ROCKET 55; Mercedes' littlest super sedan, the C55 AMG, blasts off.

Apparently the C32 AMG's 349 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque no longer sufficed, as with its 5.2-second 0-to-60-mph time and 104.5-mph quarter-mile speed. Not in a 21st-century world marked by all things bigger, better and faster, anyway. That Mercedes-Benz would permit its littlest land missile to continue to suffer such underwhelming specs would be downright sinful, from an enthusiast perspective.

All facetiousness aside, we more than welcomed the likes of a C55 AMG, a car marked by 362 horses and 376 lb-ft of unadulterated V8 power pounding out from underhood and equipped with all the luxury pieces Mercedes could fit into its confines. It's a beast of a car, and almost universally appealing to enthusiasts.

"Everything about the C32 has been improved upon in the C55,'' said one owner. "The suspension and steering feel tighter and the interior is improved in quality and function.''

We were similarly pumped to test out this new formula from AMG, lured by its nicely updated sheetmetal and the promise of that juice. Yet by the time we flung the car around the track for a few hours we found that those extra 13 horses and 44 additional lb-ft don't translate into huge advantages for the C55. We shaved 0.15 second off the 0-to-60-mph time of the the C32 we tested in 2002, and pared only 0.17 second off the quarter-mile, clocking 13.54 seconds.

The Mercedes does handle nicely, with an easy point- and-shoot style that makes for drama-free slalom runs. Interestingly, the C55 actually performed slower through the cones than the C32, running one full mile per hour slower-and that's with a chassis layout and curb weight identical to the previous model (tuning is slightly revised, of course). Braking is better due to a more aggressive tire profile, but the C55 bests the C32 by just one foot when stopping from 60 mph. Those tires also help the C55 achieve an ever-so-slight improvement in lateral acceleration vs. the C32's 0.83 g.

Despite how closely the C55 matches up with the C32, we must admit we enjoy driving this newer model so much ...