A to the M to the G: PH Blog
Has AMG abandoned its principles by building the A45? A fan responds...
How far has AMG come in 20 years? Quite far...
For red-blooded fans of German heavy metal this last one is particularly troubling. AMGs – the proper ones – have traditionally been about outrageous V8s levered into otherwise sensible Mercs, top speed uber alles performance and need-to-know bling to separate them from the trim level wannabes with logo’d floormats in their C180s.
As a bit of an old-school AMG fan I raised these concerns with development boss (as was, now overall head) Tobias Moers at the Geneva show. As previously discussed, Moers is about as old-school AMG as it gets. “Tell me what you think when you’ve driven it!” was his parting shot. And now I have.
Credit due. I think it’s a bit of a blinder.
You almost expect chunks of tarmac out the back
It’s not because AMG has picked its battles carefully. The basis of a front-driven hatch with a dual-clutch auto and transversely mounted four-cylinder engine wasn’t going to change. This couldn’t be a traditional AMG with a big V8 and rear-wheel drive. But I like the fact that within this completely different context they’ve shrugged and said, “OK, can’t have big capacity but we’ll keep the bonkers power advantage” and built a four-cylinder engine with the highest specific output of any production car on sale. 181hp per litre in a hatchback? Mental.
Thank god it drives and sounds like it is too! And the A45’s sportiness has clearly been developed by engineers, not marketeers. It won’t be to all tastes. It doesn’t try to be. The ride is brittle but not contrived to be so and, if you appreciate such things, beautifully damped when you’re really on it.
More on the 90s AMG soon...
And it’s not dumbed down handling-wise either, altering its line under power or with a lift depending on your mood. There are options there for the keen driver that go beyond dumbed-down safety understeer and an ESP catch-net. Only the gearbox frustrates, but then working around the transmission rather than with it has always been part of life with AMG. More on this next week…
This is a completely different AMG from the ones we’ve known and loved thus far. As a fan of the traditional cars I feared the worst. Nice sometimes to be proved wrong.
Dan
If Aston Martin made a hatchback (let's ignore the Cygnet as that was for emissions only), would you be happy to call it an Aston Martin, even if objectively it was an okay car? Similarly, how about a Diesel, 4 door Ferrari? Some things don't seem to go together.
Personally, I think that Merc could have looked to launched a new sub-brand for the A45 (perhaps with technical help from AMG), to differentiate it from traditional AMG products.
Cheers!
Dan
Would you say Ford have abandoned their roots because the Focus isn't a bit more like a Model T?
E55 AMG I bought new in 1998 @ circa £60,000 ... 5.4 24V AMG V8 354 PS (260 kW; 349 hp) 530 N·m (391 lb·ft) 0- 62 mph 5.4 secs
A45 AMG can be bought new for circa £38,000 ... 2.0 AMG in-line 4cyl 360 PS (265 kW; 355 hp) @6000, 450 N·m (332 lbf·ft) @2250-5000 0-62mph: 4.6 seconds
Never understood this V8 reasoning.... So the W201 190E 3.2 AMG, W124 AMG (both 3.4 and 3.6) and W202 C36 weren't "proper" AMG? They were outstanding cars of their time!
Is it just me that prefers the sound of a howling inline 6 being used in anger?
Would you say Ford have abandoned their roots because the Focus isn't a bit more like a Model T?
Everyone has a different perspective. And it's usually seen from "when they were younger" to current. Everything has changed in that time. As it did for the generation previous, and so on.
If Aston Martin made a hatchback (let's ignore the Cygnet as that was for emissions only), would you be happy to call it an Aston Martin, even if objectively it was an okay car? Similarly, how about a Diesel, 4 door Ferrari? Some things don't seem to go together.
Personally, I think that Merc could have looked to launched a new sub-brand for the A45 (perhaps with technical help from AMG), to differentiate it from traditional AMG products.
This is the ONLY way forward now as fuel prices are rediculous and showroom tax can now be over £1000 in the first year for RFL.
Soon V8 will be classic cars only !
That said I love it, I WANT one more than ive wanted anything for a while, but then I drive a 400hp 2.0 Turbo now, so its probably right up my street.
Why do PH keep going on about the bland 135i (Its not an M) when this is far far far superior. Anyone would think they were getting paid by BMW ! or given free cars
If Aston Martin made a hatchback (let's ignore the Cygnet as that was for emissions only), would you be happy to call it an Aston Martin, even if objectively it was an okay car? Similarly, how about a Diesel, 4 door Ferrari? Some things don't seem to go together.
Personally, I think that Merc could have looked to launched a new sub-brand for the A45 (perhaps with technical help from AMG), to differentiate it from traditional AMG products.
As for Ferrari, they've always been typified by conservatism. It'll seem odd that they don't make a 4 door Diesel long before they finally do.
I tend to think that the A45 is more like the AMG equivalent of the Dino 206 - a scary departure from the perceived norm at first but ultimately a watershed moment that'll define the core of their market going forward. Good on them for having the balls to stick their "brand" on it.
Iirc the Merc was noteable mainly for its outright speed.
I'm not convinced that speed as a USP is enough, and for me the looks are challenging.
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