Audi RS4 vs BMW M3 vs Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

For much of the day, the quiet Taunus mountains in Germany -- rolling green hills, prosperous farmland, dark Hansel and Gretel pine forests,Volkswagens driven slowly by well-groomed women on narrow smooth roads -- sound like Darlington raceway. From sleepy hollow to days of thunder.


You just don't hear sounds like this in Europe. Cars here have four-cylinder engines, coarsened by diesel rattle. Even performance cars, short of the big-ticket Ferraris, have turbocharged four- or six-cylinder motors. In this neck of the woods, V-8s-and only V-8s can make this kind of sound-are as rare as Ford pickups and Dunkin' Donuts.

But the brand-new Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and the more mature Audi RS4, especially in thunderous sport-exhaust mode (yes, a switch dials up the Darlington on the Audi!), sound like Jeff Gordon's DuPont Chevy coming pedal-to-the-metal around turn four-big revs, big bellowing exhaust, big power, big American noise.

All three sedans have V-8 power. All three, then, are Yankee-inspired, for while America didn't invent the V-8, Detroit (and Henry Ford) certainly popularized it. They made it American shorthand for musclecar.

Originally BMW's M3 used a far more typical European formula for big speed-a high-revving silky sweet Formula 1-based four-cylinder engine.

Since then, in the need for speed, four cylinders became six. Now, with the newest M3, six turns into eight.

Audi's fast-car history also is peppered with small four-, five-, and six-cylinder engines, usually turbocharged, invariably quattro four-wheel drive. Yet with the RS4, which first went on sale in the U.S. in August 2006, Audi dumped all that dainty, less-is-more Euro sophistication stuff and shoehorned the biggest possible V-8-of 4.2 liters-into the engine bay. The result was an M3-beater, the first time anyone has been able to say that about a small fast Audi.

So to beat the RS4, BMW followed suit. It's got to be a V-8. And don't spare the horses.

Mercedes has known about the advantages of big V-8 muscle-think outgoing C55-for some time. Maybe it was the Chrysler link that taught it the lesson. The new C63, with 6.2 liters of lung power, has the most Detroit-like spec of any small European sporting sedan. These are Detroit-size lungs. This latest fastest C-Class is as German, in fast-car philosophy, as a bowl of grits and a glass of Southern sweet iced tea.

On this glorious fall day in Germany, on winding roads that snake up and down the sides of mountains, all three cars assemble.

BMW M3 Overview

Overview

Now in its fourth generation, the BMW M3 is the performance car for the line-up of 3 Series cars that define BMW. The 2009 M3 combines stylish looks with high performance and boasts of the highest level of comfort. It is equipped with a 414-horsepower, V8 engine that was an all-new engine last year. The M3 is available in Sedan, Coupe, and Convertible body styles.

Powertrain And Performance

The 2009 BMW M3 is powered by a brawny 4.0 liter V8 engine that delivers a dynamic 414-hp and 295 pound-feet of torque. In addition, it goes up to a redline of 8400 rpm. All BMW M3 models can be equipped with a six-speed manual transmission or a double clutch gearbox (DKG), which is a 7-speed transmission using two independently operating clutches (but no clutch pedal). Its powerful engine catapults the M3 from 0-60 mph in just 4.8 exhilarating seconds.

Build And Styling

For 2009, the sedan gets a subtle styling refresh. Its aggressive style is combined with standard M double-spoke satin chrome finish light alloy wheels and powerdome on the hood along with front and rear spoiler. The new M3 center console goes all the way to the rear seats and wraps around the driver seat to make a cozy, comfortable, and eminently usable cockpit. It provides AM/FM stereo/CD audio system with 10 speakers; Radio Data System (RDS); Auto-Store; MP3 capability; and a 3-channel FM diversity antenna system for entertainment. The Convertible body style has a three-piece hardtop opening that disappears completely into the rear roof compartment at the touch of a button in just 22 seconds.

Safety Features

Beyond power and luxury, the 2009 M3 is also equipped with all the latest safety technology. Standard safety features include high-performance-tuned anti-lock braking system (ABS); head protection system; driver's and passenger's front airbag supplemental restraint system (SRS) with dual-threshold; dual-stage deployment; and pre-tensioner seatbelts for driver and front passenger. Its standard front-passenger seat sensors are designed to prevent unnecessary airbag deployment. It also offers standard dynamic stability control to deliver optimal traction. Equipped with optional electronic damping control that automatically adjusts the shock absorber settings to meet changes in vehicle's speed, load, or road and driving conditions, makes driving safer for all concerned.

It's all about BMW M3

Here is my thoughts about BMW M3...

Whether it’s the coupe or the sedan, the 2009 BMW M3 makes its thundering performance known with bulges, vents, slits, and badges.

Car and Driver observes the 2009 BMW M3’s “bulging aluminum hood” and says “visually, there's no confusing the M3 with a standard-issue 3-series, even though both cars share doors, windows, headlights, taillights, and trunklid.” The other panels have been massaged, and BMW replaces the normal steel on top with a "carbon-fiber roof," says Cars.com; it’s the "the flared fenders and nose-low, hunkered-down profile that suggests a nearly audible snarl." Autoblog points out the "M-specific quad pipes" that "let Bimmer cognoscenti know that they're behind something special." "The BMW M3 appears as a 3 Series Coupe or Sedan that's been to the gym," explains MyRide.com, "not like a dude on 'roids but rather someone who's been doing twice-a-days and eating nothing but chicken and tuna." The front and rear fascias are "revised," the hood has "rippled aluminum" with vents, plus "additional vents on the fenders," they add, summing up its styling as "an exquisite machine that doesn't require exaggerated body kits to draw attention." Edmunds agrees that it has “more aggressive body styling” than the usual 3-Series coupe or sedan.

"Heavily-bolstered," the seats "feel custom-made to your body." Plus, the "thick-rimmed steering wheel" gives the driver a "sporty feel," while cruising down the highway. Additionally, "leather trim" and "door sills with the M logo" round out the interior of the "high-performance" M3 BMW, says MyRide.com, with the added comfort typically left out of such sporty vehicles. “The M3's interior has undergone fewer alterations than the exterior, but there are a number of significant changes,” Car and Driver proclaims. “The usual M treatment includes sportier seats with deep torso and side bolsters, a thick leather steering wheel, and a new M-badged tachometer.” The "aggressive design of the front seats" in the BMW M3 captures the attention of Edmunds.