Mercedes-Benz have announced that its new ‘AMG Sport’ line is getting a name change. So for example, the ‘C450 AMG Sport’ will now simply be referred to as the ‘AMG C43’. Mercedes-Benz have also announced the newest model to get the AMG treatment – the C43 Coupe – which will sit neatly between the regular C300 and the bonkers C63. Despite this, it doesn’t sound like it’ll suffer from middle child syndrome.
The AMG C43 Coupe will take everything the AMG C45 has and pack it into a sleeker, two-door C-Class form. That means you’ll find a 270kW (362hp) 3.0L twin-turbo V6 under the bonnet, coupled to a 9-speed automatic which sends power to the road via Mercedes’ rear-biased 4Matic all-wheel-drive system. Aside from having 9 forward speeds, the g-tronic gearbox has a double-declutching function which allows it to downshift multiple gears at once, plus short response times when in “Sports Plus” mode. The company claims that it’ll hit 60mph (~100km/h) in just 4.6 seconds, making the car properly quick in its own right. Top speed is the typical German 155 mph (250km/h) limit.
The C43 Coupe will also feature Mercedes-Benz’s AMG Ride Control suspension system, with three stages of adaptive variable damping. According to Mercedes, “Negative camber on the front axle and on the multi-link rear axle enhances lateral dynamics and the elastokinematics of both axles have been designed to be more rigid in general,” whatever that means. Essentially, the system aims to improve ride quality when in “Comfort” mode, while switching to “Sport” and “Sport Plus” improves the car’s agility in varying amounts by reducing body roll, allowing for better traction and sharper handling.
Inside it is typical C-Class, not that there’s anything wrong with that. The already attractive interior will feature an AMG instrument cluster with AMG main menu, plus a multifunction sports steering wheel wrapped in leather with deep embossing in grip area, flattened bottom section and red contrasting top stitching.
Mercedes-AMG GmbH chairman Tobias Moers says, “The extension of the C-Class family to include the new C 43 4Matic coupe is another component in our growth strategy. It not only enriches the wide line-up of the C-Class family, but also starts the introduction of a whole series of new ’43’ models this year. The ’43’ models boast the characteristic AMG genes, which are also included in our GT and ’63’ vehicles, and thus consistently interpret our brand essence of ‘Driving Performance’ in their segment.”