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The M3 and the C63 have been each other's default rival for two decades, and the current cars represent genuinely different answers to the same question. We hire an older C63 S alongside our four M3s, so this comparison comes from driving them rather than comparing brochures.
Drive both, decide for yourself
Two bookings, one weekend, the same roads. Tell us the dates and we will make sure both are available.
“Great car and excellent service. Everything went smoothly and easy. Will hire again.”
— Daniel B, Google review (10 reviews)★★★★★
Two Different Philosophies, Both in Our Fleet
The M3 and the C63 have defined this segment against each other for two decades, and the reason the rivalry has lasted is that the two manufacturers keep answering the same brief in genuinely different ways rather than converging on one answer.
BMW's approach, expressed through the M3's twin-turbo straight six, prioritises precision and a rev-hungry character. AMG's approach, through the C63's V8, prioritises effortless torque and a sense of occasion from the engine note alone. Neither is objectively correct and both are excellent at what they set out to do.
We hire both, which is unusual - most operators pick a side. That means this comparison is written from actually driving them on the same Sydney roads rather than from two separate brochures.
The Engines: Straight Six vs V8
The M3's S55, covered in detail in our engine explainer, is a 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight six making 450 horsepower in Competition specification. It is happiest revving, with a character that builds progressively rather than arriving all at once.
The C63 S's AMG-built V8 delivers its considerable torque low in the rev range and holds it there. You do not need to work it to access the performance - a light throttle at low revs already produces serious acceleration. It is the more relaxed engine to extract speed from, at the cost of some of the reward that comes from working the M3's engine properly.
Neither sounds like the other. The M3's turbocharged six has a flatter, more mechanical note; the V8 has genuine theatre to it, particularly under hard acceleration.
On the Road: Precision vs Presence
Through a sequence of corners, the M3 is the more agile of the two. It is lighter, the steering is more direct, and it changes direction with less apparent effort. On a technical road - the kind covered in our best Sydney roads piece - that agility is genuinely rewarding.
The C63 is not a poor handler by any measure, but its character leans toward covering ground with authority rather than dancing through a sequence of bends. It feels the more substantial car of the two, and on a longer, faster road that substance is an asset rather than a compromise.
Put simply: pick the M3 for a technical road you want to attack, and the C63 for a longer drive where effortless speed matters more than outright agility.
Price and Access
Our F80 M3s start at $400 a day and sit in the Performance tier, with a minimum driver age of 25. The C63 S sits in our Exotic tier at $700 a day, minimum driver age 25.
That is a genuine practical difference beyond taste. Under 25, neither is available to you. At 25 or over and the budget allows either, the choice comes down entirely to which engine character and which price point suits the day.
Which One for Which Kind of Day
A technical drive on a tight, twisting road, driver of any eligible age, budget-conscious: the M3.
A longer cruise where effortless overtaking and a sense of occasion matter more than outright cornering agility, driver 25 or over: the C63 S.
Genuinely undecided: book both across a weekend. It is the only comparison that actually settles the question, because everything written about either car - including this - is describing a feeling rather than measuring one.
Everything about our four M3s specifically is on the M3 hub.
Interior and Everyday Character
Beyond the engines, the two cars feel different to simply sit in and drive around in normal traffic, and it is worth knowing before you commit a full day to either.
The C63's cabin leans toward the plush end of the performance-car spectrum - Mercedes' interiors of this era are generally considered a step ahead of BMW's on outright material quality and ambience, even where the underlying technology is comparable. It is the more relaxing car to simply sit in.
The M3's cabin is more purposeful and slightly more clinical, particularly in the F80. It does not feel like a compromise, but it does feel more overtly like a driver's tool than a comfortable cruiser, which is consistent with the rest of the car's character.
In stop-start Sydney traffic - which any full-day hire will include some of - the C63's more relaxed low-speed manners and smoother automatic gearbox make it the easier car to simply live with for the parts of the day that are not the drive itself.
What Each Car Is Genuinely Better At
Stated plainly rather than hedged: the M3 is the better car on a technical road with real corners, where its lighter weight and sharper responses are a genuine advantage that a driver will feel within the first few kilometres.
The C63 is the better car for a long, fast drive where the priority is covering ground with authority - overtaking effortlessly, cruising with less driver effort, and delivering serious pace without needing to be worked for it.
Neither ranking is close to universal - plenty of experienced drivers prefer the C63's character even on a technical road, and plenty prefer the M3 even on a motorway cruise. But if you are choosing without having driven either, those are the honest tendencies to weigh against what kind of day you are actually planning.
The most useful thing we can tell you, because we hire both, is to stop reading comparisons and book one of each across a weekend if the decision genuinely matters to you. It is the only way anyone actually settles this rivalry, and it has been unsettled for twenty years for good reason - both cars are excellent, at slightly different things.
The Sound, Described Properly
Since engine note is such a large part of why people choose between these two cars, it deserves more than a passing mention.
The C63's AMG V8 produces a note that most people intuitively recognise as "what a fast car should sound like" - a deep, warm burble at idle, building to a genuinely aggressive roar under hard acceleration, with pops and crackles on the overrun in the more aggressive drive modes. It is unapologetically theatrical and it is a large part of why the C63 has such a devoted following independent of how it actually drives.
The M3's turbocharged straight six is a different proposition entirely, covered in detail in our S55 explainer. It is quieter and flatter at low revs, more mechanical than musical, with its real character emerging in turbo chatter on a trailing throttle rather than in a dramatic exhaust note. Some people find this more honest and interesting once they know to listen for it. Others simply miss the drama.
If the engine note itself is what you are chasing - the sound as much as the speed - the C63 delivers more of what most people are picturing when they imagine a fast car. If you want an engine that rewards attention to what is actually happening mechanically, the M3 offers more to discover.
A Practical Note on Booking Both
If you do decide to compare them directly, the most useful test is not simply driving each on its own day. It is driving the same specific stretch of road in each, ideally within the same hour so conditions and your own state of mind stay constant, then switching immediately. The difference in character is far more obvious back to back than it is across two separate outings a week apart, where memory tends to smooth out exactly the distinctions that matter for a decision like this.
Whichever way the comparison lands for you, both cars represent their manufacturers at their best in this category, and neither is a compromise choice against the other - a rare thing to be able to say honestly about a twenty-year rivalry.
One More Practical Difference: The Gearbox
Our F80 M3 uses a dual-clutch transmission, sharp and immediate under hard driving but with a degree of low-speed shuffle in traffic that some drivers notice and find mildly irritating on the way to and from the good roads. The C63 S uses a conventional automatic that is smoother at low speed and arguably less exciting when driven hard, trading a little of the M3's crispness for a more relaxed everyday character. On a day that is mostly spirited driving, the M3's gearbox is an asset. On a day with a lot of city traffic bookending the drive, the C63's is the easier companion.
If the BMW M3 Competition F80 is booked
We never move you down a tier. If your dates are taken, these are the performance cars we will offer instead, and we will tell you plainly if none of them is free rather than substituting something lesser on the day.
BMW M3 Competition F80
- 450hp
- Straight six
- RWD
- $400/day
Twin-turbo inline six, sharper and more precise than the C63's V8 approach, with a lighter, more agile feel through corners.
Mercedes-AMG C63 S
- V8
- RWD
- Effortless torque
- $700/day
The hand-built AMG V8, biturbo, with a wall of torque low in the rev range. A different kind of drama from the M3's revvier character.
Start with the M3
$300 a day less than the C63, with the same 25 minimum age. The cheaper entry point of the two.
Guide rates, weekday winter pricing. Longer hires taper; the exact total for your dates is shown before you pay.
The bond held on your card equals the excess of the cover you choose. It is a pre-authorisation, released after return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is faster, the M3 or the C63?
Broadly comparable, with the specific answer depending on which generation of each you compare. Our F80 M3 Competition and C63 S are in the same performance bracket - within a few tenths of each other to 100km/h - close enough that driving conditions matter more than the stopwatch.
Which has the better engine?
A matter of taste rather than fact. The M3's twin-turbo straight six revs harder and rewards being worked. The C63's V8 makes its torque lower down and delivers it with less drama required - both are excellent engines with different personalities.
Which is cheaper to hire?
Our M3s at $400 to $850 a day depending on generation and specification, against $700 for the C63 S. Both need a driver of 25 or over.
Which is more comfortable for a longer drive?
The C63, generally. AMG's V8 is more relaxed at cruising speed, delivering effortless overtaking without needing to be worked, whereas the M3 feels most alive when driven with more commitment.
Which handles better?
The M3, by most enthusiast consensus, particularly through a series of tighter corners. It is the lighter car with the more direct steering. The C63 is composed and capable but leans slightly more toward effortless power than outright agility.
Can I hire both from you?
Yes, and it is genuinely the best way to settle this comparison for yourself. Book both across a weekend and drive the same roads in each.