My new C63 coupe

[gthal]

Hi all,

I am excited to say that I picked up my new C63 coupe yesterday! Specs as follows:

• Obsidian black
• Two tone red/black interior
• 18” OEM wheels with 19” OEM 16 spoke wheels on order (18s will be my track wheels)
• Performance package (481hp and 443ft/lbs)
• All other options available in Canada

So far the car is amazing and I am very happy. I have had the opportunity to track the C63 coupe recently (not mine) and was impressed. I am equally impressed with it around town. Coming from a 2011 E92 M3, I thought I would post my thoughts on the differences. I really do love and appreciate both cars and think both are amazing.

The C63 and the M3 feel very different to drive. I can’t quite explain how but they are different. The C63 feels much more urgent and intense. Not just in acceleration but also in handling… describing handling as “urgent” seems weird but that is the best way I can describe it. The M3 felt more relaxed to me. When you push the go pedal, the C63 has gobs and gobs of torque and acceleration. Really scary sometimes as you reach the car in front of you much faster than you may anticipate. The throttle mapping also feels aggressive… like the M3 in “power” mode. I was always a firm defender of the M3 against those who said it lacked torque and I still am. The M3 has lots of torque and great gearing to get at it. However, the C63 is really something else in this regard. Having spent a lot of time now in the C63, I think it would be hard to not have the torque on tap all of the time. The torque really is fun and addictive and so very easy to access in the C63. The C63 really pulls and pulls and pulls… This also exposes the weakness of the C63 and it is rubber and not enough of it. In the spring, there will be a set of 245/275 RE-11s on the car to deal with the power.

Sound wise, the C63 is amazing and sounds perfect out of the box. The right amount of volume, tone, farts, etc. The M3 needs an after market exhaust to even get close. I have not heard the performance exhaust on an M3 and this might be the answer but I can’t say for sure.

The suspension in the C63 is a little firmer than the M3. I actually think the M3 in comfort mode is more comfortable. The C63 is more like the M3 in normal or even maybe sport suspension mode. Not bad at all for daily driving but noticeably firm.

Steering feedback is better in the C63 but steering weight is better in the M3. I also think the steering in the M3 is maybe a little more precise. This comes back to the “urgent” comment I made. The C63 seems very urgent in turn in and the M3 more relaxed. To me, this makes the M3 a little more precise and easier to get exactly the amount of steering input you want.
Both cars feel very planted but there is a difference in feel. The C63 feels more solid and rigid than the M3. Almost like it was made from a single piece of metal. The M3 feels looser than the C63 but it also feels a little more agile and nimble. I feel very confident in the C63 but somehow don’t know where the limit is… maybe because I haven’t had the opportunity to get close to reaching it. In the M3, I somehow felt like I knew the limit of the car. Maybe this was really just familiarity with the M3 but I liked having this feeling. I suspect with a few HPDEs behind me, I will have a similar feel for the C63. I don’t know that I prefer one car to the other in handling. The C63 feels planted, secure and very solid in corners. The M3 feels maybe a tad less planted but more agile. I’m not doing a great job of explaining this but I think you get the drift (no pun intended ).

Interior is hands down, way, way better in the C63. Real carbon fibre, amazing seats in the coupe (better than in the M3 in both look and feel IMO), flat top/bottom steering wheel with Alcantara, great fit and finish and very modern. The M3’s interior is dated and plain in comparison. The M3 interior is similar “quality” but not as nice to look and or sit in. On features, the C63 wins out by a margin. Lots of cool things like blind spot warnings, lane departure stuff, rear back up camera, front PDC, etc. Sound systems in both are comparable but the iPod connectivity is better in the C63 as is the Bluetooth functionality. You even get a flash card slot!

One area where the M3 smacks the C63 around is the transmission. The DCT is much better than the MCT. Faster, more responsive and more connected to the car. The DCT is an amazing piece of engineering if you ask me. The MCT is very good, very fast, very capable and works well but it just is not as good as the DCT. I would have happily paid a premium in the C63 to have had the option for a comparable transmission.

Exterior looks… I prefer the M3 still. The M3 is a beautiful car. The C63 looks more muscular, IMO, but overall I like the look of the M3 better. BMW really got the M3 right IMO. However, the fit and finish of the C63 is superior IMO. Paint is better, panels are better fitting, etc. Not that the M3 was bad but it isn’t as good in this respect as the C63.

Brakes are similar in feel but the red Brembos look amazing on the C63. Only time will tell how they hold up on the track.

The C63 coupe on stock (a.k.a. anemic) Continental tires just ran an 8:01 Nurburgring time (Sport Auto Supertest) which is a very respectable time and 12 seconds faster than a pre-2012 C63 time (which shows the level suspension improvements) and 4 seconds faster than an E92 M3 with PS2 tires. Obviously conditions would be different (same driver) so it is hard to make a straight comparison but for tracks where the power of the C63 can be used, it does very well.

I love both cars and think they are very similar overall but with a different feel. I would be very happy to own either. My ratings would be:

Acceleration and torque: C63 wins by a wide margin. The difference in feel really surprised me.
Sound: C63 wins by a wide margin
Handling: M3 wins by a small margin
Transmission: M3 wins by a wide margin
Interior: C63 wins by a wide margin
Exterior: M3 wins by a small margin
DD fun: C63 wins as it is just a silly fast and planted car on the street
Track fun: M3 will likely win here on most tracks as it is the more agile car… close but I have to say M3.

Summary… it’s a tie as each car is great in its own way and both are similar overall I have said it before but if the car is a DD with the odd track weekend, I think the C63 is hard to beat. If the car is a track warrior’s tool, then the M3 is the better choice. Whichever you pick, though, I think you win. I am sure there will be days when I really miss the M3 (mainly the DCT) but I also am not sure I could go back to the 295 ft/lbs of torque now that I have lived with 443. As much as I defended the M3 in this regard (and still would), getting pushed back hard into your seat and launching through a hole in traffic (while hearing the amazing exhaust) is just a little addictive.

Below are some pictures of the car. I haven’t had time to really wash it so forgive the dirt. Also, the wheels are my cheap replica winter setup with a 225/40-18 square set up. Put them on this morning. I think they look pretty good given the wheels were only $600 +/- . In summer, 19s and wide RE-11s are on order.

[Martin_D]

Congrats gthal the car looks fabulous.

[M3SQRD]

Congrats! The car looks awesome and love the two-tone interior

[FormulaMMM]

Nice review. Thanks for posting.

Coupe version looks better in black than any other color I've seen, and those seats are awesome. Actually, yeah, I just had another look at the interior and I like everything about it...

Enjoy all of that torque too.

[klammer]

Nice review. Like to hear your impressions after a bit more seat time. Enjoy the new whip

[nick3753]

Just out of curiosity, I'm pretty sure I recalled you had a manual e9x before as well and preferred the DCT. So if given the possibility, would you prefer the c63 with its MCT tranny or the m3s 6 speed?

[Nine]

Nice!

[1MOREMOD]

Nice review. Good luck with the MB. I took a look at one a couple weeks ago and came away with some of the same feelings about exterior and interior. The seats are really quite good. Feel great. I don't like the looks as much and the m3 to me seems still like a more special car if that makes any sense. Good to see you will continue on the track. Still to date haven't seen a single MB out there.

[DevJ]

Beautiful car!! Thanks for your review. This car is very tempting to buy! Enjoy it!

[templarklimek]

Stunning interior!

Damn, no manual option on that beast. Why Mercedes, why?

[PhillyNate]

Congrats. Looks good.

[JulieDriving]

gthal, that is one of the best comparisons of the M3 vs C63 I have read! Terrific, objective, non-biased comparison.

I'd love to hear more thoughts as you continue to experience the C63.

Congrats!!!

And p.s. Awesome color choices.

[Cdnrockies]

Congrats on the new ride and very good review.

[mdosu]

congrats! I'm jealous!

[erio]

Nice. Congrats! Thanks for the review. Did you get the LSD or does that come as part of the development package in Canada?

[FormulaMMM]

Good to see you will continue on the track. Still to date haven't seen a single MB out there.

I have. And I waved him by in my E39. Basically, it sounds like the apocalypse coming through. It felt like the ground and everything else was being beaten into submission by that exhaust note. Made me lose concentration on the front straight at Road America... truly wicked.

Certainly understand why OP says the C63 gets the edge in the exhaust department by a wide margin.

[templarklimek]

here are a few questions please.

A. Would it have cost Mercedes an arm and a leg to produce a manual shift version? I would think they would have enticed over plenty of M3/CTS-V or vette owners who only buy sticks.

B. Maybe they will release one?

[Kyoshi71]

Good Job. Best of luck

[gthal]

Thanks for all the comments everyone.

Originally Posted by nick3753

Just out of curiosity, I'm pretty sure I recalled you had a manual e9x before as well and preferred the DCT. So if given the possibility, would you prefer the c63 with its MCT tranny or the m3s 6 speed?

I would take th C63 with MCT over a M3 6MT for reasons other than the transmission. The MCT is very good and is comparable to the DCT but once you've experienced the DCT it spoils you.

Originally Posted by erio

Nice. Congrats! Thanks for the review. Did you get the LSD or does that come as part of the development package in Canada?

In Canada there are two options (essentially)... performance and premium. Performance is the bump in power to 481hp, upgraded brakes with red calipers, carbon fiber interior trim and rear spoiler, suspension tweaks and the LSD. I bought it mainly for the LSD. The premium package includes everything else (backup camera, keyless go, blind spot warning, etc, etc).

Originally Posted by templarklimek

here are a few questions please.

A. Would it have cost Mercedes an arm and a leg to produce a manual shift version? I would think they would have enticed over plenty of M3/CTS-V or vette owners who only buy sticks.

B. Maybe they will release one?

I have spoken to various people at MB and they do not believe it is their market. I don't think they see sufficient incremental revenue. If you look at the M3, even that is slowly moving more and more to DCT sales. 5 years from now, 6MT will likely be a rare thing IMO so I don't think MB is going there anytime soon. I would LOVE to see them put the DCT from the SLS AMG in the C63 though. Now THAT would be a real game changer IMO. Take off 200lbs and put a proper DCT in the car and it would be just insane.

[gthal]

Originally Posted by Kyoshi71

Good Job. Best of luck

Thanks... I think

[S65V8]

That car is a beast, especially from 70-100mph I can only imagine...congrats!

[EdM5]

Awesome and thrustworthy comparo, thank you very much.
Enjoy the C!