By: Jesse Adams
Faro Portugal - Piggybacking onto the international launch of the new C63 AMG which we attended in Portugal two weeks ago, was a second C-Class adorned with AMG badges – this one with a fraction of the power of its brutal big brother but with an added traction advantage.
When the C450 AMG lands in South Africa midway through next year it will bring with it something our market’s never seen before: a C-Class with all-wheel drive.
But four driven wheels only tells half of the story because a twin-turbocharged 3-litre V6 engine will also be a new concept for local C-Class customers, and with the two paired together Mercedes is offering quite a unique performance package.
Audi’s 245kW/440Nm S4 quattro comes to mind, but with outputs of 270kW and 520Nm the C450 outdoes the S4’s supercharged six by a hefty margin.
A claimed acceleration figure of 4.9 seconds from 0-100km/h means the mighty Merc also pips its closest competitor at the dragstrip as well.
I didn’t get a chance to drive the C450 at the Portimao race track where we put the C63 through its sideways paces, but the rapidly-driven route back to our hotel was demanding enough to suss out what this AMG-lite is capable of.
At one point I came up behind some colleagues driving the full-fat C63 where it was apparent that the stiffly-sprung top-of-the-line model had trouble coping with the narrow and bumpy Portuguese roads. Where the C63 hopped and skipped over the tarmac, the AWD C450 stuck to it with surefooted adhesion.
JUST ASKS FOR MORE..
I could see the frustration of the driver ahead of me; that his huge upper hand in power wasn’t enough to shake the 4Matic-equipped 450, and the harder he pushed the more out of sorts his suspension was with the ripply road beneath him. The C450 on the other hand revelled in the moment, calmly dismissing the undulating surface with a well-planted feel. Whatever challenge the road could throw at it, the 450 asked for more.
And it’s a screamer. Instead of a deep, throaty roar like its V8-powered brethren, the C450 AMG comes with a creamy wail which starts as a smooth croon as boost begins at 2 000rpm and ends with a high-pitched holler north of 7 000. It’s almost reminiscent of old-school straight-sixes from BMW. One of the most delicious sounding V6s I’ve ever experienced.
Mercedes has for now dedicated C450 AMG production to left-hand drive markets which explains why South Africa will only see it next year. But I assure you, this one’s worth the wait. Pricing will be announced closer to time of launch. -Star Motoring