Dr Chill

The name change should have no effect on the value of the C450 as the car will likely be exactly the same. Unlike with the change from 400 to 450 which was accompanied by several key improvements.

For those who really care about the change and have a C450 or have ordered a C450 already, just rebadge when the new one is released. For those who couldn't care less, just enjoy your cars.

tivoboy

I would definitely be pushing for the 10% number or even higher. Those numbers are out there, use this possibly as leverage with your dealer - car will be out of date in just 12 months. (although it won't really!)

tivoboy

I doubt there will be much if any changes under the hood.. or four corners. They MIGHT put some AMG'ish wheels on it as standard (would up the starting base price) and might do a tad to the front fairing and defuser and some interior TOUCHES but I wouldn't be expecting a different tranny in this '2nd' year of release of this new model and wouldn't expect any engine changes.

just my .02$

AMGAffalterbach

In a sense, you're right. Once the new naming scheme takes effect and we all become used to it, except for a few usual complaints or wise cracks here and there, everyone will end up forgetting. Then, in another 5-10 years, when they change the naming scheme again we will all be up in arms - again - regarding what is and is not considered an AMG when, in reality, it is purely marketing, even if the upper echelon of models have hand built engines.

chem1441

I am considering having the badges updated this summer to AMG C43, assuming they don't change anything mechanically with the car. Does anyone know if the W205 AMG badge has any prongs or anything on the back? or is it straight 3M glue that holds it on?

rbrylaw

No offense, but why would you bother? You bought a C450. You didn't buy a C43 and to rebadge your car, seems rather a poser move to me. What will you do when it's time sell. Pawn it off to someone as something it's not? If it really bugs you, why not just debadge the car completely. The numbers are glued on and dental floss will help you remove them.

I just don't get what the big deal is what badge one's car has? If you like the car. If you enjoy driving the car. Isn't that enough?

Dr Chill

Not a poser move to change badge to 43 as it is the same car. Changing C300 to C43 is poser. It's just to counter the annoying move by MB.

inhartwetrust

Agreed 100%, but I'm in the camp that prefers to debadge any car I get (C300 to S65) so I guess I am biased in that regard.

rbrylaw

Of course it's a poser move. If you bought a C450, you bought a C450, not a C43.

Dr Chill

So, if MB changed the C300 to C30 and you lopped off one zero on your car, you'd be a poser even though the car is the same?

inhartwetrust

The car is still a C300. Do they change the registration of the vehicle to read C30? Or is the make and model still a MB C300?

When you go to a shop to get some work done on your C450 and they ask for year make and model so they can look up parts, what will you answer? 2015 Mercedes C450? Or 2015 Mercedes C43 AMG?

rbrylaw

Well here's the difference between you and me. If Mercedes renames my car to the C30, my car will still be a C300. I bought a C300 and I wouldn't be bothered if they change the number. Sorry, but I think it's wrong to call your car a model it isn't. If it really bothered me (which it won't to begin with), I'd just debadge my car and call it a day. And if you rebadge your car, Mercedes and whatever state you live in will still have your car registered as a C450.

BenzC400

They likely won't be exactly the same car. It may be close, but there will likely be improved features available on the C43 that aren't available with the C450. Maybe a power increase, improved electronics and maybe a slightly different appearance package.

Dr Chill

That is pure speculation.


My issue is not whether or not I change badges on this car. I am buying this car for my 78 year old mother in law and couldn't care less what badges are on the car. The issue is that rebadging to the nomenclature that will be used 6 months later assuming the car doesn't change does not make one a poser. Nor did changing the badge from a 500SL to an SL500 several years ago.

My definition of a poser is someone who tries to show he/she has something superior to what it really is. Not equivalent as the articles seem to be implying.

chem1441

Wrong. I specifically said, if they DO NOT change any of the mechanicals of the car, I want to consider a rebadge. A poser is someone that sticks an AMG badge on their C300. If the C450 and C43 are the same car.....literally the same car, then I see no "poser" issue.

And no, I'm not going to commit fraud when I resell the car. But thanks for the accusation.

rbrylaw

OK. Let's just agree to completely disagree.

ddeliber

Not to age discriminate or anything, but why are you buying a performance car for your 78 year old mother in law? Does she really want one?

edit: Note: The reason I ask is I am in the process of buying a car for my 70+ yr old mother and she specifically said to me: and don't get anything too touchy when I press on the pedal - translation -> nothing too fast for me! :-)

MBZFAN55

As Lexus has just edged Mercedes and BMW out of the 2015 sales leadership by a minuscule amount, let us not forget that virtually everything these car manufacturers do is directly related to unit sales. Every manufacturer competes model to model and if BMW comes out with a successful 1-Series M Sport diesel, then Mercedes will not be far behind. Just be prepared for the AMG C23, soon to be at your local MB dealer!

angeloxnet

my car is also debadged because i like the clean look

PaulE550

Completely agree. Every car manufacturer is in a race to copy everyone else from a marketing perspective. If BMW were to re-badge all their future models tomorrow as being M series, MB would turn around the next day and re-badge all their future cars as being AMG. The Marketing departments at these various car manufactures don't care one bit about what's under the hood, where it's built or how it's built. They only care about monthly, quarterly and annual unit sales numbers and moving more units than the competition.

ashap

Hey guys, I ordered a C450 that will be ready for pickup at the end of March. I spoke to one of the guys at the dealership (here in Toronto, Canada) about the name change from the C450 AMG Sport, to the full on C43 AMG, and he just got word that it essentially will pretty much be the naming convention changed (but I'm sure there would probably be some other little tweaks here and there) - but he did go on to say that anyone who has ordered a C450 during this name transition time, they will rebadge the car at no extra cost with the new C43 AMG badging if the customer wants their 450 with the new badging on it. Just wanted to let all of you know who ordered one and were wondering about the name change like I was. Cheers.

Zand3rs

Fact. All cars delivered before June will be C-class 450 4matic and they will stay c-class 450 4matic.
Only new cars ordered as AMG C43 will be named that!

Migx27

owner of a leased c450 october 2015. very happy with my car. wont rebadge my car to c43 even if the car is identical. but MB plan worked on me. Next car im going to get is a C63S or E63.

LOGOSDJ

Yeah, I don't believe that bit about the 395hp for the C43. But other than the nomenclature change and slapping an AMG bade on the back of them, I doubt that there will be any discernible bodystyle differences between the C43 and current C450.

I do think Mercedes needs to chill a bit with making model/name changes so quickly after they are released. First, the C400 only lasted a year and was then discontinued to make way for the C450 and now after a year, the C450 is getting an entirely new designation. In general, both the C450 and GLE450 Coupe seem to have been quite popular this year, with the GLE450 selling quite well. I imagine some of the owners/ lessees of these vehicles won't be too happy.

Despite thinking this overall decision is lame, as someone who has a C450 on order that will be here in a month or so, I'm certainly not thrilled about the fact that I'm missing out on the updated version which will be badged as part of the true AMG line-up (even though it really isn't).

What's especially dumb is that, internally within MB corporate and during dealer training over that past yeah and a half, MB has been making such a big deal about pushing the new "AMG Sport" line to fill the gap between "Mercedes-Benz" and "AMG" in the way that BMW has M / M-Sport and Audi has RS / S lineups to complete their pyramid. I thought it was a smart decision, and this will now just undo any of the progress they made filling that gap and also muck things up to confuse people.

Xtrema

If they do bump the HP up, C43 will have the same effect of C450 like the C450 have no C400.

You better hope it's a lease then.