag racing...only a few of us continue to enjoy the circuit.

Well quick acceleration bursts are fun and relatively simple. Plus horsepower fights are fun.

It's just different.

To build a real road race car to the highest level AND be able to drive it at that level is something different.

I love a well rounded car but I'd prefer to do a roll on event than a roadcourse event personally.

[marcvtec]

ya i,d like to run my afflarbach edition versus these two for fun!