5 Surprising Mercs the 2023 Mercedes-AMG C43 Out-Sprints
Say it with us now: new car quick.
Mercedes has dropped an incredibly powerful four-cylinder into the latest AMG C43. We’ve driven it and while we had our reservations about other aspects of the compact sedan, its power was not one of them. In fact, the downsizing under the hood has resulted in a downsizing of the acceleration figures, too. With 402 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, the C43 will sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 4.6 seconds—a wild feat for the “entry” model. To emphasize the quickness, we’ve rounded up a list of five of the C43’s siblings—with a combined cylinder count of 38—that it could show a set of taillights to.
2010 Maybach 57 S: 4.9 seconds
Way back in the Before Times, Maybach used to be a brand. Then two decades ago Mercedes revived it, initially with two ultra-expensive models: the gargantuan 62 and its slightly smaller 57 sibling. After a couple years of slow sales, S variants debuted, with the 57 S hosting a 6.0-liter turbo V12 under its long hood. Even with 604 hp and 737 lb-ft, this 6,000-pound, nearly 19-foot long behemoth still couldn’t outsprint the C43.
2023 Mercedes-AMG SL 43: 4.9 seconds
Here’s a surprise: the new four-cylinder SL shares its heart with the C43, but the flagship droptop isn’t actually quicker. There are likely a few reasons for that: the SL has slightly less power (375 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque), and skips Mercedes’ 4MATIC all-wheel drive system. Merc doesn’t quote a curb weight, but we bet it’s porkier, too.
2022 Mercedes-AMG C43: 4.7 seconds
You knew this was coming: yes, the C43 is the slightest bit quicker to 62 mph (100 km/h) than the outgoing model. Even if it’s lost a liter of displacement and two cylinders. The new model also gains other goodies like rear-wheel steering, and it’s better on fuel economy too.
2003 Mercedes-Benz SL55: 4.7 seconds
The second SL to show up on this list was a gamechanger two decades ago. The SL55 debuted a thunderous new V8, displacing the same 5.5 liters as before but now featuring a supercharger strapped on top. This overachiever threw down 493 hp and 516 lb-ft, but with only a five-speed automatic to wrangle all that power, it’s ever so slightly slower than the new sedan to highway speeds.
2010 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG: 4.6 seconds
Our last entry comes with an asterisk: according to official quotes, the 13-year-old S63 ties the modern C43 to 62 mph (100 km/h). That’s with an honest-to-goodness, naturally-aspirated V8, producing a 518 hp at a high 6,800 rpm. This remains one of the most powerful series-production V8-powered sedans, and nothing has the you’ve-made-it status of an S-Class. So why’s it here? Real-world testing suggests the C43 has a leg up on this elder statesman.
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Kyle began his automotive obsession before he even started school, courtesy of a remote control Porsche and various LEGO sets. He later studied advertising and graphic design at Humber College, which led him to writing about cars (both real and digital). He is now a proud member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), where he was the Journalist of the Year runner-up for 2021.
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