Benz Faqs

The C32 AMG joins the CLK55, SLK32, E55, S55, CL55 and the ML55 in the AMG stable. AMG, Mercedes’ in-house tuning division, is given the mission to expand the performance envelope of Mercedes products while still providing high levels of technology, refinement and luxury. It is based in Affalterbach (near Stuttgart) and has responsibility for all its own development processes relating to engines, drivetrain, suspension, brakes, aerodynamics, interior and design.

With its $51,635 starting price, the C32 is the least expensive 2002 AMG product. It’s also, for the first time in high-performance C-Class history, a true match to its nemesis, the BMW M3. And while we didn’t have an M3 around for direct comparison, we’re confident in saying that the new C32 has several advantages over the M3.

On the outside, the C32 subtly notifies other drivers about its potential. The front features an aggressively styled chin with a lower mesh grille and foglights, while the rear and sides get extra aerodynamic add-ons. The trunk lid is marked with AMG and C32 badges, and there’s also a V6 Kompressor badge on the front left fender. Most striking are the 17-inch AMG twin-spoke wheels, a welcome stylistic change from the more typical Monoblock AMG wheels.

To find out what the C32 is really about, you’ll need to look under the hood. During the production run of the previous C-Class generation, there were two performance models the C36 and the C43 (AMG products are traditionally given only two numerals, as opposed to a standard Mercedes vehicle’s three). Despite having less engine displacement and two fewer cylinders than the V8-powered C43, the new C32 is a step up in terms of power.

The usual Mercedes black plastic engine shroud has been removed, revealing a compact 18-valve 3.2-liter V6 like the C320’s. But that is where the similarity ends. Snuggled up between the two cylinder banks is a belt-driven supercharger. Thanks to this hot-rodding piece of hardware, the C32’s engine makes numbers even a Corvette owner would be impressed by. At 6,100 rpm (also the vehicle’s redline), the C32 produces 349 hp. There’s also plenty of grunt; a healthy 332-lb-ft wallop of torque is produced at 4,400 rpm.

The C32 is quite good at embarrassing unsuspecting (or even suspecting) sports car owners. Stand on the throttle from a stop, and the car launches quicker than an Internet rumor about Jennifer Lopez’s sex life. There’s no waiting or windup; the car simply goes. With so much power available, the rear tires frequently lose grip even when the front wheels are pointed straight. This causes the stern traction control system to step in and squash the wheelspin party.

Turning off the traction control nets the best acceleration times. We recorded a 0-to-60-mph time of 5.4 seconds, and the quarter-mile was passed in 13.8 seconds at 105.4 mph. This isn’t as fast as Mercedes’ claimed 4.9-second 0-to-60 figure.

After some analysis, we think the C32 should be capable of that time; the similarly powered SLK32 we tested posted a 4.8 second 0-to-60, as well as a quarter-mile time of 13.3 seconds at 105.4 mph. As the C32 and SLK32’s miles-per-hour figures are identical (a good indicator of actual horsepower), we’re guessing that the C32’s slower times were due to the poor traction conditions in which we tested.

The C32’s intercooled helical-type supercharger was jointly developed with IHI, a Japanese company known for turbocharger and supercharger applications. Mercedes says the supercharger can generate up to 14 psi of boost pressure, a much higher pressure than most other production supercharged engines make.

The supercharger also features an electromagnetic coupling that allows the supercharger to disengage during partial load conditions. With the supercharger disengaged, the engine operates purely as a normally aspirated engine, thereby reducing fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and noise.

To bolster the V6 for the times when the extra atmosphere of pressure is applied, AMG equips the engine with tougher connecting rods, pistons, valve springs, camshafts and crankshaft. It also lowers the compression ratio to 9.0:1. Thanks to a tuned exhaust system, the V6 produces a deeper and throatier sound. Superchargers typically produce a whining sound, but in this application, AMG has muffled it enough so that most owners won’t notice.

During the development of the C32, Mercedes says it considered a variety of different engines, including a V8. In the end, its engineers found that the supercharged V6 could produce just as much power as the V8 while being more compact, thereby having positive effects on weight distribution and vehicle crash behavior.

No manual transmission is available, but Mercedes has gone to considerable lengths to make this automatic as sporting as possible. Called SpeedShift, it has a lockup clutch for every gear above first, thereby reducing torque converter slip and improving engine response. Gearing is taller than in the normal C-Class, but the C32 is still quite capable of running smack into its electronic 155-mph speed limiter. (We’ve heard a rumor indicating that AMG discreetly removes the limiter for customers in Germany looking for extra thrust to dust off Porsche 911s. The result is a top speed of more than 170 mph.)

The transmission also has a number of programming features not found on other Mercedes’ automatics. For example, if the driver brakes aggressively, the transmission will automatically execute a downshift useful before taking a bend in brisk fashion, for example. At a certain level of lateral acceleration, the transmission also maintains the same gear through the entire bend, maximizing chassis stability and allowing the driver to accelerate out of the corner quickly.

Leaving the transmission in drive is perhaps the best option, as the manual mode doesn’t give the driver much more control. The manual mode is selected by bumping the lever to the left or right. Only the tiny and hard-to-read gear indicator on the gauge display tells the driver what gear has been selected. Even if a gear is manually selected, the transmission will automatically shift if redline is reached. We also noticed that attempts at short shifting using the manual mode are futile as the programming assumes the driver wants redline shifts at anything more than half throttle.

When Mercedes redesigned the C-Class for 2001, it paid attention to making the car more sporting, such as changing the steering from recirculating ball to a more precise rack-and-pinion setup. It carries into the C32 unchanged, offering a hefty yet direct feel. It is also responsive, but mid-turn bumps and front tire scrub result in uncomfortable kickback and shudder through the steering column, which gets transmitted directly to the driver’s hands.

For our slalom test, the C32 made it through at 67.4 mph, a bit faster than the M3 we tested. Braking is handled by vented and cross-drilled front and rear discs, which measure 13.6 and 11.8 inches, respectively. Pedal feel is progressive, and repeated hammering has no negative affect on stopping ability. Equipped with ABS and Brake Assist, the C32 can stop from 60 mph in 118 feet.

In the more normal situations of highway driving or mindless urban rush-hour(s) slog, AMG’s baby sedan manages to provide a fairly comfortable ride. Minor road abrasions are soaked up, though the C32 impacts harshly on more menacing obstructions like potholes or railroad tracks. Overall, it’s a good compromise, and the C32 is certainly capable of being used as a daily commuter. One problem: There’s no spare tire. In its place, Mercedes provides a tire-inflator kit.

Order a couple of options, and the C32 ends up being a mid-to-upper 50s sport sedan. This is expensive compared to a Honda Civic, but still quite affordable when other Mercedes go-fast products are considered. An E55 or S55 are at least $20,000 more. For the budget-minded Mercedes sport sedan buyer, the C32 is the car to get.

This could also be the case when the Audi S4 and BMW M3 are considered. The 2002 S4, riding on the previous-generation A4 platform and making only 250 hp, is rendered ineffective just two years after its debut. And the M3? This is the standard-bearer, yet the C32 manages to match it in acceleration, handling and ability to collect speeding tickets. The differences lie in the details.

The C32 holds an advantage in versatility thanks to its four doors and automatic transmission. Those who don’t want to shift themselves could order BMW’s new-for-2002 sequential manual transmission, but we don’t expect it to be as smooth as the C32’s SpeedShift. What the M3 does offer is a more intimate connection to the driver. It’s sharper, more sporting and more race-bred. The C32 seeks to disconnect its occupants from the world; the M3 welcomes them to it.