Bahn Stormers: Audi S2, BMW M3 and Mercedes C36 AMG

Not to be outdone by BMW and Audi, Mercedes has joined the small super-saloon league. Car Magazine in February 1994 pitches the outrageous C36 against  the M3 and S2.

Speed is like a drug. Try It once, and you're likely to get hooked. In the days before speed limits, indulging the habit was relatively easy - and relatively safe, for traffic then was light. These days, however, with GATSOs and frustrating traffic density, you may wonder whether cars such as the BMW М3 E36, the Audi S2 and the Mercedes C36 AMG W202 make any sense at all. To find out, we took the three German musketeers to Bavaria where, on certain stretches of the autobahn, you can go as fast as you like.

Despite being capable of breakneck speeds, all three cars take a pleasantly subtle approach to life. The Audi S2, for example, would be the perfect getaway car for alpine bank robbers because, although it develops 230bhp, it looks just like your neighbour's 2.0E saloon. Distinguishing marks extend only to body-colour bumpers and rubbing strips, full-width monochromatic tail-lights, high-intensity headlamps and substantial five-spoke alloy wheels. Inside, however, the S2 is a disappointment. The well shaped seats are trimmed in satin-finish cloth of dubious taste and are embroidered with ungainly Quattro logos. The dashboard and door panels feature incongruous Kevlar inlays, and the white instrument faces - colour-coded to match your knuckles - happen to be badly lit at night.

The new BMW М3 E36 is a modest-looking thing, too. Unlike last year's E30 model, which sported a rear wing that could have been supplied by Boeing, the latest hot 3-series looks tame enough to please the most sceptical parents-in-law. The front spoiler, with its mesh wire air intake, is a bit macho, but the body-colour sill extensions are very subdued, and the Motorsport wheels are attractive as well as wide enough to accommodate the M3’s substantial 235/40ZR17 Michelin Pilot SX footwear. The relatively tight cabin houses slimfit bucket seats, a nice leather-rimmed three-spoke airbag-equipped wheel and a comprehensive array of instruments. But, with the exception of the ubiquitous blue, violet and red M emblems, it is as sombre as a railway tunnel at night, and the standard equipment is relatively sparse.

The Mercedes C36 W202 looks much more street-wise. With its conspicuous AMG badges, chromed rectangular tailpipes, alloy wheels and heavy-handed bolt-on body panels (bumpers, 8ill extensions and rear apron) it's aimed squarely at those who want it known that this is no ordinary С-class. The interior is a typically Swabian interpretation of sportiness -and that’s not a compliment. The two-tone steering wheel is an eyesore, the so-called high-tech surfaces are made of low-cost plastic, and the coarse, chessboard upholstery looks utterly out of place. Thus, the most expensive of our trio is visually the least appealing.

The C36 starts life at the Mercedes factory in Sindelfingen, but is completed by AMG. Its underbody changes are comprehensive, but even so, at DM95,450 (that should equate to £38,000 when the rhd version goes on sale in June) it is significantly dearer than the equally quick М3 and S2.

The М3 costs £32,450 - about 10 grand more than the E36 325i соuрe. That premium gets you an extra 94bhp, stronger brakes and a host of detail revisions to what is already an excellent chassis. At a glance, the BMW seems good value for money, but if you compare its price with the £28,975 that Porsche asks for the 968CS, it starts to look less of a special offer. The Audi S2 saloon, which will go on sale in the UK later this year, is the least expensive of the three. Tentatively priced at £29,241, it is 'only' £6000 dearer than the 2.6E quattro, over which you gain 80 horses.

Beneath the skin, all three differ substantially from their off-the-peg progenitors. Most obviously changed is the C36, which has only its bodyshell in common with other C-class variants. Its engine is an evolution of the 3.2-litre 24V inline six fitted to the E320, SL320 and S320. its displacement has 4 been increased to З606сс,  lifting power from 231bhp to  280bhp at 5750rpm, and torques from 224lb ft at 4100rpm to 278lb ft at 4000rpm. Other j changes include larger-diameter polished exhaust ducts, hotter 4 camshafts, a modified crankshaft, new pistons and я con-rods as well as a bigger,  interconnected Intake plenum. Mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, the 280bhp engine gives the 34321b C36 a 0-62mph acceleration time of 6.9sec. A governor restricts speed at the top end to 156mph. According to Mercedes-Benz, the AMG- prepared C-class averages 26.2mpg. According to our  pocket calculator, the test car returned a rather less Impressive 16.3mpg.

if you think that's bad, consider the Audi S2: said to return close to 28mpg, when put to the test it consumed one gallon every 14.5 miles. The culprit is, of course, the turbocharger, which drains the  tank as soon as you floor the throttle. But although it deserves bid medal from OPEC, the 24-valve five-cylinder unit remains popular with S2 owners only because of the oomph it offers. Its maximum torque of 253lb ft is delivered at an astonishingly low 1950rpm. During flat-out overtaking manoeuvres the torque increases - briefly - to 278lb ft, thanks to an overboost device that remains active up to 5000rpm. In conjunction with a six-speed transmission, the 230bhp 2226cc unit propels the 2334lb five-seater to 62mph in 6.0sec, and on to a top speed of 154mph.

The new BMW М3 E36 engine strikes the best compromise between performance, running characteristics and fuel economy. The 2990cc six develops 286bhp at 7000rpm and 231lb ft at 3600rpm. Bolted in a close-ratio five-speed box, it blasts the 3212lb coupe from 0-62mph in 6.0sec, and offers a maximum speed of 156mph. The М3, too, failed to repeat its claimed fuel consumption average of 20.9mpg but, returning 17.3mpg, was quantifiably less thirsty than its rivals.

BMW M3 E36 engine incorporates a number of sophisticated  ingredients, including a progressively variable camshaft adjustment device, a forged crankshaft with no fewer than 12 counterweights, a twin-mass  flywheel, graphite-coated low- friction pistons, dual-valve springs, a high compression ratio of 10.8 to one,  race-bred throttle-body fuel injection and a free-flow exhaust embodying a heated catalyst.

It is largely this engine that lifts the М3 above the opposition. Not that it's particularly quiet, nor even all that smooth-running, but its torque supply is perfectly linear, its reaction to throttle orders razor-sharp, and its willingness to rev almost limitless. Red-lined at 7500rpm, the in-line six harmonises well with the light, beautifully progressive clutch and with the neatly spaced five- speed box. The transmission’s  only flaws are the occasionally husky synchromesh and the weak reverse-gear detent.

If it did without automatic transmission and traction control, Mercedes C36 AMG would probably be as much fun as the М3 E36, but as it was, taking the test car to the limit was an extremely frustrating experience. The traction-control system’s orange warning triangle lights up not only in tight hairpihs but also through, fast sweepers, over brows, on wet surfaces and when the traffic lights torn green. Since the chips are tuned  or minimum risk and maximum interference, exploring the Mercedes’ true potential is extremely difficult. Entering a corner with what the black box considers to be excess ambition inevitably triggers the following sequence of events: first the ' gearbox obediently changes down, then traction control calls off the whole exercise, and finally the autobox selects a taller ratio. Depending on radius and speed, this cycle can repeat itself up to three times in the course of one bend. And even though tests have demonstrated that a C36 with traction control is slower through certain corners than a C280 without traction control, Mercedes is reluctant to alter the calibration.

This system, together with the automatic transmission, neutralises the efforts of Mercedes' chassis specialists, who have brought us tauter springs and dampers, wider 17in wheels and more substantial tyres (225/45ZR17 Bridgestone Expedias at the front, 245/40ZR17 at the back). The uprated suspension provides extra grip, better traction and - in theory - higher cornering speeds. The disadvantages of this sporty set-up include a less supple low- speed ride, pronounced tramlining under braking and greater susceptibility to aquaplaning. The C36’s brakes are excellent. The massive front discs and calipers come from the SL600, but the rear rotors stem from the E420.

Although engine tuning is an AMG speciality, the 280bhp six is not unalloyed joy. Yes, it’s quiet, refined, eager to rev and commendably smooth, but there is an irritating hump in the torque curve at about 4000rpm where the switchable camshaft comes into play. Unfortunately, the transmission has a habit Of slipping into the next gear just under 4000rpm, so below that threshold, the engine feels somewhat restrained. Above it, Mercedes C36 AMG takes off like an E500.

The Audi's biggest boon - and its biggest handicap - is its Quattro 4wd system. Thanks to Quattro, the S2 is virtually immune to bad weather, bad roads and bad drivers. It fusslessly goes wherever you point it, and remains as neutral as a good umpire, unless you force the issue. Using lowered suspension, tauter gas-pressure shock absorbers, uprated springs and wider 205/55ZR16 tyres (KIeber C551 Z), the S2 has got what it takes to swim with the fast fish. Despite pronounced body roll and a bit too much early understeer, the Audi is invincible in. the wet, and is extremely forgiving at the limit where not even brusque lift-off actions perturb the rear end. And when things get really tough, the lockable rear diff will pull you out of trouble.

The one and only drawback of the Audi Quattro concept is the amount of internal friction and inertia it produces. Since 4wd involves at least twice as many cogs, driveshafts and propshafts as 2wd, it takes a while for the turbo power to reach all four wheels, and it takes even longer to crunch from one ratio to the next. The heavy clutch is not always up to its herculean task and the gearbox is quick but rather vague. The weight of the Quattro system takes its toll, too. But while the complexity of the 4wd hardware could demoralise a lesser engine, the turbocharged five always has enough boost pressure on tap to set the combined cogworks on fire.

Coarse, noisy and thirsty, the S2 engine needs to be kept on a roll to deliver. Although it has plenty of bottom-end grunt, it lacks that important initial spark. In certain conditions, the Audi can be significantly faster than both the М3 and the C36, but it tends to be less involving, remaining utterly failsafe until - at a point way beyond that which most drivers will ever reach - it all of a sudden runs out of grip, roadholding and traction. The power-assisted steering can be quite ponderous (it doesn't like sudden lane- changes or fast esses), Audi S2 brakes, though powerful, are wooden and difficult to modulate (the ABS can be switched off), and the harsh ride and rumbling suspension display room for improvement. The S2 is more stable at high speed and more predictable at the limit than its challengers, but its handling becomes cumbersome on winding roads.

Mercedes-Benz  C36  W202 has all the ingredients of a world-beater, and yet it is constantly struggling to get its act together. Again, its traction- control system steps in to spoil your fun, sometimes forcing you to double- or triple-apex a corner. It also suffers badly from brake dive and acceleration squat. Body roll, on the other hand, is well controlled, the brakes are powerful and fast, and the turning circle is commendably tight. The steering is not all good, though: it feels lifeless, its weighting is over-light, and there is too much slack around the straightahead. Other C36 drawbacks include the excessively elastic throttle, instability under braking, the time it takes to stop on slippery surfaces (the ABS module doesn't seem to be quick enough) and the car's aversion to cross winds. More minor irritations were the single-blade wiper, the foot-operated parking brake and the overloaded column-mounted wlper-washer- flasher-indicator stalk.

The BMW is by no means flawless, but it is much more of a sports car than Mercedes C36 AMG  or Audi S2. The М3 E36 has the best engine, the most communicative controls and a clear-cut chassis that allows you to play with the power when you feel like it. Nevertheless, it is by no means a convincing winner. Its foremost weakness Is the undergeared and underdamped steering, which isn't quick enough for such a fast car. It will tie knots in your arms as you struggle to wind on more and more lock - and widen your pupils when you have to reel it all in to prevent the rear end from snapping full circle. That doesn't happen very often but, when it does, oversteer is ‘neither particularly predictable nor very progressive.

The М3 has other vices, too. The brakes might be superb in the dry, but they're absolutely appalling in the wet. Directional stability is also below par, deceleration is a zig-zag exercise on uneven tarmac, and the ride is jittery around town. Less serious, but irritating, are the tiny door mirrors, the minuscule dash pushbuttons and the narrow pull-out headrests.

But the М3 still wins, above all because it is more agile and more entertaining than either the Audi or the Mercedes. The S2 ranks second. Its main fortes are its spacious cabin, lusty engine and sure-footed 4wd chassis.

Mercedes C36 AMG comes in last. It is too expensive, too much of a compromise and not enough of a driver's car, even though it is relaxed, forgiving and relatively well equipped.  On the subject of equipment the German standard-kit lists of all three are disappointingly workaday, considering their  elitist pricing: none of them I comes with a sunroof, leather  trim, air-conditioning, anti-theft device, or even a radio.  Included in the price are ABS,  alloy wheels, tinted glass,  remote-control mirrors, sports  seats, driver-side airbag, сеntral locking and power windows, while the C36 AMG also has cruise control and a passenger airbag. 

Still, there is no doubt that three contestants set new  standards in performance, as well as passive and active safety, even if it is equally deal that they are not as challenging or as emotion-provoking as their predecessors. Mercedes C36 AMG  is a haw hearted rehash of the 190E 2.5- 16 Evolution II, the S2 is no match for the Quattro coupe,  and the new М3 isn't half as exciting as the memorable Sport Evo. Bigger, better, faster progress comes in strange shapes and sizes.