I was getting on the highway tonight and at the stop light before the on ramp I ended up next to a CLK320. I had been pretty loud pulling up to the light since I was just zipping around after leaving dinner with my fiance' in her MDX behind me. Once at the light, I looked over at the driver next to me in the CLK and he looked over at me...we knew what would happen next. So, the light turned green and I made the turn onto the ramp. The ramp was two lanes, one eventually goes north (left lane) and one goes south (right lane). I was going north but started out in the south lane since I was in the right lane at the light and that was the normal lane to turn into and with both of us playing I didn't want to merge into his fender. I stepped on it after I made the turn and the CLK got on it too and he pretty much hung with me. I pulled a couple of car lengths and I had enough room to merge left to the North lane and he rode my bumper the whole ramp. Once the ramp straightened out we both got on it. It was really clear on the highway in the first and 4th lane so I took the 4th lane ("high speed lane" ) and he decided to take the 1st lane which should have been a real advantage for him since he didn't have to cut across the highway. The traffic was light so I wasn't endangering anyone but myself. I was playing in sport shift and I have no idea if he was an automatic or if they even come in manual. In any case, I was really disappointed in the CLK320. It really didn't seem to have much of a chance. Even though he had the andvantage of not cutting across the highway he couldn't keep up at all. Once I got home I looked it up online and saw anything from very high 6 to low 7 for a 0-60. I am sure that the CLK430 is a different ballgame. Anyhow, this is my first race in a while so I was pleased that my car still had it.

 

Yeah no shocker on this 320 kill. They're dogs off the line and on the highway. Its big brother the 430 is a much better race as you stated.

Nice kill.

 

It was a shocker to me. I liked the looks of the last gen CLK (I hate the new ones...blah!!!!) and even considered it as a next purchase. It was a case of thinking that a Mercedes 320 MUST be faster....wrong! After beating one and looking up the times and PRICE of the 320 I changed my mind. The 430 is sweet with a bit of exterior tweeking but it is $6-$10k more. At that point, I'll get a slightly used 540 or something.

Let me ask...does the Mercedes number always relate back to the engine size? I saw a C230 with a 1.8i on the side....is the C230 a 2.3 liter or a 1.8 liter? I know in the "olden days" it didn't but I thought they fixed that?

 

nice kill, 430 would be much more fun.

 

No Doubt. Any insight into the engine size?

 

most of the mb numbering correspond to displacement except:

C230k - 1.8L I4 S/C'd
C240 - 2.6L V6
CL/SL/S600 - 5.5L V12
ML350 - 3.7L V6

 

Nice kill! My boy has a C320 and I kick his ass all the time.

 

why the hell have they been doing that lately?
i knew previously the c230 was not a 1.8, and when they changed it, i was surprised the numbers didnt change with it. a c180 would sound like crap though, but still its really stupid that an ml350 doesnt actually mean 3.5L
the japanese have typically adopted the engine naming codes, hopefully they dont follow merc. and even bmw with their "off-number modeling"

ronnie, is yours a 3.2 or is a 3.4?

 

nice kill, they aren't that fast but none the less great kill