BMW M3 Vs.Mercedes-Benz C36 - Road Test

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This comparison is between-inarguably-the two most desirable compact four-door sedans ever built. The limited-production BMW M3 four-door and Mercedes-Benz C36 are each so fantastic, so fundamentally tremendous, that this test could degenerate into a love-fest of praise. They're quick, handle brilliantly, brake instantly, and are built with the structural integrity of a beryllium molecule. We could almost put the critical blinders on, engage WordPerfect's excellent built-in thesaurus, and let the superlatives fly. Still, though this test will draw out the subtleties and distinctions, it will lapse into a few gooey gushes. Forgive us, we're human.

Neither the M3 nor the C36 looks particularly intimidating. Sure, they have deep front spoilers, oversize wheels, our test M3 is painted vivid yellow, the C36 has carbon fiber on its B-pillars, and they hunker seductively to the ground, but these are familiar shapes. If one isn't conscious of the performance details, they blend into the gang of "lesser" 3s and Cs in the associate parking stalls at any Minneapolis law firm. However, their low-key decoration belies the substance of the changes within. Both the M3 and C36 emerge from a German tuning tradition that demands elegantly engineered components to complement extra power with handling and braking. That tradition has little to do with ornamentation.

The M3 sedan comes from BMW's own Motorsport Division, which has developed special high-performance road and race machines from the exotic M1 mid-engine sports car of the early '80s to the luscious M5, M6, and 850CSi models of more recent memory. Until the sedan's late arrival in the United States, the M3 extension of BMW's 3 Series had been available here only as a coupe. The European M3 sedan, however, has been available for a while, and we still don't get the M3 convertible. Except for the extra set of doors, the M3 sedan is mechanically identical to the M3 coupe, right down to its suspension calibration. And that's a good thing.

What "mechanically identical" means is that, under the same sheetmetal that skins the 138-horsepower, four-cylinder 318i sedan lies a 240-horsepower DOHC 24-valve inline-six. Boring the iron-block 328i's six cylinders an additional 2.4 millimeters and lengthening the crankshaft's stroke 5.6 millimeters results in a 359-cubic-centimeter bump in the M3 engine's displacement up to 3.2 liters. Combined with a slight compression increase from 10.2:1 to 10.5:1 and the appropriate fuel injection, intake, exhaust, and engine management systems, the result is 50 more horsepower than in the 328i.

That horsepower rating is deceptive, though, because the engine's greatest advantage actually lies in torque production. The M3's peak horsepower rating occurs at a relatively high 6000 rpm, 700 rpm higher than the 328i's peak, but the maximum 236 pound-feet of torque are available at only 3800 rpm. That's 150 rpm lower than the 328i's 206-pound-foot torque zenith. Basically, whatever gear the M3 is in, or wherever in the rev band the engine is turning, there's always a glut of grunt available.

Behind that torrent of twist, BMW mounts either of two ZF five-speed transmissions: a sublime-shifting manual or a superb automatic. Our test car had the manual, giving it a somewhat unfair edge in acceleration over the automatic-only C36.

The M3's suspension geometry is familiar to anyone who's peeked under any BMW 3 Series coupe or sedan, but it's optimized by the M Division with specific springs, shocks, and anti-roll bars. Also, unlike other 3 Series, the M car gets a variable-rate power assist on its rack-and-pinion steering system, which has a slower ratio at parking-lot speeds and a much quicker ratio when the car is romping. Braking is the responsibility of giant 12.4-inch front and 12.3-inch rear vented discs with ABS.


Sharing shoe size, the M3 and C36 both wear 225/45ZR17 front and 245/40ZR17 rear tires on 17x7.5-inch front and 17x8.5-inch rear wheels. The M3's tires are Michelin Pilot SXs, while the C36 sports Bridgestone Expedias.

To create the C36, Mercedes conspired with famed tuner AMG, a firm that recently has evolved into Benz's practical equivalent to BMW's M Division. Based on the C-Class sedan introduced in '95, the C36 represents the first time Mercedes has sold a vehicle explicitly modified by an outside firm as its own. It won't be the last, however; soon the E50 version of the E-Class sedan will appear on these shores. If you want a C36, hurry; only 200 will be imported this year, and the company swears there will be no '98 version.

The C36's engine has only 1.1 millimeter extra bore diameter than the 2.8-liter DOHC 24-valve C280 six it's based on, but the crank's stroke is a daunting 18.9 millimeters longer. Along with that increase, AMG bumps the compression up half a point to 10.5:1, calibrates the electronics to work with more-aggressive camshafts, and throws on a freer-flowing exhaust. That results in 3.6 liters, a full 454 cubic centimeters more displacement than the M3 engine offers. That advantage works out to 276 horsepower at 5750 rpm-82 more than a C280 and 36 more than the M3. It's also eight more horsepower than was claimed for the C36 upon its introduction two years ago.

The only transmission offered with the C36 is a five-speed automatic, which, using the traditional Mercedes gated shifter, is very effective when shifted manually.

Fortification of the C-Class chassis was accomplished with careful raiding of the AMG and Mercedes parts bins. For example, the AMG "Monoblock" wheel design is also used on the SL500 (albeit in an 18-inch diameter), and the mammoth 12.6-inch front and 10.9-inch rear vented disc brakes were scavenged from the 905-pound-heavier SL600 V-12 roadster. The basic C-Class suspension design remains unaltered, though equipped with much stiffer springs and shocks and specific-diameter anti-roll bars. The C36's recirculating-ball steering's 13.3:1 ratio is much quicker than the C280 Sport's 15.4:1 gearing.

Slide into the M3, and the car seems to wrap around you. The dash and cowl feel high, while the aggressively contoured bolsters of the M-spec seats almost embrace you. Climb into the C36, and you feel as if you're in a much larger car. Although the C36 is just 0.8 inch wider, 2.9 inches longer overall, and the wheelbase is actually 0.4 inch shorter than the M3's, you feel as if it were closer in size to a BMW 5 Series. The C36's dash sits lower, the glass area seems greater, and the driver sits atop, rather than in, the splendidly comfortable seat. It's a question of mood: The M3 feels aggressive and ready to pounce, the C36 confident and in command for a long bout. It's the difference between being outfitted for guerrilla warfare or an open-field tank battle.

Attractive as both interiors are-with their supple leathers, upholstery detail, and subtle logos reminding occupants of the specialness of the vehicles they're in-all is not perfect. In the M3, there's no adjustment available for the steering wheel, and the shallow center-console cupholder looks like an afterthought more appropriate for a conversion van. On the C36, the door armrests and center console are formed from a rigid plastic lacking the tactile sophistication that should be taken for granted on any car this expensive.

The C36 may feel bigger, but the interior dimensions provided by each manufacturer indicate that the difference in accommodations is minimal. BMW claims 41.1 inches of front and 34.0 inches of rear legroom in the M3, while Mercedes asserts there is 41.5 and 32.8 available in the C36. When it comes to really packing people in-and that's the essence of a four-door's talents-the contest is a draw.



To get the maximum performance from either car, it's first necessary to turn off the traction control. Fortunately, that's possible. Unfortunately, there's no way to program either system not to reengage every time the car is started. When on, both systems are unobtrusive and reassuring during day-to-day motoring, yet prove to be absolute fun-robbers in aggressive driving.

When the traction control is turned off, each car displays a big orange triangle warning light on the dash indicating that, while the manufacturer appreciates you're an adult responsible enough to afford the car, you must be nuts to do what you have in mind. If the C36's warning light were any more obnoxious, it would auto-dial the suicide prevention hot-line on the cell phone. What makes this all so bizarre is how perfectly mannered both cars are without traction control-among the least likely vehicles to betray a driver.

It takes a bit of delicacy to obtain the fastest dragstrip launch from either car (a bit more with the manual transmission in the M3), but both are massively rapid. The 3175-pound M3 takes just 5.5 seconds to reach 60 mph, while the 3550-pound C36 does the trick in 5.9. BMW claims the automatic-equipped M3 sedan takes 0.8 second longer to 60 than its manual brother, which would leave it slightly behind the C36. Pull up to a new Z28 in either car, and it'll be the drivers' relative skill that determines the winner of a stoplight drag. The BMW shows its power best coming off a corner when its heady torque insanely rockets the car from any apex. By contrast, the C36 shines brightest when the driver pounds the accelerator while cruising at about 70 mph; once the transmission kicks down, the car's acceleration to 120 is breathtaking. Top speed won't separate the two, as both are electronically limited to 155 mph.

In ultimate handling, the M3 has the clear advantage. The BMW's 69.4-mph eruption through MT's 600-foot slalom has been surpassed only by the Ferrari F355, Porsche 911 Turbo, and Dodge Viper GTS among all current production cars. That's impressive company, and what's more amazing is that the M3's steering response may be the best of the bunch. Matching that dynamic performance are awesome brakes (60-0 mph in 113 feet). Around a tight road course, the M3 could well be the quickest production four-door ever.

Still, the C36 is no handling slouch; its 66.5-mph slalom speed betters some normally aspirated 911s we've tested, and its suspension isn't quite so harsh in normal driving. While the BMW beats the Mercedes' 114-foot 60-0-mph stopping distance by a foot, the C36's 28-foot 0-30 anchorage is that foot better than the M3. As good as the C36's steering is, however, it can't match the M3 for precision feel.

The C36's more compliant suspension combines with more efficacious gearing to make the car a superior cruiser. At about 70 mph, the M3's 1.00:1 fifth and 3.23:1 final-drive ratio have the engine turning well over 3000 rpm, and the drone is noticeable. The C36's 0.83:1 fifth-gear overdrive and 3.07:1 rearend make for a more relaxed 2550 rpm at the same 60 mph.

The M3's barely compromised prowess has its allure, and so do the C36's longer, more compliant legs. But ultimately the victory here must go to the M3 for one simple reason: price. Every C36 comes loaded with power seats, a moonroof, cruise control, a Bose stereo that could be used to shout propaganda into North Korea, and a $51,925 base price. By the time options like an integrated cell phone, CD changer, adjustable steering column, and destination charges were added, the test car had earned a $57,260 sticker. That's up there with the larger, incredibly attractive E420 Sport and 540i six-speed.

In contrast, the M3 sedan starts at a much lower $39,280 without a sunroof, power seats, cruise, or a lot of things. But even with options to match the C36, it's still a full Honda Civic DX cheaper. And in the realm of performance cars, that makes it one of the great bargains out there. No matter how many doors it has.

Tech Data

GENERAL
	BMW	Mercedes-Benz
	M3 Sedan	C36
Importer	BMW of North	Mercedes-Benz of
	America, Inc,	North America, Inc.,
	Woodcliff Lake, N.J.	Montvale, N.J.
Body style	4-door, 5-passenger	4-door, 5-passenger
Location of final assembly	Munich, Germany	Afalterbach, Germany
EPA size class	Subcompact	Compact
Drivetrain layout	FE, RD	FE, RD
Airbag	Dual	Dual
Base price	$39,280	$51,925
Price as tested	$39,280	$57,260
Options included	None	Traction control,
		heated seats, $1875;
		CD changer,
		mobile phone, $1495
Ancillary charges	Destination, $570	Destination, $595

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase, in./mm	106.3/2700	105.9/2690
Track, f/r, in./mm	56.0/56.6/1422/1438	58.9/58.2/1497/1478
Length, in./mm	174.5/4432	177.4/4506
Width, in./mm	66.9/1699	67.7/1720
Height, in./mm	53.7/1364	56.1/1425
Ground clearance, in./mm	3.5/89	5.0/127
Mfr’s curb weight, lb	3175	3550
Weight distribution, f/r, %	50/50	55/45
Cargo capacity, cu ft	10.3	11.6
Fuel capacity, gal.	16.4	16.4
Weight/power ratio, lb/hp	13.2	12.9

ENGINE
Type	I-6, liquid cooled,	I-6, liquid cooled,
	cast iron block,	cast iron block,
	cast aluminum head	cast aluminum head
Bore x stroke, in./mm	3.40x3.53/	3.58x3.64/
	86.4x89.6	91.0x92.4
Displacement, ci/cc	192/3152	220/3606
Compression ratio	10.5:1	10.5:1
Valve gear	DOHC,	DOHC,
	4 valves/cylinder	4 valves/cylinder
Fuel/induction system	Multiport injection	Multiport injection
Horsepower, hp @ rpm, SAE net	240 @ 6000	276 @ 5750
Torque, lb @ rpm, SAE net	236 @ 3800	284 @ 4000
Horsepower/liter	76.1	76.5
Redline, rpm	6800	6600
Recommended fuel	Premium unleaded	Premium unleaded

DRIVELINE
Transmission type	5-speed manual	5-speed automatic
Gear ratios
(1st)	4.20:1	3.59:1
(2nd)	2.49:1	2.19:1
(3rd)	1.66:1	1.41:1
(4th)	1.24:1	1.00:1
(5th)	1.00:1	0.83:1
Axle ratio	3.23:1	3.07:1
Final-drive ratio	3.23:1	2.55:1
Engine rpm, 60 mph in top gear	2800	2250

CHASSIS
	BMW	Mercedes-Benz
	M3 Sedan	C36
Suspension
Front	MacPherson struts, lower	Upper and lower
	arms, coil springs,	arms, coil springs,
	anti-roll bar	anti-roll bar
Rear	Multilink, coil springs,	5-links, coil springs,
	anti-roll bar	anti-roll bar
Steering	Rack and pinion,	Recirculating ball,
Type	power assist	power assist
Ratio	15.6:1	13.3:1
Turns, lock to lock	3.0	3.0
Turning circle, ft	38.1	37.2
Brakes
Front, type/dia., in.	Vented disc/12.4	Vented disc/12.6
Rear, type/dia., in.	Vented disc/12.3	Vented disc/10.9
Anti-lock	Standard	Standard
Wheels and tires
Wheel size, f/r, in.	17x7.5/17x8.5	17x7.5/17x8.5
Wheel type/material	Forged alloy	Forged aluminum
Tire size, f/r	225/45ZR17/	225/45ZR17/
	245/40ZR17	245/40ZR17
Tire mfr. and model	Michelin Pilot SX	Bridgestone Expedia

INSTRUMENTATION
Instruments	160-mph speedo,	160-mph speedo,
	8000-rpm tach,	7000-rpm tach,
	fuel level, water temp,	fuel level,
	digital clock	coolant temp
Warning lamps	Battery, low fuel,	Low fuel, engine oil,
	check engine,	seatbelt, traction
	brake, brake fluid,	control, front brake-
	airbag, seatbelts,	pad wear, coolant,
	brake pressure, ABS	washer fluid, ABS,
		engine electronics

Fábio, muito bacana o post!

Futuramente, tente fazer uma pequena resenha do artigo em Português.

Uma de nossa tarefas é justamente trazer para a nossa língua a infinidade de informações sobre Mercedes-Benz em outras línguas, notadamente, as em Alemão, as mais numerosas e completas.

Agradecemos sua colaboração e compreensão;

Atenciosamente;

Equipe FMBB

BMW e seus câmbios manuais. Credo.

"BMW mounts either of two ZF five-speed transmissions: a sublime-shifting manual or a superb automatic"

"BMW monta uma das duas transmissões ZF cinco marchas, a sublime manual ou a soberba automática", o artigo elogia as transmissões, afinal, BMW é uma concorrente da Mercedes de muito brilho, teria sim uma BMW se eu tivesse condições

BMW é muito boa, só que gosta de câmbio manual.
O que a MB faz com automático a BMW faz de manual e chama de esportividade.
É o caso da M3 e C AMG novas.
ZF faz câmbios bons, mas a Mercedes faz os melhores.

"mas a Mercedes faz os melhores"

concordo, pq de acordo com profissionais de centros automotivos de SP, além da caixa de transmissão, tb a caixa de direção é superior em qualidade na comparação com a BMW

o que me impressiona, é que uma MB com mais de 10 anos de uso ainda se encontra em estado bom p/ ótimo e com manutenção correta reage como um carro novo, a BMW já não envelhece com essa dignidade, se é assim que posso falar

eu sempre gostei de Bimmers (tive uma série 6 antiga), mas depois que adquiri uma MB, me convenci e entendi qdo dizem que "Mercedes é Mercedes"

Eu sou suspeito pra falar mal de bmw 8)

Tenho uma a 6 anos 8)

Levei meu cotó (Classe A) para a revisão recentemente na Detroit (oficina multimarcas aqui em BH) e me disseram que a BMW é melhor que a Mercedes apenas na parte eletrônica, mas a parte mecânica não tem como comparar, Mercedes é bem mais durável.
De acordo com eles o problema que tem ocorrido na maioria dos modelos da Mercedes é o chicote elétrico que passa muito perto de peças quentes, causando um ressecamento prematuro dos fios, e essa passagem dis cabos da BWM é feita de uma forma mais "eficiente".
Me disseram que tem como criar uma nova passagem para os cabos para a Mercedes, mas tem que ser feito um novo chicote.
Sinceramente não sei o que pensar sobre este problema do chicote, sempre soube que a Classe C na carroceria W202 teve uma época em que ocorreram muitos problemas com chicote, mas é difícil de pensar que carros que custam na faixa de 85.000,00 (Classe B) ainda terem esse tipo de problema.
Um abraço a todos.

Por onde anda o Fabio?

O cambio SMG sequencial das BM são fantásticos, carro esportivo tem que ter cambio manual ou pelo menos um sequencial verdadeiroa,não caixa auto com typtronic.....

Erick, o problema do chicote nas Mercedes não tem nada a ver com isso que lhe foi falado... O problema mesmo é devido a "capa" de plástico dos fios ter sido feita na época pela Mercedes com plástico ecológico que com o tempo resseca e fica quebradiço, mas isto ocorreu somente na década de 90 , os mercedes atuais não tem mais este problema.... É claro que o calor tb influencia, mas, o drama maior foi a qualidade do plástico dos fios... Tanto que refazendo os chicotes com os modelos de fios atuais, o problema não ocorre mais...

Maluhy,

Pensando no prazer de dirigir tem que ser manual mesmo, agora se for para o cidadão ser "o piloto", pode ser esses de ultima geração que até punta tacco fazem antes de uma curva hehehe

Isso mesmo,carro para bundão dizer que sabe pilotar ,hehehehehee,qdo me olham dirigindo carro auto usando o pé esquerdo para freiar arregalam os olhos,essa turma criada jogando bolinha de gude em carpete e soltando pipa com ventilador é ruim de aturar,hehehehehehe.......

ahahaha
essa é boa
Quanto as bmw eu simplesmente não gosto. não compraria uma mesmo sabendo que são carros fantásticos, só que " não pintou um clima entre a gente".
Não sou um piloto mas prefiro mesmo um cambio automático que é pra não me dar trabalho pra dirigir ehehehe

PS. essa da bolinha de gude em carpete foi fantástica não conhecia até porque eu jogava na terra mesmo

Abraços