What was the first amg mercedes

Today, this iconic car is seen as the foundation for the AMG bloodline and their motorsport-inspired style and heritage. But how can success on the track lead to a multitude of successful road cars? It is no secret performance cars sell. Worldwide manufacturers even dedicate whole sub brands to them and in essence this is where the success started for AMG.

By getting heavily involved with Mercedes-Benz in racing, potential customers wanted their very own AMG motorsport-inspired cars for the road, boasting more power, more dynamic styling and of course, more exclusivity. However, the racing success of the s had set a foundation, and now in the s, excess was very much in fashion.

Not only was the Hammer cool, it was stereotypically s, featuring wide arches and power pumped up to bhp - which was thanks to a 6. It was hugely fast as well, with 0 to 62mph happening in around 4. This again was another huge step in AMG history. Officially, the collaboration with AMG and Mercedes began in before Daimler-Benz took a controlling stake of the company in , leading to AMG versions of almost every Mercedes model.

From looks alone, it was a much more subtle affair than the decade before when AMG badged cars seemed a lot more excessive. Of course, the motorsport foundation of the s was still evident thanks to bhp on offer, via a luscious inline 6-cylinder engine, good enough for 0 to 62mph in circa 6. The E 55 AMG E-Class came along in and was somewhat of a super-saloon, allowing for incredible comfort, as well as unbelievable performance when required.

It was the first time Aufrecht and his AMG team had designed an entire car, from the body to the suspension until then, other AMG creations had been spun off existing Mercedes models , and it was a resounding success. Combined, these CLKs won all 10 races they entered; six of those victories were one-two finishes for Mercedes. Only 26 were created 20 coupes and 6 roadsters , each using a hp 6.

Today, these rare GTRs are valued in the millions. Those familiar with AMG nomenclature at least, old-school, reality-based AMG nomenclature tied to engine displacement know that the 73 in SL73 stands for 7. As in, the massive 7. The mighty twelve was rated at horsepower and lb-ft of torque, and AMG claimed it could punt the SL73 to 62 mph in 4. It should shock precisely no one that some time later, when supercar startup Pagani went shopping for engines to power its Zonda models , it gravitated to the AMG-tuned M engine.

An estimated 85 units were built. After watching competitors surpass the naturally aspirated V-8—powered W E55 and its horsepower, Mercedes-Benz and AMG said screw it and dropped a supercharged bomb on the segment in the form of the Wgeneration E The forced-induction 5. On the E55, it made horsepower and lb-ft of torque and was linked to a five-speed automatic transmission. At the time, it was the fastest Mercedes-Benz sedan available, and it hauled. We tested a wagon variant did we mention there was a wagon?!

Mercedes-Benz built road cars inspired by the winning racer— coupes and 80 convertibles—all of which were officially sold only in Europe. With a hp supercharged 5. Of course, race-car-for-adults styling was part of the package and included an angry front end, bulging fender flares with integrated side scoops, and a tall rear wing.

The Formula 1 tradition of using Mercedes-Benz products as the official safety vehicles started with the aforementioned C36 and continues to this day. AMG tacked on peacocking carbon-fiber fender flares, extra aero bits, and staggered-width forged-aluminum inch wheels. Oh, and it removed the back seats. The incredible naturally aspirated 6. In our testing, it chucked the Black Series to 60 mph in 4.

Additional sporting measures included an AMG exhaust, a limited-slip rear differential, an extra air cooler for the rear end, oversize composite brake rotors, adjustable-height suspension and dampers, and extra bracing in the engine compartment and trunk. SL, by the way, stands for Sport Leicht German for Sport Lightweight , and the SLS lived up to that part of its name with an aluminum spaceframe and a weight of pounds, with The hp naturally aspirated 6.

For the maniacal coupe-only Black Series , AMG finessed the engine to produce horsepower and lb-ft of torque. The sound from the naturally aspirated powerhouse was evil, and the stiff track-tuned suspension made for a rough ride. News travelled fast and, by the end of the following year, Aufrecht and Melcher were deluged with orders for faster Mercedes, for use on road or track. So in , they decided to give up their jobs at Mercedes and set up shop on their own in nearby Burgstall.

Business came thick and fast. Even Mercedes appeared to realise that it had missed a trick and started releasing more highly tuned versions of its road cars, the 6. But what AMG could have interpreted as an attempt to pull the rug out from under its feet was instead regarded as a unique opportunity: however fast and powerful a Mercedes super-saloon might be, AMG backed itself to make it even faster and more powerful.

It took three years, but by the time of the Spa 24 Hours, a 6. Despite the gasps of crowd and competitors alike at the appearance of a large red cathedral on the grid, the SEL rumbled around to second place and a class win, outright victory being denied only by a rather frantic pitstop schedule needed to satisfy its appetite for fuel and tyres.

By the mids, AMG was well into its stride and able not only to tune pre-existing product but to do so to such an extent that the resulting cars deserved to be thought of as models in their own right. By , the relationship between Mercedes and AMG — which had existed on a far more harmonious basis than many tuning companies and the makers of their donor vehicles — became formalised.

Most significantly, however, Mercedes and AMG started to work together on product design. Today, when you can buy an AMG C-class with bhp , the bhp of the C36 might not seem like much, but back then it was enough to put it on near enough equal terms with the Egeneration BMW M3 , even if, with softer springs, a higher kerb weight and the retention of a four-speed automatic transmission, its character was distinctly different.

This was a crucial car, because it set the tone for an entire generation of AMG models to come. The rest of the s were spent fleshing out the ranges from a central hub of core product, including SUVs like the G-Class and ML-Class for the first time. Spoke would eventually flail out to some of the maddest cars ever to wear a three-pointed star on their nose.

I give you, just by way of example, the 5. But it was by no means the most powerful.