Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Can the 2008 BMW M3, Audi RS4, and Mercedes C63 AMG still compete with today's best? Jason Cammisa pits the three V8-powered German Compact Sedans against today's best Sport Sedan, the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing.
===
HAGERTY MARKETPLACE AUCTIONS:
E92 M3: hagerty.com/marketplace/auction/2008-BMW-M3/ce835789-7e86-47e9-87dd-cc07303d2e1e
C63 AMG: hagerty.com/marketplace/auction/2008-Mercedes-Benz-C63-AMG/e10b887c-b0ff-4031-b686-57f7c32f416c
B7 RS4: hagerty.com/marketplace/auction/2008-Audi-RS4/d27ebd11-23bc-4f67-bc97-9a8c03256edf
HAGERTY INSURANCE QUOTE: hagerty.com/jason
or just jasonsentme.com
===
RETRO cars, modern PERSPECTIVE, welcome to our new show, "RetroSpective." In this episode, Jason revisits the only year where lightning stuck three times: 2008, when there were three, high-revving, V-8-powered compact sport sedans.
Many believe this was the Peak Sport Sedan era, and Cammisa sets out to find out two things:
1. Did the magazines get the comparison-test finishing order correct back in 2008? and;
2. How do these near-classic cars compare to today's best sport sedan, in feel and in speed?
The B7-chassis Audi RS4 came first, for the 2007 model year in America. It had a 4.2-liter direct-injection, DOHC 4-valve-per-cylinder V-8 with an 8000-rpm redline (8250-rpm rev limiter), making it the then highest-revving cross-plane-crankshaft V-8 in history. It made 420 hp, or 100 hp/liter, also a production-car record for an engine of this configuration.
A year later, BMW dropped the E90 and E92-chassis M3 (sedan and coupe, respectively.) Its "S65" V-8 made the same power (420 PS, 414 hp SAE) from just 4.0-liters, breaking the Audi's specific-output record. It also revved even higher, with an 8250-rpm redline (and 8400-rpm limiter.) It used Independent Throttle Bodies, adding a layer of intake noise to the Audi-beating, haunting exhaust wail.
That same year, Mercedes dropped its M156 6.2-liter ("6.3") V-8 into the compact W204 to create the C63 AMG. With 451 hp, it was considerably more powerful than either the BMW or the Audi, but it wasn't available with a manual transmission. In place of the other cars' 6-speed manuals, it used a 7-speed automatic. And it was also the heaviest of the bunch.
Now that nearly 20 years have elapsed, we know that each engine has one major problem area (the Audi gums its intake valve with carbon deposits; the BMW chews through rod bearings; and the Mercedes suffers from head-bolt failure.) But none is a fatal flaw, especially in light of how great they sound, and how satisfying they (still) are to drive,
But can they hold a candle to today's benchmark sport sedan, the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing? Its twin-turbocharged V-6 makes similar power to the old cars, but is missing the V-8 lope. Are all the other improvements made over the past two decades enough that it's "game over" for the old car? Or are they still relevant competitors?
You'll have to watch for the full story — an entertaining episode with big slides, a drag race, and all the perspective you expect from a Jason Cammisa video.
hagerty.com/marketplace
Subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications! bit.ly/HagertyYouTube
Follow us on social media:
Facebook | facebook.com/Hagerty
Instagram | instagram.com/Hagerty
Twitter | twitter.com/Hagerty
Contact us:
Suggestions and feedback - videoquestions@hagerty.com
Press inquiries - press@hagerty.com
Partnership requests - partnerships@hagerty.com
Can the 2008 BMW M3, Audi RS4, and Mercedes C63 AMG still compete with today's best? Jason Cammisa pits the three V8-powered German Compact Sedans against today's best Sport Sedan, the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing.
===
HAGERTY MARKETPLACE AUCTIONS:
E92 M3: hagerty.com/marketplace/auction/2008-BMW-M3/ce835789-7e86-47e9-87dd-cc07303d2e1e
C63 AMG: hagerty.com/marketplace/auction/2008-Mercedes-Benz-C63-AMG/e10b887c-b0ff-4031-b686-57f7c32f416c
B7 RS4: hagerty.com/marketplace/auction/2008-Audi-RS4/d27ebd11-23bc-4f67-bc97-9a8c03256edf
HAGERTY INSURANCE QUOTE: hagerty.com/jason
or just jasonsentme.com
===
RETRO cars, modern PERSPECTIVE, welcome to our new show, "RetroSpective." In this episode, Jason revisits the only year where lightning stuck three times: 2008, when there were three, high-revving, V-8-powered compact sport sedans.
Many believe this was the Peak Sport Sedan era, and Cammisa sets out to find out two things:
1. Did the magazines get the comparison-test finishing order correct back in 2008? and;
2. How do these near-classic cars compare to today's best sport sedan, in feel and in speed?
The B7-chassis Audi RS4 came first, for the 2007 model year in America. It had a 4.2-liter direct-injection, DOHC 4-valve-per-cylinder V-8 with an 8000-rpm redline (8250-rpm rev limiter), making it the then highest-revving cross-plane-crankshaft V-8 in history. It made 420 hp, or 100 hp/liter, also a production-car record for an engine of this configuration.
A year later, BMW dropped the E90 and E92-chassis M3 (sedan and coupe, respectively.) Its "S65" V-8 made the same power (420 PS, 414 hp SAE) from just 4.0-liters, breaking the Audi's specific-output record. It also revved even higher, with an 8250-rpm redline (and 8400-rpm limiter.) It used Independent Throttle Bodies, adding a layer of intake noise to the Audi-beating, haunting exhaust wail.
That same year, Mercedes dropped its M156 6.2-liter ("6.3") V-8 into the compact W204 to create the C63 AMG. With 451 hp, it was considerably more powerful than either the BMW or the Audi, but it wasn't available with a manual transmission. In place of the other cars' 6-speed manuals, it used a 7-speed automatic. And it was also the heaviest of the bunch.
Now that nearly 20 years have elapsed, we know that each engine has one major problem area (the Audi gums its intake valve with carbon deposits; the BMW chews through rod bearings; and the Mercedes suffers from head-bolt failure.) But none is a fatal flaw, especially in light of how great they sound, and how satisfying they (still) are to drive,
But can they hold a candle to today's benchmark sport sedan, the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing? Its twin-turbocharged V-6 makes similar power to the old cars, but is missing the V-8 lope. Are all the other improvements made over the past two decades enough that it's "game over" for the old car? Or are they still relevant competitors?
You'll have to watch for the full story — an entertaining episode with big slides, a drag race, and all the perspective you expect from a Jason Cammisa video.
hagerty.com/marketplace
Subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications! bit.ly/HagertyYouTube
Follow us on social media:
Facebook | facebook.com/Hagerty
Instagram | instagram.com/Hagerty
Twitter | twitter.com/Hagerty
Contact us:
Suggestions and feedback - videoquestions@hagerty.com
Press inquiries - press@hagerty.com
Partnership requests - partnerships@hagerty.com
