Good news, lunatics! The Mercedes-AMG Black Series nameplate will return … eventually

By Andrew Hard March 9, 2015

Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series rendering — rc82/Automeo

We haven’t seen (or heard) a Black Series Mercedes for a while, but don’t worry; the brand’s most primal, unhinged vehicles aren’t going anywhere.

“The Black Series name stays,” said Mercedes-AMG Chief Tobias Moers in an interview with Autocar. “It will be necessary in the future, but for now the base cars are so good.”

One base car in question is the Mercedes-AMG GT, which made its official debut last September. While a Black Series version (rendered above) is inevitable, the standard model is potent enough to satisfy all but the most extreme performance cravings, so AMG is currently focusing on steady improvement without losing the Black Series’ distinct ferocity.

“It’s not all about having 900 Newton meters [664 pound-feet] of torque at 2000 rpm,” he said. “It’s about making the cars more sophisticated, more precise. Improving everything a little bit. The GT is first, the C63 second, then the GLE Coupe will be something else again.”

Moers has previously stated that the AMG GT Black Series would only come after Mercedes has created a “full family” of GT cars, and that family recently introduced a new member.

Last month, Mercedes unveiled the AMG GT3, a track-only racecar built in accordance with FIA GT3 regulations. Instead of using a tweaked version of the 4.0-liter biturbo V8 from the standard car, the GT3 equips a variant of the 6.3-liter, naturally aspirated V8 from the SLS AMG GT3. The lightweight car also features aluminum double-wishbone suspension, a six-speed sequential gearbox, and lots and lots of carbon fiber.

Moers also hinted that future performance cars could integrate electric powertrains, saying, “We will need hybrid applications in the future and we have done research for hybrids for AMG. We can offer performance and efficiency and will be able to find solutions.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…

Cars

Mercedes-AMG teaches the tech-savvy 2020 CLA 45 how to breathe fire

2020 mercedes benz cla keeps design led styling gets more tech ces 2019 amg 45 s 4matic

Mercedes-Benz traveled to CES 2019 to introduce the second-generation CLA. It was a fitting venue for a car that's considerably more high-tech than its predecessor. In Las Vegas, the German firm put a greater emphasis on connectivity than on horsepower. That changed at the 2019 New York Auto Show, when it unveiled a more powerful, mid-range variant of the sedan developed by in-house tuner AMG, and the lineup grew again in July 2019 with the addition of a fire-breathing model named CLA 45 fitted with the most powerful four-cylinder engine in the world.

The CLA remains the design-led member of Mercedes' growing family of compact cars. Stylists took its front end in a more aggressive direction by giving the headlights and the grille a more angular design. The rippled hood -- a styling cue that helped the original CLA stand out -- returns on the second-generation model. When viewed from the side, the CLA boasts a fastback-like roofline reminiscent of the third-generation CLS and frameless doors. The rear lights are also CLS-like. To us, the 2020 CLA looks more mature than its predecessor.

Cars

Mercedes-AMG GT 73 plug-in hybrid will unleash 805 hp, report says

2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe

The Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door is already pretty fast, but Mercedes may be planning an even faster version. Autocar reports that the GT 4-Door will get a plug-in hybrid powertrain anchored by a twin-turbocharged V8 that makes an impressive 805 horsepower. The British magazine published purported spy photos of this car, expected to be dubbed Mercedes-AMG GT 73 4Matic, undergoing testing. AMG may have other high-performance plug-in hybrids in the pipeline as well.

The plug-in hybrid powertrain could be a production version of the one used in the original GT concept from the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, according to Autocar. That car married a plug-in hybrid system with the 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 used in numerous current Mercedes-AMG models. It also had all-wheel drive (4Matic, in Mercedes speak) so the production version will likely have that, too. Autocar predicts an electric-only range of 31 miles, although that's likely based on the European WLTP testing cycle, not the U.S. EPA cycle.

Cars

Leak gives an early sneak peek at Mercedes-AMG’s pocket rocket CLA45

2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA45 leaked photo

Mercedes-Benz has already revealed two versions of its redesigned CLA compact four-door: The base CLA250 and the sportier AMG CLA35. But there's one more version on the way, and it's making its first appearance earlier than expected. Auto Bild and Motor1 spotted a leaked photo of that car, the 2020 Mercedes-AMG CLA45, on Mercedes' own German website.

The photo in question appeared in the online configurator for the CLA35. The website initially shows a yellow CLA35, but clicking on the section detailing an optional Night Package brings up a photo of the rear of the CLA45. The badging gives it away, as do subtle differences like quad exhaust tips (the CLA35 only has two exhaust tips), different wheels, and red-painted brake calipers. We don't know what the front looks like, but it will likely feature more aggressive styling to further differentiate the CLA45 from the CLA35 and could possibly include the Panamericana grille used on other AMG models like the GT four-door coupe.