Gate crasher: AMG's hero drops two doors and aims directly at BMW's M3. Is it quicker? You bet!

摘要

Even though high-performance AMG coupes didn't come much rawer than the C209 CLK 63, especially in its evil Black Series incarnation, sales were disappointingly slow. And as a result, the proposed E63 AMG Coupe and Cabriolet were ditched. However, Mercedes-Benz still sees a market for a high-performance coupe, currently occupied by the BMW M3 and Audi RS5. Down Under, the C63 sedan and estate have comprehensively outsold BMW's M3, despite the fact that the BMW is available in Coupe, Sedan and Convertible forms. Add to the fact that the C63 is offered in one mechanical spec - that's the seven-speed auto transmission while the M3 can be had with a purist's manual or seven-speed M-DCT - and the Benz's sales success is even more remarkable. Helping the Benz is that fact that Audi's RS5 has not made the impact that Ingolstadt had hoped, but Stuttgart knows that the lack of a coupe is costing the brand sales.