Top Gear: 2008 BMW M3, Mercedes C 63 AMG and Audi RS4

awesome episode... i love when may shows up with the crappy RS4

— Catsmeow (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 11:29:31 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

Wow. You are a car enthusiast right?

— lewishamiltonpimp (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 7:47:00 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

The RS4 is crappy? Where on Earth have you been hiding?

The RS4 is one of the best sedan ever made, and is unanimously heralded by all journalists all over the world.

— investor27 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 12:39:40 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

You have never seen these guys before? Where have you been? Outer Space?

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 12:42:39 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

Enjoyed last night's alot, one of the best episodes so far. And ALL 3 are stunning vehicles with different advantages and disadvantages.

Either way, you get a great car.

— Czelinski (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 1:44:18 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

The current generation M3 won out of the three. However, all the critics have stated that they preferred the last generation M3 and M3 CLS over the current one.

— investor27 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 1:54:32 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

M3,fastest around track, balanced,surgical handling...original recipe. #1

— carE10 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 1:57:23 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

BMW does it again! :) All great cars imo, buy any of them and you ll be happy!

— M53R (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 2:00:45 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 8   

Great cars!! You know, I wonder how the M3 4door sedan will perform with it's steel roof (it's not carbon fibre) and 2 extra doors with electric windows and door airbags. That may reduce the weight advantage of 400lbs or so it has over the C63. But wow, 2min 43.3 mins for the C63 to about 2min 28+ sec for the M3!!

— BFABS (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 2:33:04 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Sorry, I wrote 2min and 28+ sec instead of 2mins and 38+ secs

— BFABS (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 2:34:32 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

you just broke the cock o meter

— Hwany (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 5:41:10 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

I would never buy any one of these cars based on how fast it goes around a track.

I would buy the car that I look the coolest in ;-)

— EL34 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 2:47:57 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -7   

All 3 are great! You just can't go wrong with any of them.

— AUTO_UNION (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 3:33:23 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

Stuffing a big engine into a small car has worked wonders for the C63 AMG. I can't wait until the AMG boys romp the M3 with even better dynamics nex time around because AMG obviously knows how to make huge straight line performance from their cars already

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 4:29:28 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -18   

entertaining review
M3=sublime

— BMWAG (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 4:29:41 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

The Audi had spectacular performance given it is much older than both the BMW and Mercedes rivals.

Not for long though....Quattro GmbH is bust developing not one, but two RS cars that will surely put the M3 back in second place.

The new B8 RS4 will be an even better car in terms of driving dynamics with added power of course.

The RS5 will have significantly more horsepower than the BMW M3 and as we already know, even better dynamics than the RS4.

BMW is doing well though trying to one-up Audi after they fall behind when the new RS models are launched.

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 4:32:03 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -9   

Even thought the Audi RS4 is older than the NEW M3 and C-class AMG63, it still look the best. I think it look really aggresive and sporty compare to the the other two.

The NEW M3, design got softer compare to the last gen and the NEW AMG63 is to ricey up if you know what I mean ;)

— Lexus (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 4:41:15 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2   

I forget to mention, they all have very outstanding performance and handling as well on the track.

— Lexus (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 4:49:19 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

That C63 is bonkers!

I love its insanity, its character.

But they're all great cars. M3 is the orginial. original = the best

— SevorbeupstryIsBack (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 5:43:46 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

Give me the C63 anyday. I think it looks better and I love the engine.
T

— TauronB2G (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 5:54:57 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

All three are great cars and all three maintain their philisophical differences in what makes a great sports sedan.The Mercedes has great power,which goes back to original 6.3 of stuffing a big engine into a mainstream sedan. The BMW M3 continues the the tradition of the ultimate driving machine,even if it is a little softer then previous version.The Audi also continues the tradition of AWD perfromance in the vain of the original Audi Quattro coupe from 1980. So they are all winners. It gets down to personal taste. For me It's a choice between the M3 and the RS.

— mini22 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 8:01:56 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

Okay, so all three are fantastic cars, I think most would agree. Based on a number of sources, it seems the M3 is the better track car, but I were buying a track car for $65k I'd get the Exige S 240. The RS4 seems a practical choice for the North East, given the quattro, and C63 seems the most fun for flooring it on the highway, but would you change your 2007 Cayman S for one of these? Maybe wait for the RS5?

— bitschaser (View Profile)

Posted on 12/24/2007 11:37:52 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

I seen some spyshots for it in WCF , I think !

— alsarea3 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/25/2007 1:15:29 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Do any of you think that the IS-F could keep up with them?

— 528i (View Profile)

Posted on 12/25/2007 2:28:49 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

LOL! Absolutely hilarious!

— weaponX (View Profile)

Posted on 12/25/2007 2:30:31 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Oh Yeah... Where's the IS-F?

— LexSucks (View Profile)

Posted on 12/25/2007 4:55:23 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

what an idiot. Audi is changing their RS strategy and releasing their RS models within two years of the new model being released instead of the current four years.

We will see Audi RS models for double , if not triple the amount of time that we see them now. Production is also going to be increased greatly.

Audi will no longer just sell one RS model at a time. The RS6 will be out when the B8 RS4 is also being sold. The B8 RS4 will be sold when the RS5 is being sold also.

What spectacular performance from the 7 year old Audi RS4. The RS4 was built on a platform that dates back to 2000. Meanwhile the BMW is based on a 2003 platform and the Mercedes C63 AMG on a one year old platform.

Continue the great work Audi....

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 12/25/2007 11:22:49 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

Sales up 9% from 2006. My god Audi is ripping through the roof with their annual sales growth.

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 12/25/2007 11:23:56 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -5   

All depends on how and where you drive. If you need awd for frequent slippery conditions, or don't need the "thrill" of throwing your car through the bends, the RS4 is a no-brainer. If your commute is mostly highway and you can live with rear wheel drive thunder, then the merc rules. To choose the M3 you have to keep the revs up, close to the 8400rpm redline to maximize torque and hp, so if you can stay "up" and aggressive, this is your car. These three cars have such different characteristics. No one is a loser here!

— strafe1 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/26/2007 1:05:39 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Lexus and amazinBimmer don't recognize good cars when they see them. And Lexus (the manufacturer) has been building only luxury vehicles to this point and is only now entering a car into this category for legitimate consideration and comparison (it won't perform better than these three)(LF-A will be in a different category). Lexus' rants amount to only background noise in this discussion, and require no further attention or debate. And amazinBimmer embarrasses german car lovers and BMW afficionados by his lack of respect for other quality sports cars. He belongs in a bimmer-only discussion group where reality is only in THEIR minds.

— strafe1 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/26/2007 1:22:59 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

C63 is the best.

— c36amg (View Profile)

Posted on 12/26/2007 10:14:36 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

LOL, amazinMoron. You must be feeling a little worried about Audi's onslaught of amazing high-performance vehicles that will surely thrash the BMW Ms any day.

The next generation B8 RS4 is little more than a year away. The RS5 is going to have much more horsepower and torque than the M3 and it will be lighter than the RS4.

The RS6 is already packing 100 more horsepower than the BMW M5 and the RS6 sedan has already been unofficially tested at 0-60 in 3.6 seconds on the Nurburgring.

The R8 V10 should win some more comparisons against the Porsche 911 Turbo.

Audi is not only a formidable competitor for BMW, but the RS lineup continues to consistently put the BMW M3, M5, M6 and soon Z4M roadster and M coupe (from the TT-S and TT-RS) in second place where they belong.

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 12/26/2007 11:29:19 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -2   

rich people....don't flatter yourself too much amazinBimmer. After all, it is no secret that Audi owners are on average wealthier than their BMW counteparts.

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 12/26/2007 11:30:52 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

great videos.

— 1995e34 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/26/2007 12:08:57 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

All three have an excelent performance and hight tech. For the people that think that the AMG 6.2 is just a big engine and that's why is so good: it’s a high-revving and torquey powerplant and, despite the capacity, it weighs in at 199kg, compared to the 202kg M3’s four-litre. Magnesium intake manifolds, an aluminium crank case and other high tech materials help the cause, and the engine also comes with coated cylinders and can regulate its own fuel pressure from 3.8 to 5 bar, that's a cool engine to me.

— Yonder7 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/26/2007 2:03:38 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

Kinger you're the one who is full of it.

What surprises does BMW have in their pipeline to challenge the 580 horsepower twin-turbo V10 RS6????

The twin-turbo V10 M5 will not make it to production.


That is what I thought......

Same goes for the 480 horsepower RS5 against the M3.

How about the R8 both in V8 and V10 form. Who created the mid-engine exotic category at just over $100K.....

Look at how competitive such an old (7 years) Audi RS4 can compete with the literally one year old platform based C63 AMG and 3 year old BMW 3-series platform

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 12/26/2007 2:20:07 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -3   

I think that many of you guys are immature and are looking for attention... Can't you guys just praise the cars for what they are?

Also, you BMW fanatics, get into an Audi or a Merc, and its not what you think. Audi fanatics, BMWs and Mercs are great cars. Same goes for Merc fanatics. BMWs and Audis are superbly built.

— ThierryHenry14 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/26/2007 5:42:24 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

amazinBimmoron: Define, Philosophy, then you will understand that all those cars are great or weak in other areas. Finaly everything is up to the personal options, You prefer a high reving high tech engine, I prefer a High tech powerfull engine (lighter than the M3), other will prefer 4 wheel drive, nothing wrong but of course diferent behaivior. M3= agile, but weak torsion and slow acceleration, C63= unbeatable Speed, but more inertia against it, RS4= Wonderful fool proof driving, but to complex. You decide, mine is C63 but all the others have thigs that I wish, i.e. I prefer the sound of the M3 engine (for me is the best sound), but style looks soft and female to me (almost clk coupe), RS4 4wd and the beautiful interior. Only GOD can talk in absolut terms.

— Yonder7 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 9:38:11 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

doesn't the video show what would happen if you have all three cars in a race series? The m3 will win if you strip them all out to make them into race cars. It just shows that the power and handling dynamics of the m3 makes it the fastest car on the track given a really good driver is behind the wheel

— validus00 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 10:40:08 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Answer me this amazinIdiot: If Audi does not compete with BMW, or always loses to BMW, why then is BMW attempting to create a twin-turbo BMW M5?

RS models are limited edition in the first place because first, they hold their value better than their respective BMW M product and obviously the dime a dozen Mercedes AMG offering in the same class.

Second, Audi does not want to create mass-produced high-performance models. If high-performance is one hallmark of a brand, not ever consumer should be allowed to ge their hands on such a product.

Audi can easily mass produce their RS models and sell every single one of them. Just look at the R8 for proof. Audi is only building 3,000 of them per year and there is already a two year waiting list. Audi could easily quadruple production to 12,000 units per year and even then, every single R8 would be sold out.

Same goes for the RS4 and RS6.

M5 CSL? Smoking crack there amazinIdiot. C'mon we all know no car company would ever produce a light-weight, bare-bones, stripped version of a MID-SIZE performance sedan. There is no market for it. People would just get the M3 CSL instead.

To match the M3 CSL will be Audi's RS5.

You know you are incorrect amazinMoron when you say: It doesn't change the fact that the bimmer wins handily. eveytime.

Everytime????? What happened to the Autocar, Autoexpress and various other tests that chose the Audi RS4 over the BMW M3.....

Your completely bias and I can no longer even respond to your fan-boy comments. You fail to appreciate true industry changing feats by your competition such as the Audi R8 and therefore are a waste of time to respond to.

I'm just going to write the opposite of what you say about Audi everytime. Have fun posting because your comments will just be flipped so as to favor Audi.

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 11:19:47 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

amazinBimmer - Talk to any German and most of then will tell you you that the Bimmer rules the tracks, But if you live on the Autobhan.......The AMG is The KING... that's were most of the people spend time...mm..and most of German will tell you that the King of the autobhans is the AMG...why because is better suited for that and all autobhans are almost sraight lines, Not because the M3 is a looser, It was designed for winding roads were Merc will have to slow down (It is good but not designed for that). I would be an stupid if I think that just because the C63 does 3.9 0-60 mph and M3 does 4.4 0-60 mph (car and driver numbers) half second slower, for me does not means that the M3 is a looser, in fact the diferences are so small, that that's why at the end is preferences. If you prefer the tracks, M3 is the best choice due from the very begining the engineering is track performance oriented, even the materials of the car, (engine excluded, good but not enough for this car). The dream car will never reach our Hands: M3 dynamics, supreme suspension and light high tech materials, C63 engine and tank security structure, Audi 4WD performance and great interior.
Even the performance will be tied to the design philosophy. In this league there is no loosers just results that depend on decisions taken by the engineers of each manufacturer. Long life to all Geman Engineers, in the same way that I Admire Japanese Electronics.

— Yonder7 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 12:36:03 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Yes-There are no losers. I'm certain also that the Lexus ISF would compete as well. However,in personality I'm guessing it would be more like the C63 then the M3.But that's the beauty of choice here.

— mini22 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 2:11:03 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Let face it BMW Twin turbo V10.....is not going to happen, That territoy y already owned by Audi and Merc. The only way that BMW will be able to do a good engine with turbos is getting Audi or MB engineers, in the same way that they will need help to improve the suspensions. Also High power engines coming from BMW lately In fact are just Hi reving engines : Example: M3 engine as I said it is samler than the 6.2 AMG however is heavier, Those engines are not up to the challenge because even the V10 of the M5 is a lot heavier than the M3 engine. No torque on those engines. If MB needs more power from the 6.2 which is already more powerful than the v10, 500hp against 525hp, now imagine the AMG with turbos.. HP can reach 750hp and torque will breake any transmision....BMW will have to start from scratch a new engine...and if they need Help with turbos Consult Audi Or MB; high power engines comes from them now. BMW is good on non turbo small engines they need more Homework in high power street engines, If not Audi and MB will continue ruling the segment of High Power Engines and that is not acceptable from a company as BMW.

— Yonder7 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 3:18:40 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

So Audi need MORE POWER to beat BMW. They can't do it with the same power. Thats what germandick is talking about.. right.

— 528i (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 3:40:41 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

The RS4 is not a loser at all. The RS4 was the first car in class to use the high-revving (8,000 rpm redline) V8 with 420 horsepower. It whipped the old M3 in the straights and it also demolished the E46 M3 on the track.

amazinBimmer obviously doesn't understand Audi's young, hip and technologically advanced image so he can't understand their brand power.

Audi uses significantly more power than the BMW due to Quattro AWD you idiot 528i. Quattro AWD adds a lot of weight and reduces acceleration as speed increases. Therefore, in order to makeup for the power loss and increased weight Audi must use more horsepower to match acceleration of their RWD BMW and MB counterparts

The results, however, do not match BMWs, they exceed the BMW results.

Look at the RS4 versus the E46 M3. No E46 M3 could even come close to running a 0-60 in 4.1 seconds or a quarter mile in the mid 12 second range.

Now, the only reason why the BMW M3 is faster over 100 mph than the RS4 is because it is RWD and therefore does not have the weight penalty or parasitic loss of Audi's Quattro AWD system. On the other hand look at the 0-60 for both cars and look at the Ring times for both cars.

The Audi RS4 and BMW M3 have both clocked 0-60 in 4.1 seconds as their fastest times and the RS4 and M3 both have identical 7:58 Nurburgring times as well.

The RS6 will do the same to the M5. With a reported 600 horsepower as the actual figure (the 580 is there for political reasons), not to mention the huge torque advantage and Quattro AWD grip the RS6 is going to defeat the BMW M5 in any acceleration tests up to 100 mph.

Sure once you get to the 150 mph range the BMW will pull ahead, but for legal speeds the Audi RS6 will easily defeat the M5. The RS6 will also be able to match the M5's time on the Ring and will likely exceed it due to its huge torque advantage

P.S. amazinBimmer, I drive a Porsche Boxster S. It handles like a charm. BMW can't even match the razor-sharp feel, the excellent dynamics, and the fun of Porsche.

You obviously though haven't driven an R8.....C'mon why don't you try to bash the Audi R8 and how it is developed by Lamborghini even though Audi is developing the upcoming V10 completely on its own without any sharing from Lamborghini.

I want to see you try to post something negative about the Audi R8. Too bad you can't.....

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 4:28:16 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -1   

Oh yeah amazinIdiot, one more thing. I don't think you realize how everyone else says that all 3 cars are great and they would love to have any of them.

Why don't you think with Audi's amazing product blitz over the next 5 years, that Audi will be able to exceed Mercedes sales???

Audi is launching a new A1 due to the increased size of the A4 to compete with the Mini, an A7 to do battle with the Benz CLS, a Q5 to create a new segment in between the Q3 and Q7, and a Q3 to take on the sorry BMW X3.

You do realize Audi's RS division will obviously create high-performance S and RS versions of the A7 and the Q7 V12 TDI will easily run right over the X5 4.8i.

Stay in your delusional world, while we Audi owners rejoice how we are wealthier than you BMW owners and at the same time can realize how we directly compete with BMW and Mercedes-Benz and will soon pass Mercedes-Benz within the next 6 years as the second best selling brand of premium vehicles worldwide.

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 4:38:40 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

GermanNut - Do you realy belive that 528i and amazinBimmer understood what you told them? a mean, you are talking about engineering they are talking about emotions. Reading your post I undertood why they do not get the point. Emotions won't allow them to have a clear judgment. I will pay more attention when they use engineering and numbers as arguments.

— Yonder7 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 5:01:18 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

amazinBimmer and 528i realize they are outnumbered by people who believe Audi is a great brand with an even greater future ahead.

amazinBimmer uses purely subjective data to back up his point, I use a lot of objective data.

Just like it is subjective that Audi has better exterior and interior design than BMW, and someone else can think otherwise, amazinBimmer's opinion that Audi sucks is purely subjective, while almost a million people around the world drive Audis and obviously feel Audi has something that attracts them to the brand.

amazinIdiot try using objective data to make your posts believable.

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 5:07:52 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

validus I'm talking about on autospies. There are clearly more people who believe Audi is a great brand worthy of praise and is respected by even the Mercedes and BMW lovers on this site.

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 6:26:21 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

S8 failed.....how so? Just because it costs far less than the Alpina B7 and Benz S63 AMG does not mean that the car fails.

The S8 offers incognito styling combined with an exceptional interior and enough gittyup from its 450 horsepower V10 to make it an exceptional value.

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 6:29:57 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

DUD..Audi make great cars with best in class interiors. But they CAN NOT BEAT BMW with the same power. They need to have more HP power to beat them, The R8 is a different story, because its a SUPERCAR and BMW don't have one.

— 528i (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 7:01:07 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Audi will ALWAYS use more power than their BMW counterparts because Audi cars in general are heavier than their BMW counterparts. Then on top of the already heavier weight you add Quattro AWD which adds more weight. The Quattro AWD makes the cars much heavier and causes parasitic drive loss

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 7:21:55 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

BMWs are lighter and RWD therefore they need less horsepower than the heavier, Quattro AWD, parasitic drive loss effected Audis.

Audi compensates by adding significantly more horsepower though, and torque.

— GermanNut (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 7:40:41 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

All 3 are great...........But the BMW M3,is ALL THAT!!!

— bmw4meonly (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 8:26:55 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

At least 528i is getting the point. BMW most of the times are light structures, may be for that reason the coupe and 5 series were rated Marginal in crash test. That's not the case of Audi or Merc. If for to have nible car I have to trade security, definitely I prefer the most strong structure even if that means, more weight.

— Yonder7 (View Profile)

Posted on 12/27/2007 8:28:05 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

I'd take all of them.

— ErichHartmann (View Profile)

Posted on 12/31/2007 9:17:15 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

I own a 2007 Audi RS 4. I could have bought an M3 or an M5, an E63 perhaps -- and now I'm thinking about the new C63.

The problem is, I live in Canada. I don't know about you, but for a good 4 months of the year or so, we have a lot of snow and really poor driving conditions. Every winter, there are a number of days when rear-wheel drive cars and trucks simply cannot navigate well enough through the snow to be safe. I often pass cars and trucks that are soundly stuck in the snow -- but not me. I have owned 4 Audi's with Quattro, and not one has ever become stuck in snow. I have navigated safely and securely in horrific rain storms and never once feared for mine or my family's safety.

No matter how much I like and respect the new M3 and C63, I won't risk my family's safety in bad weather. I want the sportiest and best car that I can afford, but it has to be safe in all driving conditions, not just on the track. In my opinion, and based on my experience, the Audi RS 4 is 95% as sporty and fun to drive as the new M3 and C63. If I lived in a warm climate, I think I would seriously consider the C63. But where I live, my 3rd place RS 4 is without question the best sports car in the world.

Respect.

— Shawn_RS4 (View Profile)

Posted on 1/8/2008 10:56:26 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1