It's not been 11 months since we were in Marseille and got to know the new one Mercedes Benz C400 4Matic and were very impressed. We spoke of BMW-like driving behavior, greedily on the gas-hanging engine and direct steering. What we didn't know at the time was that the people of Stuttgart can do it even better. Affalterbacher helped them and the result is: C 450 AMG 4matic. To find out how much sportier this C-Class is than its base, we didn't have to travel to France again, but to the southernmost tip of the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal. Around Faro we found perfect conditions for the gap filler between C400 and C63: empty, winding country roads, which were one thing above all else, damp.
Audi has led the way for many years: between the Hardcore RS models and the highest standard motorization, there is still room for sporty vehicles with an S as a distinguishing mark. BMW has followed up with its performance models with an M as a suffix and now the Swabians are also on the funnel. There also seems to be potential prospects among Mercedes customers who no one want more than 70.000 Euro C-Class with more than 400PS and still want a decent dash of driving dynamics for everyday automotive use. The answer is called C450 and as an addition, the Swabian acronym for sport can be stuck to the fenders: AMG.
But anyone who now believes that a 450 model compresses and ignites just under 4,5 liters of gasoline-air mixture distributed over 8 cylinders has not yet arrived in the age of downsizing. 450, that stands for V6 biturbo, 2.996 ccm, 367 PS and 520 Nm. For comparison: the C400 has the same engine with 333 hp and 40 Nm less. However, anyone who suspects that the Baby AMG is just a software-doped 400 is wrong. The AMG developers dug deep into the parts shelf of its big brother, the C63, and adapted and installed its steering knuckles and ball joints on the front axle for all-wheel drive. The result: more negative camber on the front wheels and stiffer bearings. Driving dynamics know that this results in a more direct turn-in. And because everything fits together so nicely in the Mercedes-AMG Lego kit, the C63 brake system with 360mm brake discs was also installed on the front axle. This means that the C450 AMG 4Matic is beyond any doubt on Portugal's hilly curve labyrinths in every braking zone.
The “little man” AMG is not cheap!
The Swabians are serious, because the all-wheel drive was not simply taken from 1: 1 from the organ donor C400, but trimmed to drive dynamics. So now 67% of the power flows permanently to the rear axle. And since we found very wet track conditions during our test drive, we didn't just sniff sniffly at the rear of one or the other with this setup C63, but overhauled the AMG steam hammer also. Because where the rear-wheel drive V8 is still looking in vain for grip at the corner exit, the all-wheel drive V6 has long since found it. The 450 quickly gives you great confidence and so you brake deep into the hairpin bends, only to open the throttle valves even faster. The rear axle then only slightly pushes outwards, while the front axle supports the almost 1,7 tons. So in these conditions you make several meters well for supposedly invincible opponents.
The drive package is an entertaining partner, because the six-cylinder trumpets its throaty sound with delight in the landscape lined with orange tree plantations and babbles refreshingly when pushed. The 3,0l also wants to be kept in a good mood and, despite its two loaders, loves the speeds beyond the 4.000 rpm. It is supported by the well-known Mercedes 7 automatic transmission, which has also been optimized for the C450. In the "Sport +" driving program, the short switching times are surprising and people like to use the shift paddles behind the steering wheel. It is astonishing what potential there is in the automatic converter if it is equipped with the right software.
But the AMG of the little man can do it differently: the driving program is set to "Comfort" and the whole load relaxes, including the three-stage damper adjustment. Suddenly you sail to the next Portuguese village in a fuel-efficient and comfortable way and you have the feeling that the rough jogging suit is under the elegant exterior of the Series W205 to be able to hide. Especially if you - like us - are traveling in a station wagon. The C450 AMG 4Matic is therefore not only “AMG light”, but really worth considering if you don't want to be constantly beating testosterone pregnant in the V8 through everyday life, but only occasionally when you have brought the children to school and done all the shopping , want to have a little fun with themselves and their C-Class. This fun from Mercedes-Benz is of course not cheap. At least 60.000 euros should be put aside, because the exact price will not be announced until April 2015 in Stuttgart.
[tabgroup] [tab title=”Technical data:"]
Technical data:
| For sale: | From the middle of 2015 |
| Base Price: | Still unknown |
| Engine performance: | 367 hp 2.996 cc |
| Drive and transmission: | 7 speed automatic transmission |
| Acceleration: | 4,9 from 0-100 km / h |
| Fuel consumption: | 7,6 liters on 100 km |
| maximum speed: | 250 km/h |
| Length, width, height, wheelbase | 4.702, 2.020, 1.440, 2.840 mm |
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[tab title=”WWTBO?"]What would the blogger order ??
First of all, because the price for the C450 AMG 4matic has not yet been determined. The C400 currently costs 52.389,75, the C63 above 76.100,50 Euro. Our guess: The 450er is over 60.000 euros, but under 65.000 euros. The corresponding station wagon would then be around 1.500 euros more than the price of the sedan and we would also choose the station wagon.
[/tab] [tab title=”Good to know"]The engine of the C450 is an old acquaintance and saw the light of day in 2010 as a naturally aspirated engine. Real life was breathed into the four-valve engine, however, only with the help of two turbochargers, 2013. The 3,0l V6 with the 400 number combination is used in almost all series. Exception: E400 and CLS400, which interestingly have 333l displacement with identical performance (3,5 PS). The C450 is currently the most powerful version of the M276 engine series. 2017 replaces this generation of engines with the inline six-cylinder M256.
[/tab] [tab title=”Tips:"]Mercedes-AMG C63 and C450 - Link recommendations:
- http://blog.mercedes-benz-passion.com/2015/02/unser-blick-auf-den-mercedes-amg-c-63-s-in-der-exklusiven-variante-als-edition-1-p97-c63-amg/
- http://5komma6.mercedes-benz-passion.com/das-beste-aus-zwei-welten-der-neue-mercedes-amg-c63-s-w205/
- http://www.rad-ab.com/2015/02/24/bilder-fotos-mercedes-amg-c63-s-t-modell-brilliantblau-metallic-farbcode-896/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj89sS1F9TU
- http://blog.mercedes-benz-passion.com/2015/02/unser-erstkontakt-die-testfahrt-im-neuen-mercedes-benz-c-450-amg-4matic-mit-367-ps/
- http://voice-over-cars.com/fahrbericht-2015-mercedes-amg-c63-c63s-video/