360_iti

The AMG Chief Editor at AMG Private Lounge forum stated that the reason they stopped C55 production exclusively in the US, was because it would have required significant product changes to meet the new US safety and other regulations.

I’m curious what kind of safety regulations that would require significant product changes exclusively on C55 but not on W203 C-class or W209 CLK-class (considering that C55 utilizes CLK front end) in general ?

C43AMG

I believe it has something to do with the placement of the SC.Something about if you were in a accident and the amount of clearance/height of the SC.I am sure someone will chime in with the exact regulation.

brn2bn1

I thought C55 was N/A ?!

whoover

SC? C55s don't have superchargers. Do you mean something else?

C43AMG

My bad ....got C32 on the brain

STLTH_AMG

My best guess would be the big V8 which required a longer front end in chassis designed originally for a V6. I hope this news slows down the depreciation value of the current C AMG value in the US since they will become more exclusive. better yet, sounds like there will be no new C AMG offered untill at least another 2 years.

360_iti

Please remember that the C55 was perfectly fine in 2005-2006. But suddenly there were some recent modifications in the US safety regulations that made the car seem "unsafe". Now I wonder how it would slow down the depreciation value when it is known that the car doesn't comply with the safety regulations.

whoover

I think we're getting carried away speculating. The AMG statement was much vaguer:

Often, new safety and other regulations mandate vehicle modifications, which in the case of the U.S. version C55 AMG would have required significant product changes to continue for 2007.

"Other regulations" could even cover fleet mileage (CAFE) requirements. I don't suspect CAFE is the reason (C55 US sales aren't large enough to affect the number much), but the point is that this might be a wild-goose chase. Unless AMG gives more specific information (not likely), we're pretty much shooting in the dark.

C43AMG

I have submitted a request for this information over at the AMG Private Lounge and I will post their response when available.

ScottW911

Bottom line: AMG or MBZ or any corporation can and will give any reason they care to for doing anything they want to. Follow?

They might jsut want to say "don't wanna". It just comes out as "Often, new safety and other regulations mandate vehicle modifications, which in the case of the U.S. version C55 AMG would have required significant product changes to continue for 2007."

STLTH_AMG

I don't think safety regulations play any factor in a car's depreciation value. Like you mentioned, the C55 was perfectly fine in 2005-2006, just like any other car before year 2006. Those safety regulations are constantly getting changed and modified every year, every car out there that is not year 2007 is probably outdated and will not pass the latest safety regulation without some slight modification, but that doesn't mean they’re not safe. For MB, it just doesn't seem to be worth it for them to invest in a car at its final year which will have the lowest demand in its production life time.

vraa

Didn't the same happen to the GTO?

ScottW911

I thought it was because no one would buy the car.

kchristos

I agree, without knowing the specifics of the new regulation, I believe that it's a relatively small change otherwise it would imply that cars from previous years or cars sold in Europe are unsafe. Based on my experience as an engineer (not automotive), changing even a small part in an assembly is a major deal for the program because it involves lots of testing, tooling changes, changing vendor agreements, production line changes etc. which usually amount for hundreds of thousand dollars!. This expenditure is probably not justified by the amount of C55's sold anually in US (~ roughly about 1500 cars per year?). In other words, by doing that they probably spend a lot of time and money to implement this change and it the end would yield lower or even no profit from this model. If it was let say the C230k they probably would have done it because they sell so many of them. Just my opinion...