C 63 AMG versus M3 Sedan
Perhaps no other segment better expresses decades-long battle between the BMW M and Mercedes-AMG than the small luxury sedan/coupe segment. For the 2016 model year US customers get to choose between brand new C 63 AMG from Mercedes-Benz and an updated BMW M3.
BMW's age is more evident when we look at the spec numbers. Base C 63 AMG has 469 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, which is significantly higher than 425 hp and 406 lb-ft you'd get from the M3. Reason for such dissemblance comes from Benz's larger engine, a 4.0-liter V8 twin-turbo, and when tuned properly it manages to produce 34 more hp and 37 lb-ft of torque more than the standard C 63 and comes under C 63 S badge.
Both sport sedans are offered with rear wheel drive system and have 7-speed automatic transmissions. On the paper C 63 is one tenth of a second faster than M3's 0-60 mph sprint time.
BMW M3 is about an inch wider - not counting the mirrors - and four inches shorter than the Benz, and both vehicles having approximate the same height. Narrower body of C 63 AMG expresses more inside the cabin where front seats get three inches less head room, which is rather disappointing considering the freshness of the car.
The non-S version of C63 AMG starts from $65,250, and you can get an S version from $73,250, which are at least $1750 more than M3 Sedan's $63,500 msrp.