Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4Matic＋ Coupe
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BMW M4 Competition M xDrive Coupe
CLE boosted by motor and double boost
The “M256M” unit is an improved version of the “M256” that was installed in the previous E-Class Coupe. The electric supercharger increases the maximum boost pressure from 0.4 bar to 1.5 bar.
Let’s be honest. The performance of these two cars is completely excessive. The CLE53 barely manages to stay within the upper limit of what is comfortable to drive on public roads. This is where AMG’s skillful judgment and unique sense of balance shines. On the other hand, the M4 Competition completely surpasses the upper limit of what is comfortable to drive on public roads. This deviation is the source of that thrilling excitement…
Let’s start by looking at the CLE53. To give you a quick rundown of the specs, the engine is a 3.0-liter inline-six direct-injection engine, combined with a 48V mild hybrid, an electric supercharger, and a turbocharger. This gives it 449 PS/560 Nm of power and torque.
What’s unique about this power unit is that not only does the turbo boast maximum power output at high rpm, but the electric supercharger mainly functions at low and mid-speed ranges, producing extremely thick torque and boasting overwhelming power at all speeds. The transmission is a 9-speed automatic. The 4Matic+ AWD system seamlessly controls the front/rear torque distribution from 50:50 to 0:100 using an electronically controlled coupling. Incidentally, the test vehicle weighs 2,000 kg.
The instrument panel is modeled after the C-Class. An 11.9-inch monitor tilted about 6 degrees toward the driver’s seat allows for detailed adjustment of the driving mode. The test vehicle was equipped with the Leather Exclusive Package, which includes genuine leather seats, multi-control seatbacks, a Burmester 3D sound system, and more.
The drive modes available are “Snow,” “Comfort,” “Sport,” “Sport+,” “Race,” and “Individual,” and each mode allows for fine-tuning of the shift program, engine characteristics, suspension characteristics, steering weight, and more, to a certain extent.
What’s unique is the suspension settings. I don’t know the actual figures, but in Snow, Comfort, and Sport modes, the damping force on the compression side feels higher than on the rebound side as a balance. This is the opposite of a typical damper setting. So, when you turn the steering roughly, you get a bumpy up and down movement, as if the damper has loosened. Also, while high damping force on the compression side might seem like it would make the ride uncomfortable, it’s actually not that bad because the rebound damping force is loosened.
Although its size is comparable to that of the previous E-Class Coupe, the wide tread with overfenders, the sense of rigidity provided by the center pillar, and the high cornering performance provided by the rear axle steering make it boast sure-footed handling that makes you forget about its weight of approximately 2 tons.
The advantage of this setting is its excellent line tracing ability. Although it is unrealistic in Japan, when driving at speeds of 150km/h or 200km/h, the dampers do not sink as much, so the car responds accurately to steering inputs. On the other hand, in sports driving where intense steering inputs are expected, this setting makes the car’s movement unstable. Therefore, in Sport+ and Race modes, the rebound damping force is significantly increased, which changes the setting to suppress the car’s up and down movement.
This setting basically uses dampers to suppress the car’s movement, so it handles rough, winding roads at high speeds surprisingly smoothly. The front/rear torque distribution is advertised as being 0:100, but in reality, about 30-40% of the drive is always on the front wheels (or so it feels). This means there’s always a solid sense of drive on all four wheels, allowing you to press the accelerator deeply with confidence. The calm and poise of the car at that time is what makes the AMG CLE53 so special.
The M4 can be transformed into both 4WD and FR
The “S58B30A” unit is exclusive to the familiar M high-performance model. With the minor change, maximum output has been increased by 20 PS, now boasting 530 PS/650 Nm.
Meanwhile, the M4 Competition is equipped with a 3.0-liter inline-6 twin-turbo engine that produces 530 PS/650 Nm, an 8-speed automatic transmission, and weighs 1,790 kg.
The drive system is M xDrive (also known as AWD), and the center differential uses an electronically controlled hydraulic multi-plate clutch. Apart from the “Road,” “Sport,” and “Track” driving modes, it is also possible to individually adjust the settings of the powertrain and drivetrain, including the engine and chassis. Of these, M xDrive offers three modes: “4WD,” “4WD Sport,” and “2WD.”
The interior and exterior of the M4 were updated in a minor change in July this year. The interior design around the air conditioning vents has been changed. The test drive vehicle was equipped with the option of full leather carbon fiber bucket seats. The “M Drive Professional” can adjust the operation of the ESC in 10 stages (also optional).
Even when actually driving, you can feel the difference between 4WD and 4WD Sport. With 4WD, the basic front/rear drive force distribution is about 40:60. With 4WD Sport, this changes to about 20:80. There is a difference in the drive feel of the front tires, which is also reflected in the movement of the nose when turning in. The feeling is that 4WD is solid, while 4WD Sport has a lighter nose movement. And when you switch to 2WD, the drive feel from the front disappears completely, and you can enjoy the clean response and taste of the good old FR BMW.
One of the attractions of the M4 is the smooth, sharp acceleration of the straight-six twin turbo engine, which is extremely precise. With such immense power and torque, it takes a lot of concentration to control it, but even that is a joy.
The M4, which has long been rear-wheel drive, has now been redesigned to be all-wheel drive (although it also has a 2WD mode). The steering feels lighter and the gear ratio is quicker, making the handling noticeably more nimble than the CLE 53.
However, the suspension feels a bit too stiff. The “Competition” grade offers an excuse for being a spartan, but on high-speed, undulating winding roads, the stiff springs’ rebound force actually gets in the way, and the car becomes unruly when riding on undulating road surfaces. It’s unable to suppress changes in posture due to external disturbances. However, on flat roads, when the suspension is compressed using power (traction) or the tire grip absorbs roll, the car demonstrates such precise and excellent handling that you’d think it was a BMW. And once you descend the mountain and return to the lowlands, the harsh appearance disappears and the M4 returns to the face of a gentle sports car.
To cross the line or not to cross the line
[1]
[2]
[1] If you choose the Leather Exclusive Package for the CLE 53, the tires and wheels will be 20 inches. The tire size is 265/35R20 in the front and 295/30R20 in the rear. [2] The M4’s wheels are forged and come standard with black-painted “Double Spoke Styling M826”. The tire size is 275/35R19 in the front and 285/30R20 in the rear.
At the beginning, I wrote that “the M4 exceeds the upper limit of what is comfortable to drive on public roads,” and this is largely due to the suspension settings. Of course, the M4 is a model designed for full-scale circuit driving, so this is a natural result. If your driving stage is mainly winding roads, the M440i is also an option.
As you can see, the CLE53 and M4 have different characters. At first glance, they seem to belong to the same category of high-performance coupes, but the difference is that the CLE53 stays at the upper limit for public roads, while the M4 is designed with circuit driving in mind.
Both are exciting and undoubtedly packed with elements of fun, but unless you carefully consider what you want to enjoy and where you want to enjoy it, you may find that it’s not as enjoyable as you expected.
REPORT / Satoshi Saito
PHOTO / Wataru Tamura
MAGAZINE / GENROQ January 2025 issue
SPECIFICATIONS
Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4Matic+ Coupe
Body size: Length 4855mm, Width 1935mm, Height 1435mm,
Wheelbase: 2875mm
, Vehicle weight: 1970kg,
Engine type: Inline 6-cylinder DOHC Supercharged + Turbo,
Total displacement: 2996cc,
Maximum output: 330kW (449PS) / 5800-6100rpm,
Maximum torque: 560Nm (57.1kgm) / 2200-5000rpm,
Transmission: 9-speed AT,
Drive system: AWD,
Suspension: Front 4-link, Rear multi-link,
Brakes: Front and rear ventilated discs,
Tire size: Front 265/40R19, Rear 295/35R19,
Top speed: 270km/h,
0-100km/h acceleration: 4.2 seconds,
Vehicle price: 12.9 million yen
BMW M4 Competition M xDrive Coupe
Body size: Total length 4805mm, total width 1885mm, total height 1400mm,
wheelbase: 2885mm,
vehicle weight: 1790kg,
engine type: inline 6-cylinder DOHC twin turbo,
total displacement: 2992cc,
maximum output: 390kW (530PS) / 6250rpm,
maximum torque: 650Nm (66.3kgm) / 2750-5730rpm,
transmission: 8-speed AT,
drive system: AWD,
suspension: front strut, rear multi-link
, brakes: front and rear ventilated discs,
tire size: front 275/35R19, rear 285/30R20,
top speed: 290km/h,
0-100km/h acceleration: 3.5 seconds,
vehicle price: 14.58 million yen
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