So long "AMG Sport" nomenclature

[fecurtis]

http://blog.caranddriver.com/amg-spo...mercedes-amgs/

Imagine the hell that would ensue if BMW did this.

Although renaming the C450 AMG Sport to simply the C43 AMG is quite nostalgic.

[peterparker]

I wonder if the engine is still handbuilt?

[miiipilot]

Aren't they doing the same thing as BMW did with the M nonsense like the M235?

[mkoesel]

Wow, this is a pretty surprising move to me. I would think they would want to have something other than just the numeric value to distinguish these different levels of AMG vehicles.

Originally Posted by fecurtis

Imagine the hell that would ensue if BMW did this.

Agree. It would dwarf the magnitude of the recent thread on the Maintenance Plan changes.

Originally Posted by miiipilot

Aren't they doing the same thing as BMW did with the M nonsense like the M235?

This article is really about a new naming convention.

BMW reserves the single digit numeric for the proper M vehicle, while the M Performance vehicle gets the three digit code like any other series vehicle. The name alone makes it is impossible to mistake the two types of vehicles for one another. With the new Mercedes scheme, there is nothing there to tell you that an A45 is different from a C43. The former has a the full chassis treatment, handbuilt engine, etc., while the latter does not. But there's no way to know that just from a name.

At this point, to me, you might as well just get rid of the whole AMG-specific model names and either give everything two digits or give everything three digits. Maybe they will eventually do just that.

[arsenalrocks]

same level as a 340xi but a full amg now

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/201...-and-info-news

[gtron]

whoever was cross-shopping c450 amgs just stopped to wait for the c43 badge.

[Fahrvergnügen]

Doesn't BMW do the same thing already with the M235i and other pseudo-M badged vehicles in other countries?

[gtron]

or each current model comes with a free spool of floss to remove the 0 haha

[-BEASTMW-]

They could have planned this better. The name of the top-of-the-line "regular" C-class has changed every year for the last three years, with the old name being immediately obsolete (seems like a great way to grenade resale value for your customers).

2014: Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport (old body) - 3.5L 302hp N/A V6
2015: Mercedes-Benz C400 4MATIC - 3.0L 329hp TT V6
2016: Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG Sport - 3.0L 362hp TT V6
2017: Mercedes-AMG C43 - 3.0L 362hp TT V6 (unchanged, despite the name/number change)

Yeah, that's not confusing at all.

[Sassicaia]

There is no bigger abuser of this type of thing than BMW. The amount of "M" plastered all over cars that are not M cars has completely diluted the integrity of the M brand. Its no wonder people put fake badges on their cars. Its practically an OEM practice to do so.

[gtron]

Originally Posted by -BEASTMW-

They could have planned this better. The name of the top-of-the-line "regular" C-class has changed every year for the last three years, with the old name being immediately obsolete (seems like a great way to grenade resale value for your customers).

2014: Mercedes-Benz C350 Sport (old body) - 3.5L 302hp N/A V6
2015: Mercedes-Benz C400 4MATIC - 3.0L 329hp TT V6
2016: Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG Sport - 3.0L 362hp TT V6
2017: Mercedes-AMG C43 - 3.0L 362hp TT V6 (unchanged, despite the name/number change)

Yeah, that's not confusing at all.

is the c250 gone now too? i'm not up on mb news but i saw it on their line up for 2015 but not 2016.

edit: nvm, your list was just one car changing again and again. i misread.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by -BEASTMW-

They could have planned this better.

...

2015: Mercedes-Benz C400 4MATIC - 3.0L 329hp TT V6

C400 still exists by the way - they added the C450 AMG above it. But yes, I agree with your basic point - way too much churn with Mercedes model names lately.

Originally Posted by gtron

is the c250 gone now too? i'm not up on mb news but i saw it on their line up for 2015 but not 2016.

edit: nvm, your list was just one car changing again and again. i misread.

The C250 gave way to the C300 for the W205 in the US. I believe there is still a C250 in ROW that uses the lower output 208hp 2.0L as found in the CLA250 and other models.

[-BEASTMW-]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

C400 still exists by the way - they added the C450 AMG above it.

No they didn't.

http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/vehicl.../bodystyle-SDN

[Blksnowflake]

Originally Posted by ChicagoM4

Doesn't BMW do the same thing already with the M235i and other pseudo-M badged vehicles in other countries?

Not quite the same based on what I read in that article. This vehicle seems to be considered an outright AMG, albeit a less powerful one but it gets full graduation diploma from the AMG academy. Now the M235 was never an actual ///M product.

One could argue that this is a marketing move on MB's part. These new AMGs are all less powerful than what we're used to and of course won't command the price or recognition but they are AMG products, not AMG "sport".
But yes, the inside scoop is that this is just a marketing move and a way to give these lesser vehicles legitimate credibility while at the same time preventing the dilution of AMG by having useless AMG "Sport" models.

Either way, I don't care. Nice looking car though.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by -BEASTMW-

No they didn't.

http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/vehicl.../bodystyle-SDN

Ok, my mistake, I didn't realize that the C400 was now gone. Initially the C450 AMG was generally thought to be an addition to the lineup. Did the two (C400 and C450) ever coexist in the US? Is the C400 still sold elsewhere?

Anyway, yeah, that's a mess. Plus, the new M256 inline six is coming soon and who knows what new badging that may bring.

Edit: Just noticed there is no C450 AMG 4MATIC listed on the mbusa.com site either. What the hell happened? That was to be a big selling point for the car.

[Red Bread]

The C450 is only available as 4Matic, no rwd. Of course it will be called the C43 soon. Perfectly clear...

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

The C450 is only available as 4Matic, no rwd. Of course it will be called the C43 soon. Perfectly clear...

So if a car only comes with AWD it isn't mentioned in the model name? That's a terrible approach in my opinion. Anyone looking at that list of models on the website is going to assume the C450 AMG (or, soon to be C43 AMG as you mention) is RWD just like the C63.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

So if a car only comes with AWD it isn't mentioned in the model name? That's a terrible approach in my opinion. Anyone looking at that list of models on the website is going to assume the C450 AMG (or, soon to be C43 AMG as you mention) is RWD just like the C63.

I'm not German or an MB employee. Jaguar makes it just as confusing, it took a ton of research to realize that if you want an F Type with a V8, it will be awd.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by Red Bread

I'm not German or an MB employee. Jaguar makes it just as confusing, it took a ton of research to realize that if you want an F Type with a V8, it will be awd.

That one I knew because I happened to read about the change for MY2016 on Autoblog. Didn't catch the news that the C450 AMG had 4MATIC standard (in the US or everywhere - whichever it is) though.

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

That one I knew because I happened to read about the change for MY2016 on Autoblog. Didn't catch the news that the C450 AMG had 4MATIC standard (in the US or everywhere - whichever it is) though.

Confusingly, the C400 was also awd only (in the US).

[mPlasticDesign]

Originally Posted by Sassicaia

There is no bigger abuser of this type of thing than BMW. The amount of "M" plastered all over cars that are not M cars has completely diluted the integrity of the M brand. Its no wonder people put fake badges on their cars. Its practically an OEM practice to do so.

Hard to argue with this statement, cuz it's true.

[-BEASTMW-]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

So if a car only comes with AWD it isn't mentioned in the model name? That's a terrible approach in my opinion. Anyone looking at that list of models on the website is going to assume the C450 AMG (or, soon to be C43 AMG as you mention) is RWD just like the C63.

Yes, very strange indeed.

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Did the two (C400 and C450) ever coexist in the US? Is the C400 still sold elsewhere?

They didn't coexist in the US - the C400 was replaced after one model year. Given that the C450/C43 essentially have the same engine as the C400, just with a bit more boost, you'd think they would have gotten this all sorted when the new body came out just last year...

ALL luxury car naming schemes are extremely difficult to follow.

BMW: Even-numbered models are coupes, except the Gran Coupes which are sedans... "X5 xdrive35i"... GT is a wagonoid thing... need I say more?

Infiniti: Recently changed to all Qs and QXs, and very little of it makes sense.

Acura: A mess of letters when the old names were so great and well-recognized.

Lincoln: I can't keep straight all the MK_ models, and now they have a Continental... step in the right direction, but it would be nice if they all went to actual names.


I can't keep these names straight and I'm obsessed with cars - imagine how confused a potential buyer must be! Only Audi and Lexus seem to still make a decent amount of sense.