Mercedes-Benz Expands with Two Sub-Brands
L.A. Autoshow Report | Mercedes
Mercedes Expands with Two Sub-Brands
At the Mercedes booth at the Los Angeles Auto Show, center stage was occupied by the special luxury model "Maybach S-Class," which also brought its sub-brand name, and the Mercedes-AMG "GT" and "C 63," which also bear the sub-brand. A report from Tatsuya Otani, who witnessed the vehicles firsthand.
Text & Event Photographs by OTANI Tatsuya
AMG Models: The Symbol of "Driving Performance"
At the Los Angeles Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz focused on two themes: "Driving Performance" and "Exclusivity."
Of these, AMG, the renowned sub-brand of Mercedes, embodies "Driving Performance." This time, the "AMG GT," which had its world premiere, made its North American debut in Los Angeles, and the "C 63," also a North American first, was unveiled.
Speaking of the previous generation "C-Class," the "C 63 AMG" with its highly acclaimed V8 6.3-liter naturally aspirated engine left a deep impression. The model announced this time is its successor. However, even though the model name is the same, the engine, like other AMG models, has finally been replaced with a twin-turbo version.
Furthermore, despite sharing the "63" designation, the displacement is 4.0 liters, the same as the AMG GT, rather than the 5.5 liters shared with the "S-Class" and "E-Class." Consequently, the maximum output is slightly lower than the "S 63" and "E 63," with the standard C 63 rated at 476 hp and the higher-performance C 63 S at 510 hp (compared to 557 hp for the E 63 and 585 hp for the E 63 S and S 63).
However, the previous C 63 AMG was not only appealing for its large-displacement naturally aspirated engine but also for its sharp chassis performance, akin to a sports car. Therefore, how this aspect has changed, or not changed, in the new model is also a point of keen interest.
L.A. Autoshow Report | Mercedes
Mercedes Expands with Two Sub-Brands (2)
Maybach S 600 Embodies "Exclusivity"
The other symbol of "Exclusivity" to appear at the LA Show was "Maybach," born as Mercedes' second sub-brand after AMG.
The story of Maybach, an ultra-luxury car brand that existed before the war and was revived by Mercedes in 2000, has already been featured on OPENERS. Unlike the "second-generation Maybach," which produced unique models completely independent of Mercedes, the "third-generation Maybach" has been repositioned as a "special Mercedes."
And while AMG's direction was set as "Driving Performance," Maybach's was defined as "Exclusivity." The positioning of these two sub-brands can be said to be very clear.
Mercedes-Maybach S 600
Mercedes-Maybach S 600
The Mercedes-Maybach "S 600" displayed at the show was so well-proportioned that it was hard to believe its wheelbase was extended by 200mm compared to the long-wheelbase S-Class.
There was none of the awkward, elongated aspect ratio typical of stretched limousines, nor any sense of awkwardness around the rear doors. This is likely due to the two character lines devised by Chief Designer Gorden Wagener, which create a sense of tension along the long body side.
While the interior's dashboard area doesn't look significantly different from the standard S-Class, this is undoubtedly related to the fact that the Mercedes-Maybach was conceived as a chauffeur-driven car.
The rear seats, on the other hand, are individual, separate units and can recline significantly, much like business class on a long-haul flight. Furthermore, the soft-touch leather is adorned with the familiar diamond stitching found on AMG models, exuding a level of luxury that can be considered the culmination of current Mercedes design.