Chances are you don't know unless you're a car buff or high roller. But Mercedes announced here at a recent preview of its $53,800 C63 AMG sedan that it intends to change that situation by making AMG high-performance models a unique, exclusive brand. AMG will have performance centers (special areas in selected AMG dealerships), Web sites, road shows and advertising campaigns, among other attractions.
The goal is to clearly differentiate AMG brand vehicles from other Mercedes models.
There will be dedicated AMG sales and service specialists. Mercedes says seven pilot AMG Performance Centers will open in California, Southern Florida and metropolitan New York in the second quarter, with 30 dealers expected to open such centers by year's end. Those dealers traditionally sell fully 80 percent of all AMG vehicles in America.
While Mercedes says Chicago is a decent AMG market, most AMG dealers will be in California, Florida, New York and Texas.
A road show will go to each performance center to stage interactive exhibits and hold test drives in AMG models. An ad campaign begins in the spring, starting with mainly print and Internet outlets.
"AMG marketing will be intense," Ernst Lieb, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, said at the preview.
Mercedes has an AMG version of every model except its GL SUV and R-Class sport wagon. AMG versions have special hand-built high-performance engines that make them extraordinarily fast, unique bodywork and modified suspensions. They carry premium prices, compared to standard Mercedes models, but the automaker says there are more than enough people who have the means and desire to buy them.
Automakers including BMW, Lexus, Ford and Chrysler, have high-performance arms, although AMG has been around the longest.
I drove a $143,000 AMG sedan, called the "Hammer," to 140 mph in 1986 when that 360-horsepower car's price seemed outrageous to average car buyers. It topped out at 180 mph, and there was nothing like it in the world. (You can get 2008 Mercedes AMG models with up to 604 horsepower.)
AMG wasn't affiliated with Mercedes in the 1980s. Rather, Mercedes cars were modified with engines, suspensions and body parts by the private German AMG outfit. AMG was founded in 1967 as a West German engineering and parts outfit and didn't take long to make a name for itself.
Mercedes AMG models had considerable international racing success through the 1970s and 1980s. AMG was getting rich -- it seemed that the world, and especially North America, became filled with those who wanted their Mercedes to go faster and look sexier with AMG modifications.
AMG entered the U.S. market in 1981 and had U.S. headquarters in west suburban Westmont, with a West Coast outlet in Beverly Hills, Calif. (The "A" in AMG stands for ace car modifier Hans-Werner Aufrecht, and the "M" is for Erhard Melcher, a high-performance engine genius. The G stands for Aufrecht's German birthplace, Grossaspach.)
AMG developed a worldwide reputation for developing modifications to engines, suspensions, aerodynamics and cosmetic pieces for Mercedes cars. When Mercedes could no longer ignore the appeal of its cars modified with AMG components, its first "official cooperation" with AMG came in 1990. Mercedes got majority ownership in 1999 and 100 percent ownership in 2004.
AMG buyers are in an elite crowd. The average Mercedes buyer has a $154,401 household income, but the AMG buyer's household income is $348,854. Some 86 percent of AMG models are bought by males with a median age of 52, while a standard Mercedes buyer is 53. About 60 percent of AMG model buyers are men.
"AMG buyers are car enthusiasts who want lots of driving fun," said Robert Allan, manager of AMG products for Mercedes-Benz USA.
AMG models got their first wide national exposure on the "Miami Vice" television series. They had monochromatic paint and special wheels, and were driven by bad guys, such as -- Florida drug lords.
AMG models are built on regular Mercedes assembly lines but have their custom components installed, including the hand-assembled engines built by 50 master technicians, who sign each one they put together.
"The C-Class is Mercedes' entry model, and the C63 AMG is the gateway to AMG at Mercedes," Glaser said.
Rivals of this lowest-priced AMG model include the BMW M3, Audi S4, Lexus IS-F and Cadillac CTS-V.
So what's the C63 AMG like? Its major feature is a 6.3-liter V-8 that has 451 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque with a racer-style 7,200 rpm tachometer redline. Mercedes says it will do 0-60 mph in a sizzling 4.3 seconds, but Car and Driver magazine got a 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds and a 0-100 mph time of 9.2 seconds. I drove the car to 110 mph on a deserted road near Phoenix, and it was still accelerating strongly.
This is no fuel miser, so estimated fuel economy of the fairly heavy car is 12 mpg in the city and 19 on highways. Nobody buys a car such as the C63 AMG for fuel economy, but Mercedes indicated it might use a more fuel-efficient hybrid power system for future C63 AMG models.
The seven-speed automatic transmission shifts quickly and precisely, and has a manual shift feature. Steering, handling and braking are extraordinary, giving the C63 AMG almost a race-car feel.
The civilized C63 AMG has all the attributes of the regular, roomy C-Class, which has a rather high trunk lid. Its many comfort and convenience features include a power glass sunroof, heated seats and dual-zone automatic climate control. Option packages contain such things as an upgraded sound system and AMG nappa leather upholstery.
The front bucket seats provide far more support than conventional C-Class seats. In fact, the car is nearly all-new from the windshield forward. The track-calibrated sport suspension is much tighter, causing the car to feel very "tied down" to roads. A three-stage stability control system adds an extra safety margin.
The front end of the C63 AMG looks very aggressive, which seems appropriate to the car's go-fast nature, but its responsiveness makes it fun to drive at any speed.
2008 MERCEDES-BENZ C63 AMG
Prices: $53,800
Likes: Immensely powerful hand-built engine. Extremely fast. Superb handling and braking. Typical Mercedes luxury. Exclusive.
Dislikes: Very firm suspension follows every road dip. No fuel miser. High trunk opening. |