Mercedes-AMG C63 S vs BMW M3: Spec comparison

If there has been one compact sports sedan every manufacturer has tried to better, it has been the M3. The benchmark for performance and handling in this segment has always been the M3 and the C-Class AMGs have always been the brutal and nutty AMG rivals to the M3, delivering plenty on the drama front but never quite matching up to the M3’s dynamics. The C63 S plans to change that, but we won’t know how it stacks up to the M3 on the tarmac just yet. You’ve got to wait a while for that. Till them we size the two up in this spec comparison and right away, you will see that the C63 S has the upper hand.

Powering the C63 S AMG is a close clone of the 4.0-litre Biturbo V8 that powers the AMG GT. It’s still a V8 compared to the 3.0-litre inline six turbocharged M3 mill and that has its advantages on the aural front. You get a 79PS power advantage and a massive 150Nm of extra torque from the AMG mill. It is rated at 510PS and 700Nm in the top of the line S variant (the base C63 makes 476PS but will not make it to India) while the M3 comes with just 431PS and 550Nm of torque. You do however get a 95 kg weight advantage with the M3 which gets the power to weight figures real close. 

Sending power to the rear wheels for the C63 S is AMG’s much honed 7-speed automatic, which although isn’t a dual clutch unit like the quick and precise one in the M3, is said to have improved considerably and shift times have quick now. The numbers are there to see. 0-100kmph comes in 4.0 seconds, 0.1 faster than the M3’s. Top speed in both these German sports sedans is restricted to 250kmph. 

When it comes to pricing, you will be paying more for the C63 S at Rs 1.3 crore, ex-showroom Delhi, Rs 7 lakh over the BMW M3. The C63 S however is based on the C-Class which comes with a class leading set of features and offers higher levels of comfort. The C63 S looks and feels like the newer car and comes with higher output as well, justifying the higher tag.