When you think of blistering German performance, the names that come to mind are probably Porsche and BMW.
But what about Mercedes? Its cars are supposed to be the pinnacle of engineering excellence, right? But you'd be hard-pressed to name an Australian-market Merc which could claim to be one of the great performance cars. So now let's bid a warm Aussie welcome to the Mercedes-Benz AMGC36.
With assistance from long-time Mercedes tuner AMG, we now have a car which addresses the major shortcoming of most C class models: lack of oomph (most buyers opt for the C180).
By its own admission, Mercedes isn't planning to sell many C36s - the $154,900 price tag will see to that - so the addition of the punchy little four-door looks like a furtive toe in the water.
The C class image, as it stands, is pretty tame. Not that the C180 is unworthy competition for BMW's 318i, but Mercedes-Benz hasn't enjoyed the performance image BMW has spent so much effort cultivating. The image rub-off potential for the entire C class is not to be underestimated. Another benefit, as any hotrodder knows, is that the C class Benz is small and (for a Mercedes) light. The ideal recipient for a too-big engine krammed with kilowatts and overflowing with Newton metres. The C class, in C280 form, is no stranger to six-cylinder power, but the 36 in 'C36' indicates hundreds of cubic centimetres.
AMG takes block castings from Mercedes and rebores them to 91.0mm. Combined with a new crankshaft lengthening stroke to 92.4mm - this takes displacement from the donor engine's 2.8 litres to 3.6. Compression ratio is upped to 10.5:1 and the engine management software re-written.
The head gets a rework (featuring larger exhaust ports) and AMG fits its own intake camshaft, with lift and duration optimised to spread as much torque as possible over the widest speed range. By the time the elves at AMG are done, power is up a solid 64kW on the 2.8. So let's see some numbers! As rated on European 98 octane unleaded, the C36 develops 206kW at 5750rpm and 350Nm of torque between 4000 and 4750rpm. Our 95 octane premium unleaded drops the output slightly (M-B doesn't quote a figure), to around 200k W - maybe a smidgin more - with torque down to 340Nm or so.
Still not exactly puny.
And lord, does it work. From a standing start 100km/h comes along in 6.8sec and you pass 400m in 15.0sec at 144.3km/h. The numbers are even more impressive when you consider they are generated through an automatic transmission. A Mercedes automatic, what's more.
The Benz four-speed automatic is by no means poxy but, compared to many rivals, it can be a little slow reacting to the energy pedal, particularly at part throttle openings from cruise. The C36's transmission is a modification of the box used in the S class, though shift points have been altered to suit the raucous – for a Merc -personality of the engine.
The result is the most responsive auto we've encountered in a Mercedes, though the old bugbear of occasionally lackadaisical kickdown persists.
The final drive ratio of2.85:1 is surprisingly high, given the AMG's strong acceleration, and our dry-road acceleration runs weren't able to get the traction control light to so much as flicker (though loose surfaces and damp bitumen would get it blinking - quite annoyingly – from the centre of the speedometer). And the brakes- culled from the V12-powered S600 up front, and the E500 at the rear – feel superb. They're indeed a match for the M3's picks.
But the really weird and wonderful thing about the engine/transmission combo is how it works without any compromise to driveability. None. Zipola.
No lumpy idle, no loading up around town. It never misses a beat, and is just as happy picking the sprogs up from school as it is having a fang around some tight and twisties in the hills. You don't often find performance cars quite as versatile as this one. Even the fuel economy is better than you might expect from something with this reserve of power. AS2877 figures are 12.0 L/100km in the city, 8.4 L/100km on the highway. Our time with the car returned 12.6 L/100km, a figure which included a lot of in-town driving with the aircon on its ‘July on the Ross Ice Shelf’ setting and some decidedly lead-footed motoring.
The C36 has received a fair bit of suspension work. Outwardly, the game is tumbled by a 10mm reduction in ride height from the Sport and Esprit versions and those signature AMG wheels. These 17in monsters are shod with 225/45WR17 Bridgestone Expedias up front, and 245/ 40WR17s at the rear.
It's interesting that the combined ride and handling savvy of Mercedes and AMG turned to Japanese rubber, even though it's a few years since the guys across town at Porsche realised the Japanese were making some of the best tyres.
The C36's ride is far better than we were expecting, especially considering the ultra-low profile rear tyres. The rubber transfers more sharpness into the car over high-frequency interruptions than you feel in any other Benz but, in absolute terms, it isn't bad at all. Not kidney belt territory by a long shot. Actual ride movement is very well controlled, feeling only slightly firmer than a C180 Esprit.
The C36 comes close to matching the BMW M3's fluency of control in comers. You can pretty much set the car as you want it- within reason- before you enter a curve and just hold it there. There's grip aplenty and steering is as precise as it is quick (the C36 has a more direct ratio than the cooking C class models). This is a chassis in complete harmony with its driveline, and it's not too surprising that for the enthusiast the C36 is the mostinvolving Mercedes you can buy in Australia. By a long shot.
But as involving as it is compared with other Mercedes, it is a little antiseptic in the overall scheme of things. People who must rationalise the continued ownership of things like Maseratis, older Jaguars and Alfas often say that cars like the Honda NSX lack character. Based on the sort of thinking that equates character with flaws, the C36 is damn near characterless, too. It is competent, but it goes about its business with so little fuss or compromise on the part of the driver that it seems a bit sterile.
But there are flaws, and for some of them you don't have to look very far. Mercedes fits a full-size airbag to all its cars, and one of the first things you notice about the bag is that it sits below the level of the steering wheel rim. What you don't notice unless you are tall and ensconced behind the wheel is that the steering wheel 'spokes' are so deep to accommodate this big airbag that they occasionally bump your knees as you're spinning the wheel back and forth.
That complaint made, interior space in the C36 is - as with all C class Mercedes - very good for a small, rear-drive car, and appreciably better than a 3 Series for rear seat occupants.
Again, as with all Cs, the C36 has its do-everything stalk (indicators, wipers and high-low beam) on the left of the steering column - they used to put it on the right-hand side, where it belongs.
While the seats are comfy and generously proportioned, the combination of their size and the slippery leather facings can sometimes have you sliding around a comer far more than the grippy C36 will.
There's no denying that this car is somewhat underwhelming in its presentation, though that may be in keeping with what a typical Mercedes-Benz buyer wants, even if he doesn't really know what a C36 is. The AMG wheels are of the firm's 'traditional' design, and visually identical 15in versions are offered as an option on any C class.
Further diluting the C36s exclusivity is that the AMG C180 uses the same plastic aero parts as the ones seen here. Something a bit more muscular in the wheel department would help – perhaps five or seven spokes and plenty of voided area to show off the brakes.
A colour palette unique to the C36 would be nice, too. But kudos to all concerned for leaving a wing off the boot.
Inside there's even less series differentiation. The 'C36' transmission selector knob, AMG logos on the instrument faces, grey instrument surround and grey patch at the bottom of the steering wheel (of indeterminate function) are the only obvious cues inside that you're in a C36 and not a C280 Sport. Both the C class Sport models and the C36 share the textured instrument panel and door trim appliques that we think are supposed to remind you of carbon fibre . At this price, you might expect a few slices of the real stuff.
People accustomed to buying cars by the kilo or cubic metre won't find a lot to like in the C36. It isn't a lard-arsed behemoth by anyone's standards and it's astonishingly discrete. The sort of people who are sucked into the gravitational field of an S class will probably not give the C36 a passing glance, except as a car for The Wife. But it is certainly the most engaging- and exciting- driver's car in the entire Mercedes Benz line-up. Its combination of roominess and on-tap performance makes some of Mercedes’ bigger models - notably the S500 and S600 coupes -look pretty silly.
Lacking competition in the shape of a four-door BMW M3 automatic, it has the title of 'easiest to live with performance sedan' wrapped up and in its pocket. Which way to the Lotto tickets?
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