It really hasn't been that long, but it feels like forever. The predecessors of the current Audi RS 4 Avant, Mercedes-AMG C 63 and BMW M3 all used naturally aspirated V8 engines — not a turbo in sight…
Forget pro-regulation and artificially generated soundtracks. Here comes the rumbling noise — especially in the case of the C 63 — and also shrill — RS 4 Avant and M3 exceed 8000 rpm — from the three naturally aspirated V8s.
Carwow, perhaps plagued by some nostalgic feeling, has brought together for its latest drag race the B8 generation of the RS 4 Avant, the W204 generation of the C 63 AMG and the E90 generation of the M3.
As it is today, it is the engine of the C 63 AMG that stands out. It's still the only one of the group to keep a V8 today — the V8 also seems to be on its way out in the next generation — but at the time it was the one who owned the biggest V8 of all: 6208 cm3. Much more than the 4163 cm3 of the RS 4 Avant or the 3999 cm3 of the M3. And the sound? The sound… is the closest to furious thunder.
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It could be the one with the least rotation (6800 rpm), but it was the most powerful, with 467 hp and having so many cubic centimeters, which has more torque, 600 Nm. The RS 4 Avant responded with 450 hp and 430 Nm, and it is the only one to have the aid of all-wheel drive (which makes it the heaviest), which can give it a crucial advantage in starting. The M3 with 420 hp and 400 Nm is the one with the lowest numbers, but it's also the lightest. All of them are equipped with automatic transmissions — dual clutch for Audi and BMW, torque converter for Mercedes.
Is it like the Americans say “there's no replacement for displacement” (something like there's no substitute for cubic centimeters) and will we see the C 63 AMG take its rivals to the win in this unusual clash of naturally aspirated V8s?
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