Six-point-three or 4.0 liters? 451 or 420 horsepower? 443 or 295 lb per ft of torque? 60 in 4.5 or 4.8 seconds? Three-pointed star or propeller? The gloves are off between Mercedes and BMW in the new entry-level tuner competition. Mercedes’ AMG tuners have dropped their beauty of a naturally aspirated V8 under the hood of the all-new C-class, paired it with their 7-speed Speedshift transmission and let the rear tires burn. BMW’s M division, on the other hand, lopped off two cylinders from the M5/M6’s screaming V10 to create the first-ever, V8 powered M3; its power is routed to the rear wheels through either a traditional six-speed manual or BMW’s new sequential gearbox that’s currently in development. So let’s indulge the fantasy, and put these two leather-lined brutes head-to-head.
Now, since neither the C63 or the next-gen M3 are out on the market as of yet, I’m riding purely on the manufacturers’ numbers and my own blissful speculation. Obviously, from the numbers, the Merc is a hair faster off the line, and flat-out more powerful with 31 more horsepower and almost double the twisting power of the Bimmer. Fine, the Mercedes is a rip-roarin’ beast of a machine. But is raw brute power worth it if you have to wait ’till the high rpms to get it? Well, to get all 443 of the C’s torque, you’ve got to wind it up to 5,000 rpm, but an impressive 83 percent (369 lb per ft) of the torque is available from just 2,000 to 6,250 rpm. However, if you want engine that’ll rev to the heavens, the BMW is going to be your bet: All of the 420 hp can be yours at 8,300 rpm, with the 295 lb per ft of torque on tap and waiting at 3,900 rpm. And, of course, both of the cars have the usual aggressive kits to match their new-found engine power. Not to mention that the C has the added practicality of an extra set of doors and a real backseat.
However, this is where I end. These are cars that no level of wild imagination can dream up test drives. These cars are the dream. So, sit back, relax, and let’s ogle those pictures and videos of these two screamers until we get our hands on them. Which we will. And, come on, who wouldn’t want to be the one behind the wheel, pitting the latest offerings from AMG and BMW against each other?
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Pictures via Autoblog.