Tag Archives: Mercedes-AMG

NEW CARS

2026 Mercedes-AMG GLC 53 First Drive Preview

Mercedes-AMG has never been shy about stuffing big performance into tidy packages, but the latest GLC 53 feels like Affalterbach is making a statement. This isn’t just a mildly spiced luxury crossover—it’s a full-fat AMG effort designed to deliver the kind of back-road fireworks that used to be reserved for low-slung sedans and coupes. And it does it with a snarling six-cylinder heart that feels refreshingly old-school in an era of downsizing and electrification.

At the center of the new GLC 53 is AMG’s extensively reworked 3.0-liter inline-six. With a turbocharger, an electrically driven auxiliary compressor, and a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, it produces 449 horsepower and up to 600 lb-ft of torque—briefly swelling to 472 hp and 472 lb-ft (640 Nm) under overboost. Numbers aside, what matters more is how it responds. The electric compressor spools the engine instantly, filling in the gaps before the turbo wakes up, so throttle inputs are met with a crisp, eager surge that feels far more natural than most modern boosted setups.

That muscle is routed through AMG’s SPEEDSHIFT TCT 9-speed automatic and a fully variable AMG Performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel-drive system. Under gentle cruising, the GLC behaves like a rear-driver for efficiency, but when you start leaning on it, the front axle seamlessly joins the party. Opt for the AMG Dynamic Plus package and things get even more interesting: a Drift Mode and an electronically controlled rear limited-slip differential let this tall, practical SUV behave like a hooligan’s toy on a closed course.

Mercedes-AMG claims 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.2 seconds with launch control, and while that’s quick for any SUV, it’s the midrange punch and top-end charge that will likely define the driving experience. AMG has extended the torque plateau and pushed the power band higher in the rev range, giving the engine a keener appetite for revs than before—exactly what enthusiasts want from a performance-branded inline-six.

The soundtrack plays a big role here too. AMG has fitted a new exhaust with special resonators and, optionally, a valved system that lets you dial in everything from subtle growl to full-bore crackles and pops. In the sportier modes, it promises the kind of theatrical misfires and lift-off burbles that make every tunnel an event. It may not be the naturally aspirated V-8 of old, but AMG is clearly doing everything it can to keep this turbo six dripping with character.

Chassis tech is just as serious. The GLC 53 rides on AMG’s RIDE CONTROL suspension with adaptive dampers that independently manage compression and rebound, allowing it to glide in Comfort mode and hunker down in Sport and Sport+. Rear-axle steering—standard, no less—adds up to 2.5 degrees of opposite-direction steering at low speeds for agility and up to 0.7 degrees of same-direction steering at higher speeds for stability. Translation: parking lots get easier, and fast sweepers feel more planted.

Stopping power comes from 390-mm front brake discs clamped by four-piston calipers, with 360-mm rotors at the rear, while a three-stage AMG steering system alters effort and feedback based on your chosen drive mode. Tie it all together with AMG DYNAMICS software that tweaks stability control and torque distribution, and you get a crossover that can be docile on the commute or delightfully unhinged on a twisty road.

Then there’s the styling, which leans heavily into AMG’s love of visual drama. The optional Golden Accents Package goes full concept-car chic with tech-gold trim, 21-inch forged wheels, and matching interior stitching and carbon-fiber inlays. Night Package options black out everything from grille details to exhaust tips for those who prefer a stealthier look, while the AMG Design Plus package adds aggressive aero touches that make it clear this isn’t your neighbor’s GLC.

The result is a compact luxury SUV that refuses to be boring. The new Mercedes-AMG GLC 53 doesn’t just chase numbers—it chases emotion, sound, and that elusive sense of mechanical connection. For drivers who want their family-friendly crossover to double as a back-road thrill machine, Affalterbach’s latest effort looks ready to deliver in spades.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

Auctions

How a 2005 Mercedes-AMG CL65 Became a $300,000 Collectible

By the mid-2000s, Mercedes-AMG was in a very particular mood. Not the restrained, Nürburgring-lap-time-chasing AMG we know today, but the slightly unhinged, torque-drunk division that believed the correct answer to every engineering question was “add two more cylinders and a pair of turbochargers.” The CL65 AMG was the purest expression of that mindset, and one impossibly preserved example has just proven that the world is finally ready to pay for it.

This Alabaster White 2005 CL65 AMG crossed the auction block for more than $300,000, a figure that would have sounded ridiculous a decade ago but now feels eerily logical. When new, this coupe already carried a stratospheric $182,280 sticker, which inflation turns into roughly the same $300K it just fetched. In other words, this car didn’t just hold its value—it completed a 20-year financial round trip back to its original altitude.

That alone would be impressive. The real story is what this thing is.

A Bentley in Disguise, a Supercar at Heart

Under the pillarless, yacht-like body of the C215 CL-Class sits AMG’s most excessive production engine: a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12. Officially, it made 612 horsepower and 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft) of torque, although everyone knew those numbers were conservative. In 2005, that put this Mercedes in the same power neighborhood as a Ferrari Enzo—except the CL65 could also heat, cool, and massage your back while doing it.

All of that thrust flows through a five-speed AMG SpeedShift automatic to the rear wheels, because at the time Mercedes hadn’t yet invented a transmission brave enough to handle that much torque with more ratios. Even so, the CL65 could catapult its nearly two-ton body forward with an effortlessness that bordered on absurd.

And yet, this wasn’t some stripped-out AMG special. It was a full-blown luxury coupe, complete with Active Body Control suspension, cross-drilled AMG brakes, and a cabin that feels more like a private jet than a sports car.

The Spec That Shouldn’t Work—but Does

This particular car was ordered new by Michael Fux, the philanthropist and serious collector known for his bold specifications, and it shows. The exterior is finished in Alabaster White, paired with a Java leather interior and chestnut wood trim. It’s an unusual combination, slightly flamboyant, and completely unforgettable—exactly the kind of thing that turns a production AMG into a one-off-feeling collector car two decades later.

The condition is where things really get wild. The odometer reads just 3,300 miles (5,300 km), which means this CL65 has averaged roughly 165 miles per year since new. That explains why it presents today as a near-museum piece, right down to its Michelin Pilot Sport tires with 2024 date codes and its still-immaculate interior.

And yes, it’s loaded. Heated and ventilated multi-contour AMG sport seats with massage, Keyless Go, Bose surround sound, COMAND navigation, Parktronic, a power rear sunshade, and even a trunk-mounted CD changer for those who miss the golden age of physical media. The instrument cluster tops out at 220 mph, a subtle reminder that this was never meant to be a mere luxury cruiser.

Why $300,000 Suddenly Makes Sense

For years, the CL65 AMG lived in the shadow of more obvious icons: the McLaren-engined SLR, the SL65 roadster, and the modern hyper-AMGs that followed. But tastes are changing. Collectors are rediscovering the era when AMG was gloriously unfiltered, building cars that made no apologies for their size, weight, or fuel consumption—only for their lack of restraint.

The CL65 represents the peak of that philosophy. A V12, twin turbos, no pillars, no compromises, and enough torque to bend space-time. Combine that with ultra-low mileage, a high-profile original owner, and a rare spec, and you get a perfect storm for value.

In 2005, this car was an outrageous indulgence. In 2026, it’s a rolling monument to a lost era of Mercedes-AMG madness—and now, officially, a six-figure collectible.

And honestly? That feels exactly right.

Source: Bring a Trailer

NEW CARS

Mercedes-AMG Tests a Secret New Performance Coupe in Subzero Sweden

Even under full winter camo and the weak, bluish light of a Scandinavian January, some cars can’t hide what they are. And whatever Mercedes-AMG is currently hammering through the snowbanks near the Arctic Circle is not just another cold-weather mule—it’s a statement. Wide, low, and aggressively planted, this unnamed prototype looks less like a development car and more like a warning shot.

Mercedes-AMG has brought its next big idea north to Sweden, where temperatures plunge far below zero and roads alternate between polished ice and powdery snow. It’s here, in one of the harshest environments on Earth, that engineers validate everything from throttle response to drivetrain durability. Batteries, gearboxes, suspension bushings, electronics—if it survives here, it’ll survive anywhere. But this isn’t just about testing. This is about proving a point.

At first glance, the silhouette hints at the new CLE coupe, Mercedes’ slick replacement for the old C- and E-Class two-doors. But look closer and the relationship becomes more philosophical than literal. The track looks wider. The stance looks meaner. And the whole car radiates the kind of intent normally reserved for AMG’s most extreme products. This isn’t a CLE with a sport package. This is a CLE that’s been through AMG’s fight camp.

The reason for all this drama? This car will be the second entry in Mercedes-Benz’s new Mythos series—a lineup designed not for mass production but for collectors, connoisseurs, and anyone who thinks “limited edition” should actually mean something. These are halo cars, meant to push design, performance, and desirability beyond what even AMG’s already wild regular lineup offers.

The first Mythos model, the Mercedes-AMG PureSpeed, set the tone. With no roof, no windshield, and a design that looked like a modern Le Mans car escaped into traffic, it was a bold, borderline unhinged take on what a Mercedes performance car could be. This second Mythos entry, while more conventional in shape, appears to be no less extreme in ambition.

Mercedes is keeping the technical details locked down tighter than a Nürburgring lap time, but the brand has already confirmed what the visuals suggest: a powertrain worthy of the Mythos badge. Expect something very loud, very fast, and very much engineered to sit above the CLE AMG models in both performance and prestige. This won’t be a numbers-chasing special. It will be a character car—something designed to feel as dramatic as it looks.

And that’s why it’s being frozen, slid, and stress-tested in the Arctic. A Mythos car can’t just be powerful; it has to be unflappable. Whether blasting across an autobahn at 180 mph or carving through a frozen Swedish test track, it needs to deliver the kind of confidence that justifies its exclusivity.

In a world where high-performance cars are becoming increasingly digital, electric, and restrained, Mercedes-AMG’s snow-covered prototype looks refreshingly analog in spirit. Big presence. Big ambition. Big attitude.

Whatever AMG is about to reveal, one thing is already certain: when the camo finally comes off, it won’t be subtle—and that’s exactly the point.

Source: Mercedes-AMG