The C 43 is frowned upon for what's hiding under the hood, namely a four-cylinder turbo with a displacement of 2.0 liters. By comparison, the previous generation rocked a 3.0-liter V6 of the bi-turbo variety. How times have changed, huh?
The naysayers are correct in criticizing this downsizing through the lens of aural pleasure. On the other hand, there's no denying the 2023 model year C 43 is more AMG than its predecessor. We all know that Affalterbach's favorite son made a name for itself with thumpin' great V8s. Remember the 300 SEL Red Pig with its 6.8-liter colossus of an engine?
"One man, one engine" is an important part of AMG's philosophy, and the M139 of the C 43 is a one-man affair. Developed for high-performance applications, the 2.0-liter turbo can also be found in the SL 43, the 45 series, C 63, GLC 63, and the Lotus Emira.
The C 43-specific version uses an electrically-assisted exhaust gas turbocharger from Garrett Motion, plus a belt-driven starter generator that summons up to 10 kW in certain driving scenarios. Merc's total system output numbers are 300 kW and 500 Nm, converting to 402 horsepower and 369 pound-feet on full song. Not bad for a four-pot, especially in combination with 4MATIC+ AWD.
Tipping the scales at 3,870 pounds (1,755 kilograms), the black-painted C 43 in the video below has to prove itself against a lighter and less powerful rival. Not assisted by a 48-volt system, the Audi S4 makes use of a single-turbo V6 that cranks out 349 horsepower and the same 369 pound-feet of twist.
Limited to 155 miles per hour (250 kilometers per hour) from the factory, the S4 requires 4.4 seconds to reach 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour). On paper. The white-painted S4 in the featured clip matched the manufacturer's claim of 4.4 seconds at the Dunnville Autodrome in Canada, besting the C 43 by a tenth of a second to 60 miles per hour. But more surprisingly, it also pipped the Merc over the finish line. Both recorded 12.5 seconds in the quarter mile, which is hugely impressive for these sedans.
Lest we forget, the C 43 and S4 play second fiddle to the C 63 and RS 4. It's also worth remembering that Audi prepares to introduce a brand-new A4 in 2024 under the A5 moniker because odd numbers will be gradually relegated to combustion-engined vehicles by the Ingolstadt-based automaker. The C 63 is best described as a C 43 on steroids, a plug-in hybrid monster that kicks out 671 ponies at full chatter.
When it comes to pricing, 6,100 dollars currently separate the S4 from the C 43. The Merc is going for $59,900 in the United States market, whereas the four-ringed sedan is available to configure at $53,800. The question is, which one floats your boat more?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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