Currently reading: Mercedes-Benz confirms new AMG Sport line-up

Performance-based models to be positioned beneath traditional AMG line-up as Mercedes-Benz's performance car off-shoot targets 64,000+ sales by 2017

Mercedes-AMG has officially confirmed it will take the fight to Audi’s S Quattro, BMW’s M-Performance and Jaguar’s Sport line-ups with a new range of four-wheel-drive AMG Sport badged models.

Set to go on sale in the UK early next year, the new AMG Sport models are planned to sit between the wide array of Mercedes-Benz models available with an AMG styling package and the burgeoning range of full-blown AMG models headed by the company’s new Mercedes-AMG GT.

Distinguishing the new AMG Sport models will be subtle exterior and interior styling changes, uniquely tuned engines, specially calibrated chassis settings and a more intense exhaust note.

First reported about by Autocar in August, the new line-up is planned to kick off with two models based on the C-class and upcoming GLE Coupe, which AMG boss, Tobias Moers, says will be revealed at the Detroit motor show in January. Further AMG Sport models are set to follow, although no time frame has been given for their introduction.

Autocar can also confirm the existence of a C450 AMG Sport modelBased on the existing C400, it receives a turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 direct injection petrol engine tuned by AMG to deliver in the region of 362bhp.

That’s 33bhp more than the standard C400, but 107bhp shy of the least powerful version of the new C63, which is powered by AMG’s new twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 direct-injection petrol engine.

Along with the C-class, new AMG Sport models are expected to be added to the Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Mercedes-Benz CLA, Mercedes-Benz GLA, C-class Coupé, C-class Cabriolet, SLC, upcoming GLC, Mercedes-Benz E-Class saloon, E-class Coupé, E-class Cabriolet, GLE and soon-to-be-revealed GLE Coupé and SL line-ups in time.

Meanwhile, AMG has announced it will achieve a new sales record of “well over 40,000” cars in 2014, thanks in part to the introduction of the new Mercedes-AMG A 45, Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 and Mercedes-AMG GLA 45. This is up from 32,000 in 2013.

With the introduction of its new AMG Sport line-up, Mercedes-Benz’s performance car off-shoot is targeting more than 64,000 sales by 2017.

“In the next three years we aim to more than double our total sales for 2013,” said Moers at the announcement of AMG's new model line at the company's headquarters in Affalterbach on the outskirts of Stuttgart in Germany today.

Read Autocar's history of AMG

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TS7 28 November 2014

A C300, or C280,...

... would be my pick too. Hopefully the C will receive the new straight 6 engines due to come on line in a couple of years. Oh, no turbo thanks, just a creamy smooth naturally aspirated one please. I mean, I'm a fan of performance, but let's face it, 0-60 in much under 6 or 7 seconds is all very well, but one looks a bit of a dick actually doing it away from the traffic lights. Leather, sat-nav (what is the MB sat-nav like, anyone know - heard bad things about a few manufacturer ones, particularly upgrade costs, cheaper to buy a Tom-Tom and when it goes wrong chuck it in the bin and get another for <£150), nice sound system and some sort of 'adaptive' chassis or whatever. Don't want unnecessary driver aids - I've never had difficulty knowing when to use my wipers, lights, and brakes for example.
spqr 28 November 2014

Re: The C400

TS7 is correct Mrecedes-Benz need to introduce more petrol engined C-Class models. In the US there is a C300 - 4 cylinder 2 litre turbo with 241bhp and the C400. Both really need to come to the UK to give buyers more choice thatn a weedy C200 or nasty, noisy diesels. In the good old days where BMW used to provide six cylinder engines as a 2.0/2.2, 2.5 or 3.0 it was often the case that the smallest 6 was too slow the biggest 6 too expensive so the sweet spot was the middle of the range 2.5 (or thereabouts). These days there is no real point in BMW or Mercedes-Benz making 2 litre 4 cylinder turbos as C200, C250 or C300 thouhg BMW are trying with the Z4 range - 18i, 20i, 28i. They should at least offer a choice of C200 - slow and cheap or C300 - quicker and hopefully better equipped if a little pricey.
TS7 27 November 2014

Never mind the C450...

...when's the C400 going on sale in the UK?

At the moment MB UK's site only lists the C200 petrol, as well as a couple of diseasels. I'm tempted by a C-Class estate, but it needs to be petrol, with sufficient oomph. Can't justify a C63, well not to Mrs TS7.

madmac 27 November 2014

TS7 wrote:...when's the C400

TS7 wrote:

...when's the C400 going on sale in the UK?

At the moment MB UK's site only lists the C200 petrol, as well as a couple of diseasels. I'm tempted by a C-Class estate, but it needs to be petrol, with sufficient oomph. Can't justify a C63, well not to Mrs TS7.

A good compromise as it has 4Matic which the C63 does not.
Similar to Audi S models,BMW Msport.I can see the logic.
But at the same time it is like an "all season tyre" a compromise not the best at either.Thats why I have summer and winter tyres and would never have all season.Also why I had an AMG and now have an RS Audi.