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AMG is the three-letter passcode to the absolute speed and power of Mercedes-Benz. The models with racier bodies and larger wheels are more aggressive, sporting a menacing stance that beckon one to take a closer look into the caged fury — AMG’s manifestation of the famous “One Man-One Engine” mantra — concealed within. Surely, one wants to find out how founders Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, the two Daimler-Benz engineers-turned-motorsports visionaries, transformed a performance brand that has been at home on the road to the racetrack. “Welcome to AMG in Affalterbach. You’re joining us on a tour of the most important parts of our home. This is where we build the platform for the future,” the booming voice of Gerhard Bensegger, our guide for the day, reverberated throughout the lofty Customer Centre. This was our first port of call, the portal to the world of AMG where attentive staff unveil new metal and bring customers up to date on the current status of motor sport’s high-performance technology. A fleet of sporting machines soon to hit dealer showrooms crowded the lobby, all echoing the same sharpened design profile of wider wheel arches, road- hugging lower bodywork, and the distinctive bulges on the hood that draw your attention to the hand-built powerhouse beneath. In a corner, an intimidating AMG GT R in fetching Green Hell Magno (a colour named after the infamous North Loop of the Nürburgring racetrack) sat regally, screaming “drive me”. It is a looker that adroitly toes the line between sporty and swank.
With introductions and a coffee break at the Private Lounge finally out of the way, our real courtship with an AMG beauty properly began. Our date came in the form of a convertible GT C Roadster, whose technology and technical refinements were trickled down from the flagship GT R. Its predatory growl instantly made us nervous because: (i) it is a beast that wrings 557 horsepower from its twin-turbocharged four-litre V8 engine, which means you can sprint up to 100kph in 3.7 seconds; and (ii) we were not dressed “cool” enough to be seen driving with the top down. But who cares? Could anyone ask for a better accessory than a sports car? We turned on the “sport mode” and rocketed down the highway with our hair whipping in the air. The exhaust furiously popped and banged as we backed off the throttle, letting onlookers know what a car with a peak torque of 680Nm and 316kph top speed is capable of. The GT C’s specs sheet, though it may not mean much to ama teurs like us, reads like poetry to the cogno scenti (our co-driver). But an easy-handling Roadster like this, with an active rear axle steering for better agility and stability, makes even the dilettante look super suave. Turns out, an AMG seems much more ruthless when it goes roofless. 50 years of AMG
Half a century on and Mercedes-AMG has grown from a two-man company to an automobile stronghold synonymous with cutting-edge technology and outstanding engine expertise. Ten new models were added to the AMG portfolio last year, and performance- minded customers can now choose from over 50 models, from the most powerful standard-production four-cylinder compact to the S 65, the epitome of elegance with a superior 12- cylinder engine. From saloons and estate cars in various output classes to an extensive range of SUVs, coupés, cabriolets and roadsters, one can, in fact, have it all. The Affalterbach-based headquarters, supported by nearly 1,500 employees and 60 master engine builders (some of whom, we are happy to report, are women), continues to underline its status as a highly dynamic sports car brand while emphasising its motor racing pedigree. Let us not forget that the highly-touted GT models are the second sports car family to be developed solely in-house, following the SLS AMG. And, as a treat for aficionados, the Mercedes-AMG family will debut Project ONE, a hypercar with high-performance hybrid drive straight out of Formula 1, at the Frankfurt Motor Show (Sept 14 to 25).
