2000 Mercedes-Benz C-Class SportCoupe AMG (C203) 32 CDI 5AT RWD (354 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Normally, you’d consider supercars, limited-edition, and ultra-powerful models as the rarest AMGs in history. Still, there are some rarer ones, and few people remember them. Two extremely atypical AMG versions are the Mercedes-Benz C 32 AMG SportCoupe and the C 30 CDI AMG SportCoupe, one rarer than the other and almost impossible to find in the wild.

For people who don’t remember it, the C-Class SportCoupe in non-AMG guise was the smallest Mercedes-Benz ever offered on the North American market in the early 2000s. Based on the W203 generation of the C-Class, it was a compact hatchback that tried to target a younger audience for Mercedes-Benz. It was also the carmaker’s first real foray into the world of premium compact cars.

Since it was based on the C-Class platform, all powertrains were longitudinal and sent power to the rear wheels only, a trait shared only with the ill-fated BMW 3 Series Compact. Since all engines were shared with the model’s bigger brothers, it also included two of the rarest AMG versions to ever leave Affalterbach.

Oddly enough, the diesel-powered C 30 CDI AMG was the better-sold version, but we are still talking three-figure sales. The inline-five powering it was based on the OM612 (270 CDI), but AMG engineers had increased its displacement to 3.0 liters and modified its turbocharger. The resulting 231 PS (228 HP) were nothing to write home about in a world where 300+ HP entry-level premium sedans were common.

That said, the 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) of torque was more than what the C 32 AMG was producing, so the C 30 CDI AMG SportCoupe could more than torch its rear tires from a traffic light. Less than a thousand customers opted to choose a hatchback AMG powered by a diesel, though.

Even fewer customers, probably in the single digits, chose to buy its more powerful gasoline brother, the C 32 AMG SportCoupe. Part of the issue was that this model wasn’t even available in regular Mercedes showrooms and could only be ordered in 2002 and 2003 by special request from the AMG Studio.

The powertrain was identical to the one found in the C 32 AMG sedan and station wagon, so we’re talking about a supercharged 3.2-liter V6 with 354 PS (349 HP) and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque. Both the C 30 CDI AMg and the C 32 AMG sent their power to the rear wheels through an AMG-massaged 5-speed automatic transmission with a torque converter.

Apart from the upgraded engines, both compact AMGs had stiffer suspension, upgraded brakes front and rear, and sported the same AMG bodykit as their bigger brothers. On top of it, almost every feature that was optional on non-AMGs was present as standard, including things like Xenon headlights or leather upholstery.