2002 Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG and SLK32 AMG

A pair of wicked runners from the performance office.


Until now, AMG has always worked on the theory that the bigger the number the more powerful and faster the car. The new C32 is the exception to the rule at the performance division of Mercedes-Benz. First came AMG's C36, followed by the C43, and now we have the C32, the hot-rod version of Mercedes' new C-class. Don't let the lesser number confuse you into thinking AMG has gone soft. The implication that the new C32 is somehow inferior to the C43 can be dismissed right now. It's a sensitive issue, one that's directly responsible for AMG's adding an oversized V-6 Kompressor badge to the flanks. The theory being that a V-6 plus a supercharger elevates the C32 beyond the V-8 powered C43 to bring real street credibility to Mercedes' latest supersedan. The badges are totally out of character with the C32's discreet appearance. Leave the performance to do the talking, which is far more convincing, as the C32 is a compelling orator.


The SLK32 AMG, meanwhile, suffers no such integrity problems, despite wearing identical model tags. This is AMG's rival to Porsche's Boxster S and BMW's M roadster. Seriously. The SLK gets the same supercharged 349-hp engine, which amounts to 99 more horsepower than is found in the Porsche. Both the C32 and the SLK32 should arrive in the U.S. in September. Much about AMG's new C-class muscle car is outstanding, nothing more so than its effortless ability to close in on the horizon. In acceleration, driver appeal, and refinement, the decathlete C32 blows away the C43--and not just by 10ths of a second, but in a quantum leap in performance. On grippy tarmac, AMG claims the C32 can accelerate to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.2 seconds, 1.3 seconds quicker than the C43 and 0.5 second faster than the mighty E55 AMG sedan.

Superior aerodynamics and top-end power mean the difference just increases as speeds rise. Times to 125 mph are important marketing tools in Germany, and AMG says its C32 will do it in 18.6 seconds, 1.5 seconds ahead of the C43, despite weighing about 140 pounds heavier at 3450 pounds. You'll also want to know that its time to 62 mph exactly matches BMW's claim for the new M3. This on midgrade fuel, not the more expensive premium gas BMW recommends. Powering its way to the electronically limited top speed of 155 mph, the C32 slips swiftly from fourth to fifth at 149 mph and charges forward without any tangible let up in the way the driver is pushed back into the seat. This is, by all but supercar standards, blistering performance.


Yet the C32 is a truly comfortable four-door sedan (or wagon, although only the sedan will be exported to the U.S.), with an automatic transmission and room for four adults. Toss out the computer chip that restricts its top speed (something AMG does quietly for customers who insist on running with 911s on the autobahns), and the C32 tops out at 175 mph. Change the final drive, as some clients demand, and the engineers whisper that it's closer to 190 mph. Whereas the C43 relied on cubic inches for its grunt, the C32 relies on the heavy breathing induced by a belt-driven supercharger. AMG cites the advantages of a more compact engine that allows better weight distribution and, because it's shorter, improved behavior in a crash.

The supercharger (a Japanese IHI helical unit rather than the Roots type employed on Mercedes' four-cylinder Kompressor engines) only operates when the driver demands acceleration, and then at a pressure of up to 14.5 psi. Its seamless operation means you're never aware of its cutting in, only of instant power from just a few hundred rpm above idle. Contrary to its on-paper spec--peak torque of 332 pound-feet at a high 4400 rpm--which suggests the V-6 is a screamer, the supercharger delivers at least 295 pound-feet of torque all the way from 2200 rpm to 6100 rpm. And it has not been achieved simply by mounting the supercharger on Mercedes' 3.2-liter V-6. A new crankshaft, new con rods and pistons, an oil pump with a 70-percent increased capacity, lightweight camshafts, and harder valve springs mean the V-6 now spins to 6200 rpm, an increase of 200 rpm. Ceramic thin-wall catalytic converters reduce back pressure and emissions and help boost output to an impressive 349 horsepower at 6100 rpm, 47 more than the C43 made, and 134 up on the C320. Mercedes builds the C32 in its Bremen plant, but each AMG engine is still a hand-assembled source of pride.

Lift the C32's hood, and no longer is the engine hidden beneath a stylized black plastic cover, now the Mercedes norm. The cast alloy induction covers, with the supercharger sitting neatly between the banks of cylinders, demonstrate that AMG understands the visual appeal of an exciting engine. It sounds exciting, too. The mechanical hum of the compressor struggles to match the booming exhaust when the right foot is planted. This V-6 also sounds smoother and more relaxed than Mercedes' gruff four-cylinder supercharged engines, and since the C32 inherits the new C-class's ability to slip through the air quietly, it's a great long-distance cruiser with a range of about 350 miles, provided you can cope with the constant whir from the tires. The mildly disguised C32--no flared wheel arches here--sits 1.2 inches lower over new twin-spoke AMG wheels and 17-inch rubber. Only those horrid badges, twin oval exhaust pipes, and discreet nose spoiler and side skirts give the game away, and even these can be deleted if desired. The C32 is luxuriously equipped with plenty of rich leather and aluminum rather than wood trim.

True to the philosophy at AMG, the C32 and the SLK32 ignore the current trend in Europe toward automatically shifted manual transmissions in favor of Mercedes' five-speed automatic. AMG has tweaked the shift program to speed up gearchanges by 35 percent, introduced mechanical torque-converter lockup from second gear, and added a degree of intelligence to the transmission's brain. It works brilliantly and plays a crucial role in enhancing a more sporting character. The so-called Speedshift auto drops down a ratio, even two, in hard braking; it holds onto gears through corners, even when the throttle is feathered, and always seems to pick up the ideal ratio to maximize performance.

You can still tap the selector sideways to change gears manually, but so intuitive is the gearbox that this quickly becomes redundant. The changes aren't quite Mercedes-seamless, but their speed (faster than the best manual, according to AMG) mates perfectly with the engine's dynamic personality. Or it can be as gentle and easy to drive as any Mercedes automatic. But the automatic-pilot feeling disappears if you punch the ESP (electronic stability program) switch. You want to play, the C32 obliges, instantly converting into a power-oversteering, tire-shredding brute. It's a momentary phase, quickly replaced by a sense of throttle-controlled adjustability coupled with real steering agility and bite on initial turn-in.


The C32's reactions at the limit are measured, predictable, confident. Introduce the ESP to the equation, and the handling is tidy and quick, although the natural tendency to mild understeer can't be avoided. It's so casually quick, the ability to sustain speed is deceptive. There's massive grip on dry and wet roads, yet it copes easily with midcorner bumps. The ride, helped by the highly adjustable comfort of the heavily bolstered bucket seats, is firm but never as taut as in an M3. Massive cross-drilled and vented front discs offer immense stopping power.

AMG quotes the same 0-to-62-mph time of 5.2 seconds for the SLK32, despite the sports car's being 300 pounds lighter than the C32. Turns out it's entirely up to the driver's skill in controlling the wheelspin. In fact, AMG says sub-5.0-second times to 60 mph are the norm. In the two-seater, the V-6 is more vocal and the antiquated recirculating-ball steering feels less fluent, in part because the steering wheel itself is so big in diameter and the rim so thick. It's more hot rod than the C32, and less coherent and balanced than a Boxster S, yet even quicker in a straight line. That small lip added to the trunklid reduces lift by 50 percent and makes a discernible difference to high-speed stability. But the SLK is beginning to show its age in the interior and in a ride that lacks the quality of the new C-class chassis. Inevitably, the C32 faces a shootout with the M3. But in reality, the AMG is a different animal, less narrow in its sporting focus, yet still combining sledgehammer performance with relaxed handling, cultured comfort, and practicality. All in one.


Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
More From First Drives

Join the Conversation