From House To Home

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•  

The handsome sedan you are looking at is called an AMG C63. If you are thinking that it is instead a Mercedes-Benz, you are correct—but only partially. The C63 was developed on a parallel engineering path alongside the newest Mercedes-Benz C-series sedan, but it can claim to be an almost entirely different car in both construction and performance. There’s a story behind this car, and it’s based on satisfying a small group of car owners’ need for understated, but unadulterated, high-performance cars.

For most drivers, owning a luxury/performance car such as a BMW, Lexus, or Mercedes-Benz is satisfaction enough. But there are those who want something extra in the performance portion of the equation, and a few automotive marketers are more than happy to give them an extra helping of handling and acceleration.

A number of specialty automotive customizers called “tuners” exist here and abroad, and their message to buyers is that they can improve the performance of already impressive vehicles by making a series of modifications. Sometimes this is true; often it isn’t. But when a manufacturer itself decides to offer performance upgrades, you can rest more comfortably—particularly on the warranty front.

An unusual—and successful—historical relationship between a specialty tuner and a manufacturer is that enjoyed by Mercedes-Benz and AMG. The collaboration on complete cars dates to 1971 when an AMG 300SEL won its class at a major European endurance race. That success led to an ever closer association between Mercedes-Benz and AMG.

Its 450-horsepower output will take you from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds….

The AMG acronym stands for Aufrecht Melcher Grossaspach. Aufrecht and Melcher were the two men who founded the company, and it was located at Grossaspach in what was then West Germany. The company began life in 1967 as a builder of racing engines and progressed to providing performance upgrades to Mercedes owners on an unofficial basis. It occasionally worked its magic on an entire car for owners who wanted the benefit of all the expertise could offer.

By 1990, a formal relationship had been forged between AMG and Mercedes. In 1990, Daimler AG, the parent of Mercedes-Benz, acquired a major stake in AMG, and five years later AMG became a wholly owned division of the company. Today it operates as Mercedes-AMG and is the source of high-performance production cars, most recently the C63 seen in the accompanying photographs. Its cars are sold in Mercedes-Benz dealerships.

The first AMG Mercedes production car to come to the United States in quantities beyond a handful was the E55 AMG, which came here beginning in 1998 and sold 4,000 copies during its four-year run. This was followed by the SL55 AMG powered by a supercharged V-8, a swoopy coupe that sold 3,000 cars in its first year alone. The next AMG product was a version of the coupe that serves as the pace car during Formula 1 grand prix races around the world. Called the CLK Black Series, fewer than 400 were built. For the driver who wanted undoubted exclusivity, the CLK Black Series was perfect.

The foundation of AMG high performance traces to the firm’s origin as a provider of racing engines. It operates on what it calls the “One Man, One Engine” principle. What this translates to is one craftsman at the AMG factory will build an entire engine by himself. It takes him about two hours and 45 minutes to accomplish this remarkable construction, and when he is finished, he affixes a plaque bearing his signature to the finished engine.

The first C series that AMG produced—in 1995—cost about $54,000 well equipped, but that price is not adjusted for inflation, meaning that the current C63 is a relative bargain. Emphasis on relative. The premium over the most expensive C-series sedan is about $20,000, which tells you that the men and women purchasing an AMG car are willing to pay for performance.

The newest AMG, the C63, will have a base price, delivered, of $54,625. If you want such extra luxuries as leather seats and a navigation system—and an option package that adds even more performance—you can push your invoice north of the $64,000 line.

The buyer is also paying for engineering. Although it looks like a C-class Mercedes, the AMG has a front end that is approximately 6 inches longer than the regular car, an almost entirely different set of suspension and braking components, a lower center of gravity, and a 6.2-liter, V-12 engine whose power should be measured in godzillas instead of horsepower. Its 450-horsepower output will take you from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds, and if you can find room to do it, to an electronically limited top speed of 155 miles per hour.

Those are impressive numbers even in today’s world of high-performance cars, but the most impressive thing about the car is its comfort. A great many high-performance cars wear thin after about the third trip to the grocery store. Not this one. Its qualifications as a daily driver are remarkable. The horsepower and handling qualities are there when you need them—or just want them—but otherwise the driving experience is as comforting as a security blanket.

Take a close look at the next Mercedes-Benz driver you see. If he or she is wearing an outside grin, AMG may be the reason.