Mercedes-Benz has decided to abandon its recently conceived AMG Sport line of performance vehicles. Going forward, vehicles previously branded as AMG Sport will be rolled into Mercedes’ full-blown AMG division.
Mercedes developed its AMG Sport line as a way to split the difference between its plain Jane Mercedes models and its fire-breathing AMG machines, but the German automaker has apparently had a change of heart. According to Car and Driver, all Mercedes-Benz AMG Sport models will be rebranded under Mercedes-AMG banner.
The first vehicle to make the leap to the new naming system was the Mercedes-AMG SLC43, which made its debut at the 2016 Detroit auto show. Mercedes’ current crop of AMG Sport models will soon follow suit with the same ’43′ designation. That means we can expect a Mercedes-AMG C43, Mercedes-AMG GLE43 and even a Mercedes-AMG E43 in the coming months and years.
Although the newly minted 43 models don’t adhere to AMG’s “one man, one engine” philosophy, they do include plenty of AMG kit, including retuned chassis, up-rated brakes and sport exhaust systems, so the connection to the AMG division is more than name deep. Mercedes-AMG’s current ’63′ and ’65′ vehicle lines will continue on uninterrupted.
There isn’t much rhyme or reason for the 43 badge as the new AMG vehicle will be powered by a 3.0L V6. However, AMG’s badging hasn’t been tied to engine size for quite some time, so it’s not surprising that Mercedes passed on ’30′.
Live image by Brian Williams.
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