Skip to main content

Can’t quite afford the C63? With the C450 AMG, Mercedes-Benz has you covered

Mercedes-Benz is filling the gap between the C-Class equipped with the AMG Sport package and the tire-shredding C63 with the 2016 C450 AMG 4Matic. Set to debut at the Detroit Motor Show, the C450 is the second member of Mercedes’ new AMG sports sub-brand.

The C450 AMG is billed as a more affordable alternative to the C63. It gets a look of its own that is characterized by a single-slat radiator grille with small chrome inserts, a less aggressive front bumper, a gray air diffuser out back and model-specific 18-inch alloy wheels. The C63’s powerdome hood has been tossed out and replaced by a less muscular-looking flat panel.

Inside, the C450 gains black MB-Tex upholstery with red contrast stitching on the seats, the dashboard, the center console and the door panels. The cockpit also features aluminum trim, sport seats up front, a 175-mph speedometer with a checkered flag background and a three-spoke steering wheel upholstered in Nappa leather.

Like the GLE450 AMG, the C450 AMG packs a serious punch thanks to a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine that is tuned to generate 362 horsepower – 107 less than the C63 – and 384 foot-pounds of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission, allowing the C450 to reach 60 mph from a dead stop in 4.9 seconds.

In regular driving conditions, the 4Matic all-wheel drive system sends 67-percent of the six-cylinder’s power to the rear wheels and the rest to the front wheels. Handling is further improved by an electro-mechanical speed-sensitive power steering system, an AMG-tuned adaptive sport suspension with a three-stage adjustment range and vented discs on all four corners.

A standard start/stop system helps keep gas mileage in check. Additionally, the C450 comes with a sailing function that disengages the engine from the rest of the powertrain when the gas pedal is released between 37 and 99 mph. All told, the C450 aims to strike an ideal balance between comfort, performance and fuel economy.

The Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG will go on sale next fall, in time for the 2016 model year. AMG sports is set to become a full-blown sub-brand so additional models will follow shortly.

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
The UK’s Wayve brings its AI automated driving software to U.S. shores
wayve ai automated driving us driver assist2 1920x1152 1

It might seem that the autonomous driving trend is moving at full speed and on its own accord, especially if you live in California.Wayve, a UK startup that has received over $1 billion in funding, is now joining the crowded party by launching on-road testing of its AI learning system on the streets of San Francisco and the Bay Area.The announcement comes just weeks after Tesla unveiled its Robotaxi at the Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California. It was also in San Francisco that an accident last year forced General Motors’ robotaxi service Cruise to stop its operations. And it’s mostly in California that Waymo, the only functioning robotaxi service in the U.S., first deployed its fleet of self-driving cars. As part of its move, Wayve opened a new office in Silicon Valley to support its U.S. expansion and AI development. Similarly to Tesla’s Full-Self Driving (FSD) software, the company says it’s using AI to provide automakers with a full range of driver assistance and automation features.“We are now testing our AI software in real-world environments across two continents,” said Alex Kendall, Wayve co-founder and CEO.The company has already conducted tests on UK roads since 2018. It received a huge boost earlier this year when it raised over $1 billion in a move led by Softbank and joined by Microsoft and Nvidia. In August, Uber also said it would invest to help the development of Wayve’s technology.Just like Tesla’s FSD, Wayve’s software provides an advanced driver assistance system that still requires driver supervision.Before driverless vehicles can legally hit the road, they must first pass strict safety tests.So far, Waymo’s technology, which relies on pre-mapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar, and lidar (a laser-light radar), is the only of its kind to have received the nod from U.S. regulators.

Read more
Pirelli’s new ‘Cyber Tyre’ could be the next traction control
Red Pagani Utopia Roadster in a spotlight on a white background

If you’ve heard whispers about the “Pirelli Cyber Tyre,” or spotted the news about the Italian manufacturer’s work with Bosch, Pagani, and McLaren, then you may be wondering: What makes the new tire so clever? Smart tires as a concept go back a few years, and Pirelli has a habit of squeezing in tech wherever possible. So, what's different this time?

Well, plenty of drivers know what happens when you hit a patch of ice, or test your luck through a particularly bad downpour. Your vehicle loses grip and unless you have the skills needed to get it back on track, you’re probably going to wind up pitched into a ditch or headed sideways into a tree. Things like stability control and traction control help a lot, but they can’t do much when you do start hydroplaning.

Read more
Scout Motors creates connections with its new electric Terra truck and Traveler SUV
Scout Terra and Traveler driving onto the compass-face stage.

Scout Motors invited roughly 300 people to the hills of Franklin, Tennessee, to reveal the Scout Traveler SUV and Terra truck electric concept vehicles. The automaker brought in journalists such as myself, active lifestyle bloggers, YouTubers, automotive industry analysts, and enthusiasts and fans of the original International Harvester Scout.

Scout Motors calls the new, rugged vehicle the Connection Machine. The reveal event aimed to establish a solid connection between the concept EVs and the attendees. The automaker also used the occasion to announce the immediate ability to reserve a Scout vehicle with a $100 fully refundable deposit.
The Scout legend

Read more