99 C230 KOMPRESSOR SPECS ROCKER COVER FULL

The 2.3-liter engine produces an impressive 185 horsepower at 5300 rpm. The crankshaft-driven supercharger compresses intake air that is then cooled by an intercooler packing the engine with a dense charge. The C230 Kompressor is powered by the same double overhead cam, 16-valve inline-4 that goes under the hood of the SLK roadster. (All prices include $595 destination charge.) Three C-Class models consist of the $31,795 C230 Kompressor reviewed here, the V6-powered $36,195 C280, and the limited-production, ultra-performance $53,595 C43. There is no doubt the C-Class sedan is a Mercedes-Benz, from its unmistakable profile to its three-pointed hood ornament to the latest iteration of the traditional Mercedes grille. WalkaroundĬ-Class sedans are the smallest of the three classes of Mercedes-Benz sedans, which includes the larger E-Class and patrician S-Class. The only reason to pass on this package is its slightly firmer ride, but we found the optional sport-tuned suspension pleasantly firm. It not only sharpens the handling of the C230 Kompressor but also gives the junior Mercedes four-door a slightly naughty track-ready look. Our car was equipped with the Sport Package, a remarkable bargain at only $890. That may not be as quick as the limited-production V8-powered C43 performance sedan that tops the C-Class line-up, but it is quick and the C230 Kompressor is much more accessible with a base price not far over 30 grand.

99 C230 KOMPRESSOR SPECS ROCKER COVER FULL

Anyone driving last year’s C230 would quickly find out, however, as the 1999 C230 Kompressor scampers from rest to 60 mph in a factory-claimed 8.1 seconds, a full two seconds faster than the older model. Mercedes renames the C230 in honor of the sports car’s engine, appending “Kompressor” – German for supercharger – to the alphanumeric, adding a shiny badge to the trunklid to make sure everyone knows. Stir in the Sport option package, and the solid but stolid C230 becomes a sport compact with a 0-60 mph acceleration time only a tick slower than its V6-powered C280 sibling. Installing a sports car engine in a sedan often results in an unhappy combination, but when Mercedes-Benz took the engine from the SLK230 and dropped it in the C-Class, it added wings to the heels of its entry-level sedan.

99 c230 kompressor specs rocker cover