I dont mind the v6 so much but that AMG car only produces LESS than 400 hp..
I mean, seriously, AMG. It should be closer to 500, since the v8 are getting close to 600....
Right, I think I agree more with this. Just seems weird to have a sub-400hp "AMG" E Class. A C43 makes sense on the other hand.
The ~400hp E class should be an E550 IMO.
Hmm that is a good point. Even my 07 CLK had 381hp which is basically the same as this E43. So this is definitely E550 level power. Its not that much distance to the C400 (around 330 I think?)
Not that 381/396/whatever is underpowered or anything. But we are talking excess and dick measuring.
500 is a stretch tho, I think mid 400s range would be fine and then the V8 in the mid 500 range.
600 is 65/V12 territory. The current S65 puts out "only" 614. The real kicker is torque at around 740lbft, which is electronically limited so it doesn't implode the transmission. A bit of a downer in a way, but in another way hilariously awesome.
My thoughts here are a bit different.
First off, any car that has 400 hp is still pretty damn fast. And straight line performance is only one part of the equation.
If you look back in AMG's history they've always offered a la carte modifications like wheels, bodykits, etc. It's not as if an E43 strays from their roots.
The market for V8 powered, non "performance brand" midsize luxury sedans is nonexistent to small. Audi and Lexus both abandoned it. The take rate for the 550i and E550 is very small. For Mercedes, it likely makes sense to offer a more performance-oriented V8 model in place of a luxury one.
I do think that the C43 AMG is a more relevant model, mainly because the C63 is RWD and this way you get a high level of performance with AWD in the C-class.