It was a dark and rainy morning... Anyway, this guy in a C320 was really gunning his car to get around traffic this morning so I thought I'd see what his 215 hp car could really do. We basically ran once from 35-75 and I couldn't close on him, even though I was in SS holding 2nd gear as long as possible before shifting to 3rd around redline. Is this just another case of German horsepower being superior to Japanese horsepower? I am still shaking my head over the Turbo Beetle that surprised me (found out it was totally modded though...)! Anyone have any experiences with the C Class?

 

I don't think a C Class is going to be any competition to the TLS and I don't think Mercedes drivers really buy stick at the C320 level

 

at the speeds your running, the c320 can take you its not all about HP its about torque also, those engines pump out 232lbft at a measly 2800 rpms, and 90 percent is on tap only a few hundrea more rpms from idle...... from start you should have a decent 1 to 2 car lengths but in high speed he will take you out....and the c320 doesnt some in stick only auto only the c240 can get in stick and the slk 320 and slk 230 in stick....hope that helps

JON LERD

 

I think I saw a comparo in which the TL-S and the C320 Sport was in. 0-60 for TL-S is 6.2 and for C320 is 6.6

So the TL-S and the C320 are pretty close at low speed < 55mph.

 

not a smart one are ya?

 

does a TL-S not run a 7.0 in 0-60?
just a question.. and the 0-60 hardly ever matters in a race.. its all bout the Q-M time ... blah.. the TL-S is low 15's :o but sall good.. our cars still look badasss =)

 

Don't be surprised if a C320 do a rice-boy flyby next time while you were cruising at 90mph.... 3.2L V6 in C320 pumps out 90% of torque starting approx 1500 rpm, and up to about 4500..... but, IMO, it's more than that.... gearing probably is one of the reason, too.... After all, MBs(and most German cars) are build and tested on Autobahn....

Andy Kuo

 

don't under estimate C320's performance...

i think the power band is more useful than TL-S one...the power is equally strong and smooth from low to high rpm...

none of the 320 engines comes with manual...mercedes always make the auto faster than a stick...

 

My boss has this car and he is a car guy and thinks I can pretty much spank him. I didn't disagree. I better not race him :-)

 

are you sure you didnt race the AMG C32? that car was built to battle the M3. no manual tranny for it though, all AMG cars are auto. my friends 18 year old friend from some snobby college prep school just recently flipped one 4 times trying to race a supercharged S2000. now the biyatch is getting a hummer.

some people.

 

double check on that the SLK 320 now is available in a 6 speed gear box, and the 230 is in a 5 speed gear box but yes the automatic are the same and their manual, i highly doubt its faster, unless you abuse the crap out of it, aside from that its a fast car

 

SLK320 DOES offer 6-speed... However, as Asiankidd siad, both 6-speed manual OR 5-speed auto SLK320s are indentical(it's only matter of cost and some mods to fit 6-speed in a C320), HOWEVER, 6-speed SLK320 isn't much faster than auto, if any at all...

Andy Kuo

 

dated a couple years ago the magazine tested the manual SLK and found it is not CLOSE RATIO for acceleration and the shifting link isn't very smooth...so the manual is slower than the auto one...by half a sec...

C32 is the monster...currently holds the fastest stock sedan in the world...along with E55...and M5 maybe...

 

Yes very close one got me off the line 2 weeks ago in the TLS and I played the catch up game but to no avail up to 70mph!

 

My days of thinking our 3.2 liter engine was a real monster are over... C'mon RES & MMII!!! I need more juice!

 

There is NO WAY a TLS should ever lose to a C320 nor should it even be close. I have driven the C320 and was not very impressed. I go out of my car to blow off those cars.

 

why do you say that...you must really underestimate those german cars....at take off yes their kinda slow..but then again you try using your 215 hp to push 3500+ lbs of german metal from start.... and FOR SURE at high speeds we cant hang!!! i own a clk 320....i would know...raced cl-s all the time....in 100+ mph there is no competition....

JON LERD

 

hey guys, let's not forget he was at 35mph when this started, anybody ever try to race from 35? Our cars suck at that speed, they don't downshift into 1st and you are pretty low in the revs in 2nd gear. Next time try to go from 25 in 1st, or 50 in 2nd (and maybe kill the A/C) and you will own his @ss!

I fvcked up some kid in a lightly worked Integra GSR today. We raced from 50-70, then 50-70 again, then from a dig to 45 (he fvcked up the start), then 25-50, then one more from 50-125. I won all of them without much consequence, but only by a car length or so here and there. You just gotta work it from YOUR sweet spot. :p

 

damn, you need to start with intake upgrade and headers and exhaust...youll be surprised by how much that will do...MM and MMII are not ever gonna be here...Shyne

 

that's not reallie meaningful...have to go to ur sweet spot to start the race...it's just hiding the fact that our car is beatable...

 

And your point is......?
Does Carl Lewis run marathons? No he runs sprints, and sets world records doing it. Why, because he is good at sprinting. I'm not saying to hide anything, I could beat a Ferrari if he started at 35 mph in 6th gear, but he wouldn't do that because he isn't dumb. I don't mean to flame, I'm just saying is take every advantage you can get.

 

I think our 3.2 liter engines are damn good/powerful engines. The problems seems to be that we compare our cars to 3.5 liter engines or bigger, lighter cars, or super/turbocharged cars. If you (no one in particular) wanted something more powerful, faster, or lighter than you shouldn't have gotten a TLS. I admit I would love to be able to smoke everyone from any speed but I knew buying this car that it wasn't a race car, 4 and 5 gears suck (except maybe for gas mileage), the car is long and heavy, its FWD, yet I still bought it and love it. I know there are cars out there that are better but I am happy with my purchase (then again I don't know quite as much about cars as some others do).

Sorry I just had to vent cuz all I see are negative comments about my car throughout the forum and it bugs me. I would be pissed if (hopefully not) my Tranny goes but as many have said we bought the car to drive it! I don't like squeaks and rattles but I knew buying the car that eventually some might/would appear. Just enjoy the car for what it is!

 

i would like to see the new TL comes with a 3.5 liter engine...

since the new accord will use the 3.2 liter engine most likely

 

I can see doing the headers and intake, but not the mufflers. I'm saving up now, but I've got twins on the way (in addition to my almost 3 year old)!!! The only reason I'm hoping for the RES and MMII is because that kind of money is much easier to come by...

Please don't get me wrong, I love my car and it fit my needs almost perfectly (size, mileage, speed, quicks, cost, etc.). I was just really surprised that the C320 with 215 hp, 221 ft-lb and weighing only 100 lbs less can get from 35 to 70 as fast as my TL. Yes it's possible that his car is modded, mine is out of the "slow-but-rattle-free batch," I'm carrying hundreds of pounds of literature and samples in my trunk, all the while I suck at driving. In any case, just as the subject says: I was surprised by a C320.