2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class Coupe

NOTE: This video is about the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class Coupe, but since the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class Coupe is part of the same generation, our earlier analysis still applies.

This race was a lot of fun for us. Not only for the obvious reasons (hello, fast!) but because it gave us a chance to talk about sound, exteriors, and different ways the manufacturers approach performance, such as launch control settings and drive modes.

[MUSIC PLAYING] ELANA SCHERR: Oh, man. It has been a long day here at Willow Springs. It was 8 million degrees, there were wolves. We definitely almost died about a jillion times. KURT NIEBUHR: Holy [BLEEP]. ELANA SCHERR: But it was worth it because we were able to race all three of these SUVs, and they're all good. [MUSIC PLAYING] ANNOUNCER: 3, 2, 1, go! ELANA SCHERR: This is a 2020 BMW X3 M Competition. Under the hood is a turbocharged, 3 liter, 6 cylinder engine similar to what you'd find in the X3 M40i. But instead of 382 horsepower and 365 pound feet of torque, The X3 M Competition boosts the figures to 503 horsepower and 442 pound feet of torque. If you're looking for something to surprise the other parents at daycare drop-off, the X3 M will do it. Warning, car makers: if you put competition in the name of your car, we'll consider that an order. If you have friends who hate the whole idea of a crossover coupé, it doesn't matter because you'll be going so fast in the 2020 AMG GLC 63 S coupé that you won't even hear their complaints. This beast is powered by a turbocharged, 4 liter V8, conveniently also rated at 503 horsepower. But bragging 516 pound feet of torque. This version of the GLC is an absolute monster, and since it has a launch control option specifically called race start, we obviously have to start it in a race. Ah, the Tesla Model Y. Unburdened by geared transmissions and full gas tanks, as well as being hundreds of pounds lighter than either the X3 or the GLC, the all-electric Model Y is just a charge away from charging away. This is the Edmunds long-term Model Y performance performance. Yes, that's right, it's the performance model with the performance package, and we're going to see if that double performance can perform. All three crossovers in our race are all-wheel drive, and we plan to use whatever launch assist technology they offer when we line them up and launch them. These three coupé UVs are putting the sport back in SUV, and with radically different power plans. Which one does it best? SPEAKER 1: What are you doing to prepare your car for the race? KURT NIEBUHR: I mean, I'm trying to talk real nice to it. Let it know that it's fast. ELANA SCHERR: I wanted to make sure that the transmission was in the right settings, and I wanted to make sure that all the shift points for the engine were right and that it had the-- oh no, wait. None of that, because it doesn't have any of that. KURT NIEBUHR: Seriously? This car is not too picky about that kind of stuff. You can put it in sport, you can put it in sport plus, or race mode. Then it's brake pedal hold it down, throttle pedal hold it down, and then just let it rip. REESE COUNTS: So sport plus transmissions, sport plus suspension, 6 sharp on the transmission, and then ready for launch control. ELANA SCHERR: A very important part of any race is intimidating your rivals. And normally, you do that by revving up the engine, so let's-- [CAR DINGS QUIETLY] Sorry. [MUSIC PLAYING] ANNOUNCER: Ready. 3, 2, 1, REESE COUNTS: Ah, [BLEEP] ELANA SCHERR: What happened? REESE COUNTS: I jumped it. ANNOUNCER: Drivers ready? Let's do this. 3, 2, 1, go! ELANA SCHERR: You guys all good behind me? KURT NIEBUHR: Yep. REESE COUNTS: Yeah. ELANA SCHERR: I have the feeling that I either slightly jumped that start, or the boys were badly sleeping. I mean, it is nighttime. It is well past their bedtime. They are both very old. So could be that they were napping. Ooh, bunny! REESE COUNTS: So my launch control didn't activate. KURT NIEBUHR: I'm not sure if you got a really good launch, or you did jump in I'm not sure. But didn't really matter. You pulled away anyway. ELANA SCHERR: Yeah, it was weird. It was like the second half felt like a totally different car than the first half. Are you guys going to use launch control again, or are you just going to foot break it? KURT NIEBUHR: I'm going to use launch control. REESE COUNTS: I'm going to use it this time. ANNOUNCER: Ready. 3, 2, 1, Go. REESE COUNTS: Man, this thing is sluggish [INAUDIBLE] ELANA SCHERR: Is that what you felt like in the GT500, Kurt? KURT NIEBUHR: That's exactly what I felt like but without that smug, EV feeling that comes along with it. Is there something like an electric supercharger? ELANA SCHERR: It does make a kind of supercharger whine, so I'm basically just telling myself that it's just a very quiet V8. KURT NIEBUHR: I think we could do one more quarter mile run and then do a roll race after that. ANNOUNCER: Drivers ready. 3, 2, 1, go. REESE COUNTS: God, those two are so close. I wanted this to be better, but. ELANA SCHERR: I think you got me there, Kurt. KURT NIEBUHR: I just shorted a lot of Tesla stock with that one. ELANA SCHERR: I mean, you still lost overall, and I was sleeping. KURT NIEBUHR: So if you were sleeping at the light, does that mean that you were on autopilot? ELANA SCHERR: I wonder if it could do this in autopilot. Maybe the roll racing. KURT NIEBUHR: So what we're going to try and do is a roll race here. But we have to use the honor system which, I, frankly, don't trust either of these other people. But we're going to set our speed at about 40 miles an hour and hope I can beat an electric vehicle. I hope so. ELANA SCHERR: Was that not how you're supposed to do it? KURT NIEBUHR: That's how you're supposed to do it. That thing is electric. REESE COUNTS: That felt a lot better once I was right in the power band. KURT NIEBUHR: Holy [BLEEP]. REESE COUNTS: [BLEEP] KURT NIEBUHR: Well that thing owns the roll on, that's for sure. ELANA SCHERR: The thing is it's not very exciting. I mean, I know that I'm going fast and that part is good. But it's not, nothing shakes more or makes more noise. It's just kind of like, wooshier. KURT NIEBUHR: That wooshier noise is the sound of progress. REESE COUNTS: The BMW sounds awesome. It's just slow. ELANA SCHERR: I'm really surprised that the BMW is having so much trouble, because everything that I've read about that car had pretty stout numbers for it. REESE COUNTS: It just feels like there's a 1/2 second delay off the line. It doesn't feel like it's hooking up right in the power like I expected it to. KURT NIEBUHR: Just out of curiosity, what's your battery look like? How much range you got? ELANA SCHERR: It's right about at half now. Kurt, I think the Mercedes has the most impressive lead. I mean, if I gave you even a second, even a fraction of a second, it was like, oh, man, now I've got to chase you down. KURT NIEBUHR: Yeah, it's weird racing at night because I can't see you. So I'm looking over and I'm trying to find where you are and I think in the last quarter mile run we were so close that your headlight was in the blind spot. I kept looking over and seeing black. REESE COUNTS: Don't worry, I got a good look at both of you. KURT NIEBUHR: I will say that it is somewhat demoralizing to have the sound of a V8 engine, and then just know full well that I'm getting passed by something that's making no noise whatsoever. ELANA SCHERR: I'm sorry, I'm busy. I'm doing Adele karaoke. Hello. REESE COUNTS: You hear this? ELANA SCHERR (INTERCOM): It's this thing. REESE COUNTS: This is Elana singing karaoke from the Tesla. [MUSIC PLAYING] ELANA SCHERR: The BMW may have come up short both in the drag race and at our test track, but it posted the shortest braking distance and highest lateral g on our skid pad, giving some respect to the competition part of its name. You may be surprised to see that the Benz was quickest at our test track, even though it lost most of the drag races. How does that work? Well, the Benz's engine uses air to make power, and the heat and the high altitude where we filmed this race meant it wasn't breathing as well as it was on our test track. Combine that with real-world reaction times and this is what you get. The Tesla's immediate power delivery and all-weather consistency make for high performance both at the test track and during the commute. Man, winning feels good. Winning always feels good. But winning when your competitors should beat you, when they have turbocharged engines and they come from very famous, long-standing luxury marks with a huge history of performance, and you're just in a little start-up from California, you don't even have a gas engine, it's an EV. Yeah. Yeah, that feels really good. Tesla takes it. If you want to see more videos like this, subscribe. 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