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NEWS
Benz to launch AMG sub-brand
Stuttgart commits to a rival for BMW's M Performance rangeMercedes follows Audi and BMW to plug the gap between its standard range and AMG with a "Goldilocks" brand.
Expect a full lineup of semi-sporting models to sprout from every Mercedes-Benz model family, with the German premium mainstay about to launch a complete sub-AMG brand.
Sources at Affalterbach said it was engineering a full line of AMG Sport models to sit between the top of the Mercedes-Benz ranges and the entry points of AMG, with the C 450 AMG Sport said to be the first cab off the rank.
Due early next year, the C 450 AMG Sport will have its twin-turbo, 3.0-litre V6 engine tuned by AMG for added power and a more muscular sound, and the car is the reason why Mercedes-Benz Australia has overlooked the range-topping C400 sedan.
Described as "halfway to becoming an AMG" by insiders, the C 450 AMG Sport will have around 500 Nm of torque and 275kW of power from the M276 engine, which is around 30kW more than the C 400.
There will be slight changes to the still-fresh bodywork to distinguish it from the stock sedans, along with a firmer – but not too firm – suspension, wider tracks, bigger tyres and more interior luxury and equipment.
It will also leave a clear space for the range-topping C 63 to slot into when it arrives in Australia early next year. The C 450 AMG Sport will be around 75kW shy of the output of the C 63's twin-turbo, 4.0-litre V8, which will be a detuned and de-costed version of the AMG GT coupe's M178 V8.
But the AMG Sport family won't stop at the C-Class, because Mercedes-Benz has plans to give most model ranges an AMG Sport member, and says it the new sub-brand will boast both petrol- and diesel-powered family members.
Long after BMW debuted its BMW M Performance Automobiles and Audi launched its Sport families, Mercedes is trotting down the now-familiar path of slightly fiddled bodywork, more grip, exclusive interior upgrades and more power and noise for most Benzes.
The most likely other donor Benzes cited by sources include the A-, E- and S-Class models, along with the GLA-, M- and GL-Class SUVs. The next generation of the GLK, which will finally reach Australia in right-hand drive, will also receive an AMG Sport version at the top of the tree.
That's 34bhp more than the standard C 400, but over 100bhp short of the upcoming C 63 AMG, with its twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 powerplant.
Also under development and planned for launch in 2015 is an AMG sport variant of Mercedes-Benz's new BMW X6 rivaling M-class coupé.
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Written byMichael Taylor
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