Today's car of the day comes from Firehawk73's collection and is Hot Wheels' 1996 Mercedes Benz C-Class.
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a compact executive car produced by Mercedes-Benz. Introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 (W201) range, the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's lineup until the arrival of the A-Class in 1997. The C-Class is built at Mercedes-Benz factories in Sindelfingen and Bremen, Germany as well as numerous satellite factories in other countries. The very first C-Class (W202) sedan was produced on 1 June 1993, and the first second generation (W203) rolled off the assembly line on July 18, 2000. The most recent third generation (W204) launched in 2007.
Although originally sold in sedan and station wagon body styles, the W203 series in 2000 debuted a coupe version that later when facelifted diverged into the Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class. The CLC-Class remained in production through to 2011 when replaced by a new W204-based C-Class coupe. All three generations of C-Class have also formed the basis of Mercedes-Benz's larger mid-size coupes: the CLK-Class (C208 and C209) and E-Class (C207) coupes.
For more information and pictures of the real car please visit: Mercedes-Benz C-Class
In October 1986, three years into W201 (190)'s production run, work began on a successor. Design work began in 1987, with the final design being selected in late 1988, and patented on December 19, 1990. In May 1993, the first generation W202 C-Class was introduced as a replacement for the 190. The C-Class sedan was the company's entry-level model up until 1997, when Mercedes launched the A-Class. Styling themes were carried over from the previous W201 series, but the new series had a smoother and rounder design than the previous generation of compact Mercedes.
In 1995, the C-Class received its first genuine performance model, the C 36 AMG, to counter the new six-cylinder BMW M3. Developed with AMG, the tuning house that had now become a subsidiary of Daimler-Benz, it had racing-tuned suspension (lowered by 25 mm (1 in)) and in the USA, a four-speed automatic gearbox, followed by a standard five-speed automatic gearbox. The 3.6 L engine had a maximum output of 280 PS (206 kW; 276 hp) at 5750 rpm and 385 N·m (284 lb·ft) at 4000 rpm. Top speed was electronically limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). Only a total of 5200 C 36 AMGs were produced.
In late 1997 (1998 model year) AMG released a new flagship for the C-Class, the C 43 AMG, powered by a 4.3 L V8, which could now achieve 306 PS (225 kW; 302 hp) at 5850 rpm, with a torque of 410 N·m (302 lb·ft) at 3250 rpm. Unlike the C36, which was in fact a "ready-to-sell" C280 disassembled for tuning at the AMG factory, the C43 was the first AMG car to be completely assembled at the AMG plant in Affalterbach after the acquisition of AMG by Daimler-Benz in 1998. The C43 AMG can achieve a 0–100 km/h (0-60 mph) time in 5.8 seconds for the saloon version and 6.1 seconds for the estate. The C43 was the first C-Class to be equipped with a Mercedes-Benz V8 based engine.
Two versions exist: a saloon (chassis W202.033) and estate also called the "T version" (chassis W202.093). The overall body of the C43 AMG estate version has many similarities with the C36 AMG, except for the front and rear bumpers as well as the side body, both of which were re-designed. The black engine cover with the chrome AMG and Mercedes-Benz star logos is also very typical from that period in this market segment.
Some differences have been reported between the 1998 and the 2000 version such as the ECU software on the 2000 version that seems to provide better gearbox performances and longer life to the gearbox. Also the 2000 model gives the possibility to up or down lift the steering wheel and has the AMG forged letters on the brakes calipers.
The car was manufactured for a little more than two years – from the end of 1997 to the spring of 2000 for a total of 4,200 units 20% of which are estates and 80% saloons, with only 25 C 43 vehicles of the 2000 model year imported to the US.
The C43 is powered by a tuned version of the 4.3-liter M113 V8 engine originally found on the W210 E 430 model. After modifications this engine delivers 306PS (225 kW) at 5,850 rpm, up to 410Nm(302 lb/ft) of torque at 3,250 rpm-5,000 rpm (taken at the crank) and up to 241HP at 6,320 rpm measured at the wheels. According to Mercedes-Benz, the car can reach 155.5MPH (250 km/h), with electronic speed limitation and 168MPH (270 km/h) without. Transmission is an AMG-modified version of the five-speed automatic gearbox found on 1998-2000 R129 SL 500. Main modifications were made in order to achieve a more crisper and better adapted gearbox to higher-rpm upshifts. Also the braking system has been taken from the W210 E 55 AMG.
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