Mercedes Now Makes an Insane Car for 'Everyone'
If you make luxury cars, some rule apparently says, you must also make a whole line of super sporty versions of your cars, to reach the customers who want to be both coddled and seen from behind. BMW has M for Motorsport. Audi uses RS (for RennSport, or racing sport). Lexus goes with 'F', for some reason. And then there’s AMG, perhaps the best known of the bunch. Previously known as AMG Motorenbau und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (the always catchy German for engine production and development) the racing and tuning firm was started by ex-Mercedes engineers in the 1960s. By the late 90s it had proven itself as the go-to place for a performance Benz modification, and was subsumed back into the family.
Now, to woo wealthy American buyers who demand extra pep and flash to show for their expenditure, Mercedes is expanding its lineup, including with a new "entry-level" AMG, the 43. If you're intrigued by this new suitor, here's what you can expect.
Mercedes has a new Goldlöckchen.
The new AMG 43 stakes out the middle ground between regular Mercedes models and the high performance AMGs (the 45, 63, and 65). The 43 is supposed to be not too boring, but also not too race-ready, because in real life, that typically means unpleasantly stiff suspension, and giant engines which hate crawling in freeway traffic. The AMG43s get more subtle enhancements.
MercedesPrepare to be confused by the names.
Because nothing can be simple, the '43' isn't one car---it's the AMG variation of a bunch of models. AMG has had a meddle with the SLC 2-seater roadster and the C-Class, making the C43 coupe, cabriolet, and sedan. There's an E43 sedan, and a GLC43, plus the coupe version (because everything must be difficult, Mercedes applies to word 'coupe' to a four-door SUV). At the top of the line, there's the full-sized SUV, the GLE43, and coupe. With the AMG43 additions, such as improved engines, upgraded suspension, and tarted up trim, the bigger vehicles feel sufficiently sporty and not too utility. Got it?
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You'll get an engine upgrade.
All the AMG43 cars get a 3.0-liter V6 biturbo---and a nice big biturbo chrome badge on the fenders in case you, or the guy in the car next to you forgets, that your car is fancier than his. AMG has tweaked the powerplant for performance with some clever software adjustments to unleash a bit more turbo boost. That makes full torque available a little earlier, so even the big 43s feel decently responsive.
MercedesAll-wheel-drive is (pretty much) standard.
The SLC 43 roadster pictured here is the only AMG43 car that doesn't route power to all four wheels, sticking with its rear-wheel only drivetrain. The others get AMG performance '4MATIC', which sends 69 percent of the drive to the back, and 31 percent to the front. To deal with that redistribution, AMG uses a newly designed front axle.
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There's some nice sparkly bits.
The C43’s three variants come with some visual elements to set them apart from their pedestrian Mercedes stable mates. There’s a rear spoiler, which, the engineers swear, really does contribute to aerodynamics, not just looks. Up front there’s a diamond pin grille, with the AMG logo, and through the custom wheels you can see the 14.2-inch diameter rotors that do the stopping.
MercedesTransmissions can be frustrating.
These cars get Mercedes' 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission (albeit ‘AMG enhanced’), which contribute to the feeling that automakers are racing to add gears to their boxes. BMW has eight speeds? Mercedes must have nine! (Ford and GM are pushing to ten.) On a series of test loops with the vehicles around the mountains and canyons of Malibu, California, the cars seemed to continually hunt between gears, and took too long to downshift from seventh to second, say, when I wanted to hoof it.
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But there's a fix for that.
AMG gets around the problem with more clever software in the form of 'dynamic select'---user-selectable driving modes. Sport mode makes the computer hug the lower gears for longer, Sport Plus encourages blippy downshifts when braking, for extra fun. The range of choices, which include a regular comfort mode, has an impressive effect on the whole vehicle, tightening up the steering and handling too.
MercedesJust don't call it a Mercedes!
If you're going to join this club, don't confuse the name. AMG is a sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz, but it's meant to be something different, something more. "AMG is basically an excuse for Mercedes Benz to be more sexy, more brash,” says Christian Bokich, who handles product and technology PR for the firm. Those changes---and the different name---are meant to remind a buyer that they've spent some extra cash, and it was totally worth it.
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