AMG

Mercedes-AMG

The return of an icon

Launches /

I didn’t know I was going to become a motoring journalist until I was about 21 years of age. It wasn’t something I even knew existed when I was at school. It’s moments like last week where I am eternally grateful that I found this career path. I attended the Mercedes-AMG Performance Tour where not only were the biggest and baddest beasts revealed, but also the brand new Mercedes-AMG SL was unveiled. We’ve seen 70 years of this racing machine, as some would call it. It has curves in all the right places and now marks another milestone in the model’s history. It combines the distinct sportiness of the original SL with the unique luxury and technological excellence of the modern Mercedes-AMG models. I hit the track in the SL 43 and it is instantly obvious that this is a driver enthusiast car. It is engaging in every way. I had just before that been in the also newly revealed AMG A45, which while lightning quick and fun as hell, doesn’t quite engage you in the old school way the SL does. The 2.0-litre in-line four-cylinder turbo, with its 280 kW and 480 Nm, ensures it packs a real punch. It will get you to 100 km/h in just 4.9 seconds. There is also an additional 10 kW of burst from the electric motor. This newly developed AMG RIDE CONTROL steel suspension with particularly powerful aluminium shock absorbers and lightweight coil springs. The new SL is the first production vehicle ever from Mercedes-AMG to feature a multi-link front axle with five links arranged entirely within the rim. This significantly improves the kinematics. At the rear axle, a 5-link design likewise controls the wheels. This car allows you to run out of confidence before the car does. It’s a blast and one you will walk away from with only a the biggest smile on your face. That could be said about most of the models on display this past weekend. We even got to feel up the AMG GT 63 S E with its 4.0 V8 bi-turbo that produces an outrageous 620 kW and 1 400 Nm of torque. Yes, you read that correctly. You will get to 100 km/h in a staggering 3.3 seconds. If only we got to drive this model, but I fear we would be writing a few more obituaries than reviews. There were more AMG models on display and guests were able to sample most of them. There were sprints, gymkhanas, braking tests, track driving, and more. This will certainly not be the last AMG Performance Tour we see and I hope that next year I get to spend more time in each of the models. In fact, I would like for everyone else to go home and to leave me to my own devices on the track…ah a girl can dream. Stay tuned for more AMG video goodness as soon as I get a few of the new models on test.

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A45 S

Juliet drives the Mercedes-AMG A45 S

Car Reviews /

Driving the Mercedes-AMG A45 S incurs a lot of ponytail swinging. And that is just what one wants! It is after all, the hottest hot hatch on the market…the fastest of them all. So much fun can be had in this car it is hard to describe. It is almost scary the amount of fun on hand. I compare this A45 S to Billie Eilish, but you’re going to have to watch the video to see why. If you want to see more fast car videos, just watch the one from last week, it just so happened to be on the Jaguar F-Type R 5.0 V8. Also, if you want to chat, catch me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And don’t forget to be a peach and subscribe to my YouTube channel and obviously follow me on TikTok.

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Mercedes-AMG A45 S

First drive in the Mercedes-AMG A45 S 4MATIC+

Car Reviews /

Gone are the days when the only time you saw crazy performance figures were in massive V8 cars sporting hefty price tags. The hefty price tag remains, but the engine sizes have changed drastically. The new Mercedes-AMG A45 S is taking things to a whole new level, a level we have never seen before. And damn it is exciting. LEVELS OF INSANITY Having spent a week in this beast I cannot for the life of me understand why you would buy one, and I also cannot understand why you wouldn’t?! This hotter-than-hot hothatch is almost too much for our roads to handle. Mainly because whatever you want to do with it would be deemed illegal. With 310 kW and 500 Nm on hand, can you just imagine the fun at your fingertips. This will get you to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds. That is faster than a Porsche 911. Do you see what I mean, people? It is a beast! The 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine is a piece of genius engineering. What it can do is unreal. In a straight line, with the Race Start function, you’re able to get off the line with minimal tyre screeching or smoke, blasting down a straight in the most composed of fashions. But it is not just in a straight line where this car is fun, it is also what it can do in the twistys. Because of the setup, there is minimal understeer and the grip is going to keep you exactly where you want to be…which is on the road at all times. No matter how fast you chuck this in to a corner, it seems to come out the other end without having broken a sweat. The line from Pretty Woman, “Man, this baby must corner like it’s on rails,” was in my head the whole the time I was driving this through a mountain pass. COCKPIT CRAZY The cabin is as modern as they come with Mercedes’s IMBUX infotainment system taking centre stage. While easy to use, it offers a lot! You could spend hours getting lost in it, finding new things to play with. Which I guess, like with any new gadget, it adds to the excitement. But with so many options, for example which combination of dials and displays, it can be a bit overwhelming. The important stuff is easy enough to find, but like I say, you can go deep in to the caldron and get rather swept away. It is all very sophisticated inside the A45 S and one thing I am so grateful for is that fact that the air conditioning is still manually controlled and not a part of the touchscreen system…which is a pet hate of mine. SHOULD YOU BUY ONE? Look, like I mentioned in the beginning, buying one is something I want and don’t want to do at the same time. It doesn’t come cheap so you would really need to be sure. At a cost of around R1.15 million, you are throwing a lot of money at an impractical hatchback. But it is a hothatch after all and who cares about practicality? I recently reviewed the A35 and I think that some might find it a bit more appealing, if only from a price point of view. It is still a fun car to drive, but I am afraid that nothing can quite match this A45 S in all its beastliness. And that’s exactly how Mercedes-AMG want it to be! For more info, head to Mercedes-AMG.

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Mercedes-AMG A 35

Juliet drives the Mercedes-AMG A 35

Car Reviews /

The new Mercedes-AMG A 35, although under R1 million, is all AMG! Even I was concerned that it wouldn’t have the same charm due to it being “entry-level,” but I can attest to its charm and its joyful driving experience. I do go off script a bit by giving some free advice, which apparently I am rather passionate about. I am not sure what came over me, but here we are. Hopefully you can look past that and still enjoy the video 😉 Here is the Mercedes-AMG A 35: I have certainly had a good few weeks, last week’s video was of the Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR. Also, if you want to chat, catch me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And don’t forget to be a peach and subscribe to my YouTube channel and obviously follow me on TikTok.

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Mercedes-AMG

Mercedes-AMG track day! Prepare to be jealous

Car Reviews /

I wanted to use my usual launch headline which starts with, “First drive in the …” but I drove a number of cars at the Mercedes-AMG track day and I couldn’t fit them all in. Also, I wanted to make you jealous with that track day headline. I kicked off my Monday in the new Mercedes-AMG 53-series models of the CLS, E-Class Coupé and E-Class Cabriolet. And then after lunch I took the unstoppable Mercedes-AMG 63 S for a little track time. Not a bad way to start the week, right? DID YOU KNOW? But before I tell you about these cars, I wanted to inform you of a few cool facts. Did you know that in the Interbrand 2018 survey, Mercedes-Benz was voted as the number 8 most valuable brand? It sits just ahead of Facebook and one behind Toyota. Taking the number one spot is Apple, but Mercedes-Benz can be very chuffed with itself to be sitting ahead of BMW which got 13th place. And in terms of sales, Mercedes-Benz is sitting ahead of BMW and Audi. Did you know that the AMG story started back in 1967 and it was only in 1990 that Mercedes-Benz signed an agreement with AMG which went on to become Mercedes-Benz’s performance brand? And perform these cars do. AMG BABY The Mercedes-AMG 53 models is the first step of Mercedes-Benz going in to a hybrid future. The AMG CLS 53 4Matic adds to the successful range of CLS which launched in 2004. The second generation hit our shores in 2011 and since that initial launch we have seen over 350 000 units sold. The new 53 model boasts a new 3,0-litre inline six-cylinder petrol engine which features twin turbocharging by means of an exhaust gas turbocharger and an electric auxiliary compressor. That means you get 320 kW and 520 Nm of torque. The EQ Boost starter-alternator momentarily provides an additional 16 kW and 250 Nm. Basically, this engine makes for a flippen fast car. It will get you to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds. THE FUN STUFF Ok enough of that technical stuff, how did it drive on the track. Well, just as you can expect, really. It was f***ing fantastic. We started with a few obstacles to showcase the dynamic handling and impressive tech these cars have to offer. And then we were let loose on the track. I gave it everything I had and by the third lap I think the poor instructor just gave up on me, knowing that I was going to take this opportunity by the horns and run with it. And no matter how I thrashed these cars round the track, they stuck to the road like sh*t to a blanket. Something to point out is the interior of the E53. Holy smokes! If you’ve ever pictured the dream yacht you will one day own, this is certainly what that dream is based on. Just look at it: You have a choice of 64 ambient lighting colours and just about everything can be personalised. Even the colour changes on the air vents when you change the temperature. It’s a hoot! The cabriolet suited me in every way, I cannot even explain. I can just picture myself, cruising along the coast, getting looks from everyone. As much as I would hate the attention, I think I would also secretly love it. C63 S We also got to put the bedrock of Mercedes-AMG, the C63, through its paces. This AMG best seller will no doubt continue its success story with its 4.0-litre V8 biturbo which produces 375 kW and 700 Nm. And depending on body style, the C63 S can get you to 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds. We got to test out the new C63 with traction control off, drifting it around a traffic cone in the centre of the track. Let me just tell you, this car enables a little too much fun to be had. The launch control also proved to be a highlight of the day as we drag raced each other down the long straight. Not to brag or anything, but I won every race. EVERY RACE! Ok except one, and that was because I was still figuring out the launch control, but let me tell you, there was no looking back after that…well except to see the look on the losers faces. Just brace yourself for the pricing of the new C63 S, in fact, close your eyes when you look at the Cabriolet price. For more videos and pics from the track day, check out my Instagram stories. PRICING OF MERCEDES-AMG C63 S Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Sedan: R1 546 600 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Coupé: R1 609 100 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Cabriolet: R1 728 700 PRICING OF THE 53 MODEL RANGE Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 4MATIC+: R1 491 600 (add R184 000 for the Edition 1) Mercedes-AMG E 53 4MATIC+ Cabriolet: R1 430 600 Mercedes-AMG E 53 4MATIC+ Coupé: R1 311 700 If this hasn’t wet your appetite enough, take a look at the potent Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S

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