Saw a "CLK430 AMG" today, and a "500 SEL AMG" too!
Its just like a Dinan badge for BMW cars just because it isn't a fully speced out Dinan does mean it does not deserve the Dinan badge.
I've seen plenty of S320s (yes 320s) with //AMG badges. They are not trying to fool anyone they state they are a S320 with an //AMG body kit. Big deal.....
If they stuck S55 instead that would be posing.
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And yes, it *is* posing. The owner is representing the car as something it is not: a car which was modified by AMG. Just as in your example, throwing an S55 badge on an S320 would be representing the car as something it is not.
//AMG badges come straight from the factory as well. When you order the AMG body kit you get the //AMG badge.
Its just like a Dinan badge for BMW cars just because it isn't a fully speced out Dinan does mean it does not deserve the Dinan badge.
I've seen plenty of S320s (yes 320s) with //AMG badges. They are not trying to fool anyone they state they are a S320 with an //AMG body kit. Big deal.....
If they stuck S55 instead that would be posing.
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AMG badges come "straight from the factory" ONLY on AMG cars! They do not come with a mere body kit. An AMG is a Mercedes which has been upgraded with complete performance package: engine, transmission, suspension, interior, guages, *and* a body kit. There is a helluvalot more to it than a few body panels, just as an M3 is not a 330 with a few body mods!
And yes, it *is* posing. The owner is representing the car as something it is not: a car which was modified by AMG. Just as in your example, throwing an S55 badge on an S320 would be representing the car as something it is not.
"I have seen cars being moved directly off the boat with //AMG badges on them which did not have AMG tuned engines." unquote
...and I have seen MANY ////AMG badged cars - coming off the boat and blasting right over the the water like a hydrofoil.
The ////AMG badged hydrofoil which I saw recently was quite colorful!!
It looked like this!!
"I have seen cars being moved directly off the boat with //AMG badges on them which did not have AMG tuned engines." unquote
badges are put on at the dealer...not at distribution
As another someone else pointed out, dealers add AMG badges, which is different from MB adding them.
But Mercedes does NOT put AMG badges on non-AMG cars. Write up AMG yourself and ask 'em if you don't believe me: go to Mercedes' main website, there's a link for AMG there, with contact info.
Yes, you can order AMG body kits on SLKs; specifically, it is (or was) referred to as the "AMG package", which was AMG wheels and a bit of body molding. However, it did not include an AMG badge, which is reserved for the SLK32 AMG, because the car WAS NOT tuned by AMG.
MB isn't stupid: they're not going to slap AMG badges on anything other than AMG cars. Dealers are another matter.
Similarly, the CLK430 has AMG wheels and body bits, but no badge: also, the AMG wheels are different than those on the real AMGs. Frankly, I think this blurring of models is confusing, and stupid on MB's part. They should, imo, put AMG stuff only on AMG cars, but even BMW now is selling M5 wheels for 5-series. Which does not entitle them to an "M" badge either.
No. I have seen cars being moved directly off the boat with //AMG badges on them which did not have AMG tuned engines.. I am also sure of it because I know two people who ordered fully loaded S320s W220s with AMG body kits, wheels, exhaust etc. I went with one of them to the dealership when one of them picked up their car as well. This was of course not in the US.
WHO CARES!!!
What if I have a Kleeman supercharged and decided to put AMG badge and raced against a real ///AMG. Then I beat the real ///AMG. what then?
The people who *do* know about AMGs are probably going to know that there's no such thing as a "CLK430 AMG", while the people who don't aren't going to realize the difference between a non-AMG and an AMG, so what's the point?
Plus, it's not as though owning a non-AMG Mercedes is something to be ashamed of!

Finally, it gives people like me who *do* have AMGs an excuse to make the poseur look stupid, by blowing his doors off.

I just think it's lame to try and impress people by making them think you have something you don't.
So, you're saying that if I take a Civic, turbocharge it and stick nitrous on it to get it into the 12's, I should be able to slap an AMG badge on it because it'd be faster than an AMG? Whatever...
So I guess people who wear AMG hat, shirt, jacket and etc....are not worthy to wear b/c they don't have AMG cars and it's not real?
WHO CARES!!!
What if I have a Kleeman supercharged and decided to put AMG badge and raced against a real ///AMG. Then I beat the real ///AMG. what then?
It's people like Improviz make other MB owners look snobby when they're not. As a car designer all designed cars that have the same style with different lables are basically have the common parts. Yes there are different ratios in tuinging, but not by far. To others........who do not know how automotive industry work in the real world will think this AMG is special.
For example, G35 is not an Infinity car.......it's all designed and enigeer by Porsche. Porsche also designed and engineer half of MB cars. peace.
It is well known that Porsche does a lot of contract engineering/design, they have a superb team for just that purpose and do a lot of consulting.
Italdesign from Milan did lots of design work for VW/Audi and many Japanese car manufacturers
But additionally, many automotive designers are job hunting with the competition for personal financial gain.
The Art Center Design school from LA used to have a direct pipeline to Detroit...
Fortunately, the cry for safety prevailed; the cookie-cutter dashboards from an earlier age of automotive design are history, -- only after millions of persons got killed and maimed in automotive accidents.
While progress has been made, cars are NOT safe, and SUVs with neck-high bumpers make a mockery of "side curtain protection." Many more will die because of lack of design/engineering co-ordination...and DOT and EPA are totally impotent. :o
And I don't know where you got your info about Infinity and MB being designed by Porsche, but I'd love to see you cite a credible journalistic source for this. Afaik, the only Porsche-designed MB was the E500 of the early '90's, precursor to the AMGs.
It's people like Improviz make other MB owners look snobby when they're not. As a car designer all designed cars that have the same style with different lables are basically have the common parts. Yes there are different ratios in tuinging, but not by far. To others........who do not know how automotive industry work in the real world will think this AMG is special.
For example, G35 is not an Infinity car.......it's all designed and enigeer by Porsche. Porsche also designed and engineer half of MB cars. peace.
Last edited by Improviz; Mar 13, 2003 at 11:44 PM.
Most of these reliable informations are not available for the public access. You will not find any information in any journal or article citations. For example.........you know the information about the old E500 was designed and engineered by Porsche, that's just a tip of the iceberge information available for the public access. Now how long do you think it took the company to release the information to the public? Automotive design engineers function in a small subculture community.....and when I mean small it is small. There are only approximately 2,500 automotive design engineers in the world. Hell! we all know each other by names. We're not trying to be secretive about our design work; however, we all are very competitive with each other. The car industry are trying to make money....like every company......All I can tell you is...if you want to know about the factor involve with car design within the car industry...don't read too much article or journals to get the fact....go to the source...and speak to people who actually work there....
bansasn
You echoed the point again:
Car designers are an incestuous bunch. Porsche is not only Porsche, but Porsche plus PEOPLE, who all know each other and copy from the best of the bunch, under the rubric/banner: NEW design trend.
I just wish that the trend towards safety would continue at an accelerated pace; driven by public outcry, carried in a responsible/responsive press, -- and hopefully responded to by the public and private sectors.
All cars get crushed by a SUV side impacts, -- whether AMG badged is irrelevant.






