What's wrong with AMG?

[artypossum]

What is going on with AMG? They make some of the most fabulous and powerful cars in the world and yet they still have no manual option, only automatic with steering wheel buttons. Or is that enough? Would a manual gearbox spoil the whole "AMG experience"? Your opinions would be much appreciated.

[TT]

AMGs ain't sporty cars just fast and powerfull ones.. and their target as said by everso is for sure not really somebody willing to drive the car hard and enjoy heel-and-toe

[st-anger]

what´s wrong...???

IMO only one thing: the weight

[TT]

For sure and well considering the amount of AMG cars around, they are right or at least, the market for such cars is at least as big as the one for more driving pleasure focused cars

Of course when you think sporty car you never thing AMG, but still this is their way to go and they are doing very well

And everso well... the SL55 is not sporty... or better, when I think sporty I think Peugeot 306 S16, Renault Clio 172 (now 182), Lancer EVO, M3 and so on the SL55 is still to "soft" a sporty car (the sporty I meant) is a car that when driven on roads full of potholes make your spine beg for rest

[SPEEDKILLAR]

Well guys its actually not AMG's fault, I think Merc should try more there best.

AMG can't start making changes to the weight and so on, how much would that cost, it has to come from Merc first.

And yes there is actually a market for it or else they wouldn't sell so much, if I had the chance(maybe later) I would buy me an AMG instantly.

And I agree it would be nice if they offered a manual, and there customer service could be a little bit more friendly and helpful.

How would it be if Brabus would be Mercedes's house tuner......









But still...............Mercedes-Benz for life.

[yg60m]

yeah, and i think there's nothing wrong with having a fast and powerful car without being able to do "heel and toe" techniques

I think this is the point of view of most F1 drivers as until this year, they didn't have to upshift/downshift and that they don't do "heel and toe" anymore
So the automatic gearbox is not such a problem, the problem is, as st-anger said, the weight but Audi and BMW don't do better

[stracing]

and thats why i like old sports cars. if you told engineers in the past to comsider saftey, noise levels, comfort etc betcha they would give you a bewildered look.

TT you want your spine scream out for rest? drive a DC2 integra type-r on some dusty roads.

like others have said, if AMG were to have manual boxes, it would have to come from Merc. doubt AMG will spend squillions to development a new gearbox. especially when they know they have the abilty to get 1200Nm of torque, i think alot more goes into building a strong one

[st-anger]

...hmmmm i wouldn´t add BMW to that list, they´re trying very hard to reduce the weight, especially ///M GmbH because we can´t compare AMG with BMW or Audi, better with ///M and Quattro, but just look at the recent ///M models, CSL, E60 M5....they´re trying...
i´m curious about the weight of to upcomming RS6 with the V10, and then compare it with the E60 M5....

[TT]

it's a very hard classification to deem something a "sports car" these days. Have you heard the exhaust off the SL55 AMG? JC was right when he says it sounds like a fighter jet in combat...it's IMMENSE! in my opinion, there is a miscellaneous element to classifying a sports car these days. there is a certain FEEL that a car should have to be deemed "sporty"....

Well I mean a car that connects you with the action a car that make you feel the road.. the SL55 sorry but lack on this (even if I never driven one, but every reviewer agree on that). A sporty car is a car that let you know when the lateral grip is almost gone.. and I prefer a car with way less lateral G available but with more feeling.. a car able to take corners superfast but that it does it for you it's far from a sporty car.. and that's the SL55 case...
I agree the sound is amazing, but well, not enough to make you feel the road

Oh and BMWs are completely different from Mercs, sorry as said by st-anger, the M department is completely different than the AMG one and aims to different customers

[yg60m]

I think AMG are not conceived to make you feel the road but just to be a confortable, yet sporting, mean of move , and when you drive on both road and city you appreciate to have climate, automatic and comfort

[SPEEDKILLAR]

Just a side note, I still think Merc AMG's are the most durable and powerful engines around.

[SPEEDKILLAR]

I agree the sound is amazing, but well, not enough to make you feel the road

And what about the CLK DTM AMG, I bet it makes you fell the road pretty hard :x .

[BADMIHAI]

I don't think there's really anything wrong with them. Their target-market doesn't really include young, crazy people. They're more cruising cars...GTs and such. They're comfy and fast, but not real racers or anything like that.

[schnell318]

Did someone watch the Tsukuba Battle where there´s a CSL and an SL55 AMG among several other cars (Miata, S2000, Elise MkII, RX8), the CSL came about 13 seconds ahead of the SL55, with 140 bhp less i guess that just about explains the difference between AMG and ///M. 8)

[Chingachgook]

the philosophy. they don' build sports cars, but only GT for the retirement. Auto Gearbox, all the electronic it's possible to fit, all the weight it's possible to add...no no, if you want a real GT don't take the SL or the CL, buy a Quattroporte or a 575