From the September 1999 issue of Car and Driver.
Is it us, or are European luxury-car manufacturers marching boldly into car markets other makers have been shrinking from? They already offer a batch of premium wagons here, and more are on the way. Ditto for sports cars and convertibles, two more market segments where other manufacturers haven’t exactly been clamoring to get in.
Yet another example is limited-production sports sedans, four of which we’ve assembled here for a comparison test. They are the Audi S4 Quattro, the BMW M3, the Mercedes C43 AMG, and the Saab 9-3 Viggen. They’re the fastest, most exclusive smaller sedans you can buy. (Remember, we define a “sedan” or a “coupe” not by the number of doors it may have, but by how much room is in the back seat.) Each represents its maker’s best crack at high performance on an existing car platform.
Costly, low-volume performance models built off more mainstream platforms aren’t new. The concept got its start in the late 1950s and early 1960s with domestic muscle cars like the Chrysler 300 and the Pontiac GTO. Those early hot cars were cheap to produce, often amounting to little more than a big engine, a stiff suspension, and a few badges. Automakers liked the showroom traffic these “halo” cars generated for their less-exiting offerings. Within a few years, Detroit offered performance packages on nearly every car it made.
By the 1980s, overseas manufacturers were in on the game, and you could buy souped-up entries ranging from a Suzuki Swift GT to a Renault Alliance GTA.
Those days are gone. The number of factory performance packages has declined precipitously this decade for all kinds of cars. Performance no longer commands the respect of young car buyers that it used to. The cost of insurance surcharges, always a problem for more powerful cars, certainly didn’t help. Even car critics like us, who in the past have mocked the half-baked performance efforts of many carmakers, must take some of the blame.
Ironically, pleasing the customers who still want these cars is probably more difficult than ever because they’re more likely now than in previous times to be committed enthusiasts. Drivers who once bought performance as a fashion statement are now driving pickups and sport-utes. No wonder so many carmakers have walked away from the high-performance factory hot rod.
Increasingly demanding customers may explain why European carmakers remain in this game. If you can’t make a silk purse from a sow’s ear, you certainly can’t design a decent factory performance car from a cheap-car platform. These four cars were all developed from advanced designs with sophisticated independent suspensions. The Audi S4 is a version of the slick A4, and the Bimmer M3 is derived from the highly coveted previous-generation 3-series. The C43 is built off Mercedes’ sturdy C-class, and the Viggen was spawned from Saab’s successful 9-3.
So these models comprise a rare breed. On average, each will account for about one in eight sales of its respective platform in the U.S. They’re the most expensive versions of each car model you can buy, too. Base prices run from a low $38,465 for the Saab 9-3 Viggen to a high of $54,651 for the Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG.
For cars that vie for the same customers, they’re a diverse bunch. The Saab has front-wheel drive, the Mercedes-Benz and the BMW are rear-drivers, and the Audi is driven by all four wheels. The Audi has a V-6 and the Saab a four, both turbocharged. The BMW comes with an in-line six, and the Mercedes boasts a big V-8, without forced induction. The Mercedes and the Audi are four-doors, the Saab is a three-door, and the BMW is a two-door. The Audi comes with a six-speed manual. The others are five-speeds—manuals in the BMW and Saab, an automatic in the Mercedes. The last time the drivelines varied this much, it was in a comparison of exotic sports cars.
We wrung out these eager runners over 1000 miles of test driving, including interstate jogs in Ohio, brisk runs through the sweepers of Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest, and howling track laps at Nelson Ledges Road Course just outside Cleveland. Here’s how these rare sedans stacked up.
Fourth Place: Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG
AMG is the famous German Mercedes-Benz tuner that DaimlerChrysler acquired a controlling interest in last year. Although Mercedes intends to expand the AMG line to include more models here, the C43 and the larger E55 are the only AMG cars currently offered. Given the stiff-lipped nature of the C-class, the C43 is an impressive transformation. We found room for improvement, though, particularly for the price.
Above all, AMG means speed, and the C43’s engine is a jalapeño-overloaded tamale. It’s a version of Mercedes’ aluminum SOHC 4.3-liter 24-valve V-8, muscled up to the tune of 302 horsepower, at least 50 more ponies than in any other car here. The soundtrack it plays is classic Detroit V-8 muscle car, with some expensive-sounding harmonic whines mixed in.
It’s an aural delight, one that pleases the inner ear as well as the outer ear. Stomp on the throttle, and the V-8 blasts the C43 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. That’s slightly behind the BMW and Audi, and then this car’s just hitting its stride. By 100, the other three are eating the C43’s exhaust fumes. The C43 is governed at 155 mph, fastest of the group.
We would have preferred a manual transmission, but at least the standard automatic is willing to play. At full throttle, it gallantly winds the steamy V-8 to its 6400-rpm redline, and it always seemed to find the right gear quickly in the Allegheny hills, requiring little driver intervention. “Makes passing on two-lanes an easy job—just floor it and go, no fiddlesome sticks to work,” wrote Frank Markus.
The suspension is the not-so-good news. AMG seems to have applied a moldy Detroit formula to the C43’s under-pinnings—stiffer shocks and springs, and wider tires—and then called it a day. Most of the time, the C43 pounds over bumps instead of absorbing them. “Ride is harsh, brittle, hot roddish,” noted Pat Bedard. The steering is nervously quick just off-center and lacks feel. The big Michelin Pilots SXs, on the other hand, provide a reliable 0.86 g of grip, and the brakes kill speed adroitly, stopping the Benz from 70 mph in a short 159 feet. Both save the C43’s handling from being a major loss, and the car has no problem keeping up with the others here. But we think this kind of car should ride and handle with more sophistication.
The C43 lapped Nelson Ledges in 1 minute and 22.7 seconds. That’s a third-place finish, despite this car’s first-place power-to-weight ratio of 11.4 pounds per horsepower. On the track, the automatic was less adept, sometimes shifting at inopportune moments.
Outside, the C43 is styled with racy but tastefully done front and rear ground effects and side skirts. Most drivers found the C43’s stiffly padded sport seat comfortable and supportive, but only after a few minutes of trial-and-error fussing with its inscrutable thigh-, lumbar-, and lateral-support adjustment switches. The steering wheel’s upper spokes are, unfortunately, right where your hands want to grip the rim. The rear seats were the most comfortable and accessible in this group.
The C43’s price goes down the hardest. It begins at $54,651, and our car’s metallic paint, rain-sensing wipers, and xenon headlamps pushed it to $56,548. That includes Mercedes’ fine stability-control and brake-assist systems, but it doesn’t include a CD player.
In spite of its muscle-bound suspension, this C43 remains one of the most enjoyable Mercedes sedans to drive. Were it $10,000 cheaper, it would have been more in the running in this group.
1999 Mercedes-Benz C43 AMG
302-hp V-8, 5-speed automatic, 3454 lb
Base/as-tested price: $54,651/$56,548
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.1 sec
1/4 mile: 14.6 @ 99 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 159 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.86 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 19 mpg
Third Place: Saab 9-3 Viggen
After our testers had their first experience with the Saab 9-3 Viggen’s balky shifter, driveline lash, and unnerving torque steer, they each responded with the same, “Uh-oh.” But 9-3s grow on you, as we discovered in our 25K-sedan comparison test last spring. The Viggen is the fastest 9-3 yet, and its increased power brings into sharper focus the 9-3’s quirky and even contradictory appeal.
The Saab has the humblest genes in this group. It descends from the Saab 900, circa 1994-98, which was developed from the Opel Vectra, a moderately priced European sedan. Coincidentally perhaps, our Viggen, at $39,048, was the least-expensive car here. The modest origins help explain the Viggen’s unseemly chassis flex over rougher roads that the other cars can take in stride. It also explains this car’s front-wheel drive, a layout that’s less than ideal for a performance car. You’re reminded of this every time you accelerate with any authority because the car strays from its intended path. It’s what we call torque steer, and the Viggen may have the worst case of it we can remember.
Its wheel-wagging torque steer isn’t surprising, given the Viggen’s powerful engine: a turbocharged and intercooled 2.3-liter four-cylinder that makes 225 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque. Those figures are achieved with lots of boost-20 psi, to be exact—that surges on and off, lending to the throttle a curiously elastic response. Imprecision is sprinkled throughout the driveline. The shifter balks when rushed, feeling as if it were connected to the transmission via long rubber rods. Driveline lash is noticeable, made worse by a stiff clutch that engages within the last inch or so of travel.
These factors make it harder to extract speed from the Viggen. It was last to 60 mph at 6.5 seconds, despite a power-to-weight ratio that’s between the BMW’s and Audi’s. Its 1:24.1 lap time at Nelson Ledges was the slowest of the four. The Saab also brought up the rear in braking and skidpad grip, although not by much, stopping from 70 mph in 172 feet and generating 0.82g. So on paper, this is the runt of the litter.
But not on the road. The Saab is the lightest car of the group, and it drives like it. This is a nimble car—note its comparo-leading 66.3-mph speed through the emergency lane change. The steering maintains good path accuracy, allowing you to lob the Saab hard into corners. Its revised suspension is stiff-riding, yet the body rolls and bounces too much. It never loses its composure, however, and the brakes are forgiving. You can overcome the driveline’s foibles with practice, a challenge that some drivers found stimulating. “One of the more exciting cars in the bunch, but not always for the right reasons,” wrote a test driver.
Most found the standard power driver’s seat supportive without being confining. The rear seat is comfortable for two adults. This is the only competitor here that has a hatchback, and the seats split-fold forward, making the Saab tops in versatility. Aside from its Lightning Blue paint, the Viggen package includes a drag-reducing rear spoiler and sharp-looking thin-spoked alloy wheels.
This car is a good value, with a base price that includes standard headlamp washers, keyless remote entry with alarm, and a power sunroof. It’s quite rare—just 400 will be built this year—but convertible and five-door models are on the way. It’s economical, too, turning in an impressive 22 mpg—best in the group by 1 to 3 mpg—with us.
The 9-3 Viggen is truly an acquired taste. Work past its peculiarities, and it can be quite a ride. Having said that, we also don’t think you should have to work past anything in a modern performance sedan.
1999 Saab 9-3 Viggen
225-hp inline-4, 5-speed manual, 3090 lb
Base/as-tested price: $38,465/$39,048
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.5 sec
1/4 mile: 15.0 @ 95 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 172 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.82 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 19 mpg
Second Place: BMW M3
This car may be the most decorated soldier in the history of Car and Driver. The current BMW M3 has been a 10Best car every year since it was introduced in ’95. It won our “Best-Handling Car for More Than $30,000” shootout in 1997 among some superstars, and it’s won every C/D comparison test it’s ever entered. That unparalleled string of victories ends here, but the M3 went down swinging.
This car remains a benchmark of performance-car handling. Its steering is sensitive, linear, and intuitive right up to the tires’ traction limits. The suspension refuses to transmit breaks in the pavement and takes on depressions and bumps without upsetting the driver’s cornering line. The ride is firm enough to let your keister monitor what’s going on underneath, but not to the point of harshness. Unlike the other cars, the M3 dutifully telegraphs the moves of the rear tires as well as the fronts.
The driveline is more perfection. BMW’s DOHC 240-hp, 3.2-liter six loves being wound to its 6500-rpm redline. Its song is sweet all the way there. It offers right-now torque, regardless of rpm level. The transmission, with its tightly defined shifter throws and silky clutch takeup, is the most cooperative of the group.
Precision is the M3’s hole card. “Everything feels so tight, so buttoned down, and so immediate in this car,” wrote one tester. “There’s no slack in the controls or the responses, from the give of the leather seat to how quickly revs die when you stab the clutch.” There is, however, some rubber-banding in the driveline at traffic-jam speeds that requires attention to avoid. And this car could use a sixth gear. At 80 mph, the engine revs urgently at 3600 rpm as if straining at its leash, waiting to be cut loose with a wide-open throttle.
Somehow, the power and the grip seemed slightly diminished on this particular M3 relative to others we’ve tested. The 0-to-60-mph sprint took 6.0 seconds—a half-second slower than the last M3 we clocked. Roadholding was down by 0.03 g to 0.84, and the braking distance from 70 mph was poorer by 15 feet, at 167. Our test car’s tires were Michelin Pilot Sports, which felt softer than the Pilot SXs on previous M3s. And then the M3 went out and turned the fastest lap at Nelson Ledges: 1:21.0!
Everything ages, and so has the M3. This is the only car in this pricey pack whose steering wheel neither tilts nor telescopes. The hard plastic on the dash, doors, and center console seems conspicuously cheap now. We’re starting to notice that the high cowl in fact truncates the outward view. The ergonomics need improvement—the cruise-control lever is hidden low behind the steering wheel.
Other features need to be added. The M3 is the only one of our racehorses without keyless entry, power seats, heated seats, headlamp washers, rear fog lamps, and floor mats. Nonetheless, its $43,070 as-tested price is the second most expensive of the four cars here.
When viewed against the other cars’ interiors, the M3’s feels cramped. Legroom is the most exiguous, front and rear, and the trunk holds just nine cubic feet, making it the minimalist of the four. The rear seat is the most difficult to get in to, and it’s the least roomy, at least two cubic feet shy of the others in volume. The M3’s sport seat, standard on two-door models, offered ample support for hard driving. But drivers of more substantial girth found it confining.
Things may change when a new M3, based on the new E46 3-series, arrives next year. The BMW before you here may have lost its perpetual place on our hot-sedan podium, but its score of 93 is testimony to its greatness. If driving fast is your foremost priority, however, the M3 will remain at the top of your list.
1999 BMW M3
240-hp inline-6, 5-speed manual, 3230 lb
Base/as-tested price: $40,526/$43,070
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.0 sec
1/4 mile: 14.6 @ 95 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 167 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.84 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 21 mpg
First Place: Audi S4 Quattro
Our ideal exclusive sports sedan would be more than just quick. It would be polished and accomplished on all kinds of roads—a roads scholar, if you will—yet would be willing to play, and play hard, when asked. It would be versatile—able to haul adults as well as charge hard—and secure in all kinds of weather. It would be as easy on the wallet as on the eyes. Okay, forget that—at least it would be loaded with features.
We might as well be describing Audi’s new S4.
It’s certainly fast. Under the hood is a version of Audi’s 30-valve V-6, debored to 2.7 liters and fed by twin turbochargers and intercoolers to whip up 250 hp at 5800 rpm. Behind it is a six-speed manual transmission (a Tiptronic “manumatic” is optional) driving all four wheels. Rev the six-cylinder engine to 5000 rpm in first gear, dump the clutch, and the Audi surges forward with real authority, zipping to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 14.2 seconds, quickest of the bunch. Only the Mercedes accelerates harder—after the quarter-mile, and not by much. Our S4 continued to a steamy 157 mph (although Audi insists production models will be limited to 143 mph. Bummer.)
On the minus side, however, the S4’s roadholding at 0.83 g and stopping ability from 70 mph at 169 feet are in the middle of this tight pack. And its 62.2-mph emergency-lane-change speed is worst of the group, but only by 0.8 mph.
As a result, this car isn’t as sporting as the M3. The six-speed doesn’t shift as precisely, and the engine revs more quietly. Its handling isn’t as intuitive. The steering is a tad numb on-center, working through the S4’s four-link front suspension. But the Audi is as dependable and tenacious at the limit as the M3, and its body control is arguably superior. The S4 has the best ride of our entrants, made crystal clear on Pennsylvania’s rutted Route 666.
What the S4 Quattro seemed to lack in cornering grip at Nelson Ledges it made up for with its standard four-wheel drive, which allowed us to get back on the throttle earlier when exiting corners. It weighs 3618 pounds—the heaviest car here—and despite a last-place 14.5 horsepower-to-weight ratio, it managed to lap the track in 1:22.6, second to the BMW.
At the track, we would have preferred more lateral support from the S4’s seats. Otherwise, we found them as accommodating as those in the Mercedes and easier to adjust. Choose the optional sunroof, and headroom gets tight up front. The rear seats can’t match those of the Mercedes or Saab for roominess, but they’re comfortable for two on long trips.
The ergonomics are respectable. The three-spoke steering wheel falls to hand perfectly, an adjustable front armrest is included, and heel-and-toeing is a cinch. The Audi/Bose stereo is above the climate controls, where it belongs, and it’s been redesigned with a larger faceplate.
Prices haven’t been set yet, but Audi hints the S4 Quattro will nose in under the M3’s $40,526 base price. With the options on our car—including a sunroof, heated seats, auto-dimming mirrors, and a CD changer (as well as an in-dash player)—it would likely come in at about $42,000. That’s not easy on the wallet, but this is a very well-equipped car. Safety features such as a curtain-style head airbag for both front and rear passengers and four-wheel-drive security can’t be ignored, either.
It takes a sharp eye to distinguish the S4 from the A4. Aside from badges and larger 17-inch alloy wheels, the S4 gets a revised front bumper with six gaping air intakes. The look is subtle. In optional black or silver, the S4 would be a stealth lover’s dream.
Limited-edition cars often have limited appeal, but not this Audi. It’s fast, fun-to-drive, practical, and an excellent value. It’s also good enough to topple BMW’s M3 in a comparison test, which is saying something. If that finishing order changes when the new M3 arrives next year, you’ll be the first to know.
2000 Audi S4 Quatttro
250-hp V-6, 6-speed manual, 3618 lb
Base/as-tested price (est.): $39,000/$42,000
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 5.6 sec
1/4 mile: 14.2 @ 98 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 169 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.83 g
C/D observed fuel economy: 19 mpg
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