This week BMW's M3 hits the road. Next year, its Mercedes challenger arrives in the form of the quicker, more powerful and almost certainly more expensive C63 AMG.

Where the ??50,625 BMW coupe produces 420bhp from a 4.0-litre V8 engine and hits 62mph in 4.8 seconds, the Mercedes-Benz saloon makes 451bhp and does the 0-62mph sprint in 4.5 seconds. The BMW has a six-speed manual gearbox; the 6.2-litre Mercedes has a paddleshift seven-speed automatic. Top speed is limited to 155mph in both cases.

Source: [url=http://www.channel4.com/4car/news/news-story.jsp?news_id=16284]Channel 4 News[/url]