Mercedes unveils the most powerful C-Class ever.
Mercedes-Benz isn’t slowing down its product proliferation program. The maker, once limited to a handful of models such as the C, E and S-Class sedans, now has a broad range of sedans, coupes, crossovers and SUVs – and will add a new model that apparently blends the off-road capabilities of its M-Class line with the sleek coupe-like shape of its CLS sedan.
Reports indicate the new model will be one of the new additions to go into the Mercedes plant in Vance, Alabama. The maker has announced that it will spent about $2 billion to upgrade the factory – more than twice the original cost of the plant. Among other things, the investment will permit Mercedes to produce its C-Class model in Alabama, as well.
The C-Class line-up will also be getting bigger, the German maker revealed, with the 2012 launch of the new C63 AMG Coupe Black Series. It will be the most powerful version ever in the compact line – originally known as the Baby Benz. Powered by a 6.3-liter V-8 developed specifically for the AMG brand-within-a-brand, the Black Series coupe will make 510 horsepower and should launch from 0 to 60 in about 4.2 seconds, Mercedes says.
To plant that power on the ground the C63 AMG Coupe Black Series will be equipped with an electronically adjustable suspension and will utilize two-piece carbon-composite brakes to scrub off speed. A special aerodynamic package will also be offered featuring a carbon-fiber rear spoiler and exterior winglets.
The Black Series is the most limited – and expensive – version of Mercedes already exclusive AMG line-up. No word yet on pricing for the 2012 coupe.
But the move to build the C-Class line-up in the U.S. is clearly a critical step by the automaker to overcome the serious imbalance of dollar/Euro exchange rates. That’s a particular problem with lower-end versions of the compact C-Class.
Once the expansion of the Vance plant is completed, in 2015, the U.S. factory will be producing the C-Class, R-Class, G-Class and M-Class lines.
Mercedes has not yet confirmed plans for the coupe-like version of the M-, but it would suggest that the maker is motivated by competitors such as BMW, with its X6. Luxury makers are looking for ways to expand their crossover line-ups by moving away from traditional, boxy SUV designs. The new offering is reportedly set to launch in 2015, about the same time as the C-Class starts rolling out of Alabama.