It took some whittling, but the minds at Mercedes-Benz have carved a proper sports coupe out of the C-Class sedan. They've created the C230 Sports Coupe, a rear-wheel-drive two-door hatchback with a supercharged engine and a damn fine manual transmission. And Mercedes-Benz priced it for the little people. The C230 starts at $25,595 ($5,000 cheaper than a C-Class sedan), which makes this the cheapest Mercedes-Benz on the road.
Although 7 inches shorter than the C-Class sedan, this isn't exactly a pocket rocket. The C230's 178.3 inch overall length is 6 inches longer than an RSX, and its 106.9-inch wheelbase is massive compared with the Acura's 101.2-inch wheel span. With its hatch open, the C230's cargo area looks like a carport for a Civic Si.
The good stuff is under the hood. There you'll find the supercharged, 192-hp four-cylinder engine, which does duty in the Mercedes-Benz SLK roadster. This 16-valve, DOHC, 2.3-liter engine has always been a bit of a growler, lacking the high-rpm harmony we're accustomed to from Japanese-built engines. Fortunately, the Roots-type supercharger soothes the German-built engine's coarse power pulses and helps deliver its peak torque of 200 lb-ft from 2500 rpm to 4800 rpm.
This is a decent amount of power. Even with a portly 3,439 lbs. of car to motivate, the Sports Coupe takes 7.7 sec. to get to 60 mph. The quarter mile comes up in 15.5 sec at 89.4 mph. That's quicker than a Sentra SE-R and only two-tenths slower than a Lexus IS 300. Plus, the tight gear ratios of the six-speed manual transmission make the engine feel far livelier than you'd expect. A half-height shift lever shortens the shift throws, although the action of the linkage itself feels fairly numb.
The C230 also has plenty of brakes, with thick 11.8-inch rotors in front and narrower 11.4-inch rotors in the rear. What's interesting, though, is what Mercedes does with its brake system. The rotors are specially designed to take a lot of heat from hard applications. More important, the Sports Coupe has electronic brake assist just like the rest of the Mercedes-Benz line, so the brake system can actually read the amount of brake force you're using at the pedal and translate that into a more powerful, more controllable distribution of braking effect.
Inside, the interior has the same unique textured aluminum trim as the AMG C32 sedan. There are also high-bolstered sports seats, a cadre of interior features (dual-zone air-condition among them) and a proper gauge cluster. This is not a cut-rate Mercedes.
Our tester also had the optional panorama sunroof, which uses two retractable panels to afford an extra-large skyward view. There's a virtually uninterrupted stretch of glass all the way back to the transparent panel between the taillights.
As a result, this Merc is an outstanding highway car, a fine piece for traveling long distances. It floats down the highway, riding easily on its springs while the twin-tube gas shocks keep the weight under control. In the grand Mercedes tradition, this is an effortless car to drive fast. You can keep up a terrific pace without feeling worn out at the end of the day.