2002 Mercedes-Benz C32 AMG 1.0

In 1994, development began on the W203 C-Class. Design work commenced in mid-1994, with the final design being approved in December 1995 by the executive board. Design patents were filed on 20 April 1998 and 4 March 1999. Testing began in 1997, with development concluding in 2000. The second generation C-Class was introduced in March 2000. The sedan debuted with a range of inline-four and V6 petrol engines and inline-four and -five diesels, later W203's received the V6 diesel. Most of the engines were carried over from the W202, but the C320 was exclusive, offering 160 kW (215 hp; 218 PS). The diesels now featured common rail direct fuel injection and variable geometry turbochargers. A six-speed manual gearbox was optional on some of the range, With exception to the C320 and C32 AMG. Notably (post 2005), for the first time, the number designations were no longer equivalent to the engine displacement, more specifically in the Mercedes C200 (1.8-litre), C240 (2.6-litre) and C200 CDI (2.2-litre).

The E 32 ML is a special version of the 3.2 L (3,199 cc), fitted with a helical Twin-screw type supercharger and water-to-air intercooler. The supercharger was developed in conjunction with IHI and features Teflon-coated rotors producing overall boost of 14.5 psi (1.00 bar). Output is 260 kW (354 PS; 349 bhp) ECE at 6,100 rpm with 450 N⋅m (332 lb⋅ft) of torque at 3,000-4,600 rpm. The compression ratio is 9.0:1.