German Car Zone

You mean it looks surprisingly well or it performs surprisingly well?

The M3 is the real surprise performer, especially when it comes to its braking performance, 17 meters shorter than the CLK 63 AMG, those massive 6 piston calipers and massive disc looks the business but they are completely dominated by those simple looking but ultra effective BMW brakes.

The M3 is also a massive 3 sec faster than both the CLK and the RS4. despite being the heaviest and the one with the least power and torque. I guess the CLK can go a bit faster with a proper sports gearbox and better ESP calibration.

I think the Rs4's interior is best, the M3's is just too boring

The surprising thing about M3's performance is it doesn't even have a weight advantage. Wonder how much better it would have been if they offered a lighter soft top. Also surprising is that M3 has better in gear acceleration than CLK63 despite the power disadvantage.

In some cases, maybe, but in this particular comparison the Audi looks absolutely "1.9 TDi" while the M3 looks very fresh!

Love that color combo of the M3,surprised to see the CLK is faster than the RS4 around a tarck.The new CLK can't come soon enough

It totally depends on the gear ratios. In the 7 speed Merc, the last 2 gears are overdrive gears. Don't know off hand what the gear ratios are for the M3, but that in itself could explain the differences. Because with equal gearing, there is no way a M3 could out accelerate a CLK63, especially when starting from relatively low rpm.

Yeah, of course it depends on the gear ratios. The 2 overdrive gears doesn't make much sense, but then again it probably needs it to to get some reasonable mileage from the big engine -which is still worse than the other 2.

M3's looks a whole lot better with red leather!! And yeah I must agree the Rs4 cab interior looks cr@p compared to the saloon or the avant.

Despite being the heaviest and featuring a metal folding roof the M3 spanked the other Germans as if they are prehistoric.

^ They are prehistoric to the brand new M3,very much exoected but at least the CLK is spanking M3 when it comes to power just as an AMG should do to A M