Tumbo
RPM Ruler
- Messages
- 7,727
Clash of the Teutons
By Hannes Oosthuizen
: : : CARtoday.com blogs : : :
Having recently returned from the international launch of the Mercedes C63 AMG, I am in the fortunate position to be the only CAR staffer to have driven three of the most talked about cars (and the greatest automotive battle) of the year - the Audi RS4, BMW M3 and Mercedes C63. You only have to look at the CarToday.com forums to realise how these three vehicles get enthusiasts’ blood boiling. So, the question, of course, is which is best, in my opinion?
However, before we get to that, I’d first like to explain why this particular saga is proving to be, perhaps, the ultimate test of any motoring journalist’s capability to remain impartial, objective and logical. A lot has been written about the RS4 vs. M3 battle in particular, with most magazines (local and international), using track tests as a format to find a winner. Some of them have pointed to the M3’s ability to go sideways on demand as its edge in the entertainment department, making it the winner. More impressively (and more to the point, perhaps), our sister magazine Wiel has found that the sideways factor actually helps the M3 to go around a track (Killarney) faster than the RS4 - in the hands of Giniel de Villiers, a Volkswagen-group man, no less. So, is being faster around a track the ultimate measurement, then?
Maybe. Maybe not. Of course, driving on a track allows you to find out things about a car’s dynamics that you can’t (safely) do on the road. And this is great. I agree, that on a track, the M3 will devour an RS4... in the hands of a skilled driver. But the reality of the matter is that in the hands of the public that buys these vehicles, these cars are highly unlikely to ever see track use. Also, in the hands of the average driver, the RS4 may even be quicker on the track, anyway. So…
Back in the real world, where a consumer-focused magazine such as CAR has to operate, the end-result is not as clear. Here we found the RS4 better suited to a wider variety of surfaces, conditions and driving styles, than the more narrowly focused M3. This doesn't mean the M3 can't be used as a daily driver, it just means that the RS4 is significantly better suited to that type of use.
Where does this leave a motoring journalist in the decision process? Do you use entertainment and lap times as the final criteria, or do you take a more sober approach, and also take into account the real world conditions these cars will face, and the buyers that are likely to buy them? Hmm…
Matters are made even trickier by the fractions in which the one car trumps the other in the different areas that can be evaluated. The RS4 is fractionally quicker. It is also fractionally more practical. It rides fractionally better too. And considering the costs of options etc., it is slightly better value for money as well. In terms of engine sounds, they’re pretty much equal, with the Audi’s lovely low-rev rumble equalled in desirability by the BMW’s high-rev, throaty roar.
So, then… small victories for the RS4, compared with one major victory (entertainment on the limit) for the M3. Which way does the decision go? Let me put it this way. For a blast, I’ll take the M3, but to live with, I’ll take an RS4. But that’s my opinion. You’ll have to read the November issue of CAR to find out what the voting says - unlike some other local magazines, CAR’s road tests are not the opinion of a single tester, but the result of extensive debate and ultimately, voting, by up to eight… Also, to make doubly sure of everything, we retested the Audi RS4, on the same day as testing the M3… The results are certainly interesting.
But whichever wins, both will soon be up against the Mercedes C63 AMG, a car that AMG says is now as sharp a driving tool as anything in this segment. For the launch event, there was not a racing circuit in sight, Mercedes instead letting the world’s press free on the narrow, winding roads around Mainz… leaving little margin for error.
The C63 is a superb looking thing, being the visually most muscular of the three, in my humble opinion. I also think it sounds the best, by the way. Under the bonnet is a 6,2-litre V8 engine pumping out 336 kW and a whopping 600 N.m of torque. The power goes to the rear wheels via an AMG-fettled version of Merc’s 7G-tronic automatic transmission - a defining element of the C63, considering the all-manual rivals. Thankfully, the transmission is a good one, holding onto shifts if you want it to, and performing manual gear changes via the shift levers with reasonable precision, while also giving a beautiful throttle blip.
I’ve been impressed with the new C-Class’s chassis so far, and it makes an excellent base for the C63 AMG. Compared with the outgoing C55, the new car’s front suspension is a massive 100 per cent stiffer. Steering precision and feel are vastly improved over the C55 too. The C63 feels much more “connected” than the previous model - with the road, and, importantly, with the driver.
But it’s not perfect. The ride is hard - the hardest of three, in fact. And, similarly to the M3, you have to know your story when you start pushing it. Driven at eight-tenths or lower, this is a seriously entertaining car. However, start going faster, and the C63’s tricky nature comes to the fore. This is a car that requires a smooth driver. With the ESP on its normal setting, the electronic interference can easily spoil your rhythm if you don’t treat the throttle with respect. Switch to ESP Sport, which allows more waywardness before interfering, and it’s theoretically a blast to drive, while still offering safety. I say theoretically, because as soon as you touch the brakes, the full ESP is back on. We didn’t have access to the right type of roads to test this theory, but the end result, however, is that this extraordinary machine’s capability is not as easy to exploit as the RS4’s. I’d like to drive the C63 AMG some more, especially to figure out whether that ESP system is really as strict as the press information makes it out to be.
With that said, I personally think you will find that when RS4 production stops around January, it will have been unmatched during its life-cycle and retire as a champion. And that’s not only an upset of a victory for Audi, but also a victory for common sense and logic over sideways hedonism… And in my mind it simply reaffirms the RS4 as one of the greatest cars of its era. But that’s just me…
By Hannes Oosthuizen
: : : CARtoday.com blogs : : :
Having recently returned from the international launch of the Mercedes C63 AMG, I am in the fortunate position to be the only CAR staffer to have driven three of the most talked about cars (and the greatest automotive battle) of the year - the Audi RS4, BMW M3 and Mercedes C63. You only have to look at the CarToday.com forums to realise how these three vehicles get enthusiasts’ blood boiling. So, the question, of course, is which is best, in my opinion?
However, before we get to that, I’d first like to explain why this particular saga is proving to be, perhaps, the ultimate test of any motoring journalist’s capability to remain impartial, objective and logical. A lot has been written about the RS4 vs. M3 battle in particular, with most magazines (local and international), using track tests as a format to find a winner. Some of them have pointed to the M3’s ability to go sideways on demand as its edge in the entertainment department, making it the winner. More impressively (and more to the point, perhaps), our sister magazine Wiel has found that the sideways factor actually helps the M3 to go around a track (Killarney) faster than the RS4 - in the hands of Giniel de Villiers, a Volkswagen-group man, no less. So, is being faster around a track the ultimate measurement, then?
Maybe. Maybe not. Of course, driving on a track allows you to find out things about a car’s dynamics that you can’t (safely) do on the road. And this is great. I agree, that on a track, the M3 will devour an RS4... in the hands of a skilled driver. But the reality of the matter is that in the hands of the public that buys these vehicles, these cars are highly unlikely to ever see track use. Also, in the hands of the average driver, the RS4 may even be quicker on the track, anyway. So…
Back in the real world, where a consumer-focused magazine such as CAR has to operate, the end-result is not as clear. Here we found the RS4 better suited to a wider variety of surfaces, conditions and driving styles, than the more narrowly focused M3. This doesn't mean the M3 can't be used as a daily driver, it just means that the RS4 is significantly better suited to that type of use.
Where does this leave a motoring journalist in the decision process? Do you use entertainment and lap times as the final criteria, or do you take a more sober approach, and also take into account the real world conditions these cars will face, and the buyers that are likely to buy them? Hmm…
Matters are made even trickier by the fractions in which the one car trumps the other in the different areas that can be evaluated. The RS4 is fractionally quicker. It is also fractionally more practical. It rides fractionally better too. And considering the costs of options etc., it is slightly better value for money as well. In terms of engine sounds, they’re pretty much equal, with the Audi’s lovely low-rev rumble equalled in desirability by the BMW’s high-rev, throaty roar.
So, then… small victories for the RS4, compared with one major victory (entertainment on the limit) for the M3. Which way does the decision go? Let me put it this way. For a blast, I’ll take the M3, but to live with, I’ll take an RS4. But that’s my opinion. You’ll have to read the November issue of CAR to find out what the voting says - unlike some other local magazines, CAR’s road tests are not the opinion of a single tester, but the result of extensive debate and ultimately, voting, by up to eight… Also, to make doubly sure of everything, we retested the Audi RS4, on the same day as testing the M3… The results are certainly interesting.
But whichever wins, both will soon be up against the Mercedes C63 AMG, a car that AMG says is now as sharp a driving tool as anything in this segment. For the launch event, there was not a racing circuit in sight, Mercedes instead letting the world’s press free on the narrow, winding roads around Mainz… leaving little margin for error.
The C63 is a superb looking thing, being the visually most muscular of the three, in my humble opinion. I also think it sounds the best, by the way. Under the bonnet is a 6,2-litre V8 engine pumping out 336 kW and a whopping 600 N.m of torque. The power goes to the rear wheels via an AMG-fettled version of Merc’s 7G-tronic automatic transmission - a defining element of the C63, considering the all-manual rivals. Thankfully, the transmission is a good one, holding onto shifts if you want it to, and performing manual gear changes via the shift levers with reasonable precision, while also giving a beautiful throttle blip.
I’ve been impressed with the new C-Class’s chassis so far, and it makes an excellent base for the C63 AMG. Compared with the outgoing C55, the new car’s front suspension is a massive 100 per cent stiffer. Steering precision and feel are vastly improved over the C55 too. The C63 feels much more “connected” than the previous model - with the road, and, importantly, with the driver.
But it’s not perfect. The ride is hard - the hardest of three, in fact. And, similarly to the M3, you have to know your story when you start pushing it. Driven at eight-tenths or lower, this is a seriously entertaining car. However, start going faster, and the C63’s tricky nature comes to the fore. This is a car that requires a smooth driver. With the ESP on its normal setting, the electronic interference can easily spoil your rhythm if you don’t treat the throttle with respect. Switch to ESP Sport, which allows more waywardness before interfering, and it’s theoretically a blast to drive, while still offering safety. I say theoretically, because as soon as you touch the brakes, the full ESP is back on. We didn’t have access to the right type of roads to test this theory, but the end result, however, is that this extraordinary machine’s capability is not as easy to exploit as the RS4’s. I’d like to drive the C63 AMG some more, especially to figure out whether that ESP system is really as strict as the press information makes it out to be.
With that said, I personally think you will find that when RS4 production stops around January, it will have been unmatched during its life-cycle and retire as a champion. And that’s not only an upset of a victory for Audi, but also a victory for common sense and logic over sideways hedonism… And in my mind it simply reaffirms the RS4 as one of the greatest cars of its era. But that’s just me…
I would take their comments with a pinch of salt...
..unless they dump auto transmision out and mount proper DSG or SMG like shifter..IMO
