Three letters that evoke a great deal of passion in German motoring, AMG, they stand for performance and handling as well as aerodynamic alteration. Examining the brand we find out if vehicles bearing the AMG branding are suitable for novice drivers.
High-powered drive
The AMG brand didn’t always use to be part of the Mercedes-Benz group. They used to be a stand-alone company that did performance modifications to Mercedes-Benz cars and Merc were so impressed with their work that they took a controlling stake in the company in 1999 and eventually by 2005 had brought them completely in-house to engineer stand-alone products bearing the Mercedes-AMG moniker.
Vehicles bearing this naming convention will only have two digits in the model derivative naming ie; C 63, and will have numerous performance, handling and styling fitments that standard models do not. This sets these models apart from the bog-standard Mercedes and AMG-line models that are somewhat more common.
Drive for Passion
With the focus being on driving excellence and passion for motoring, most AMG models have received extensive styling upgrades in carbon fiber, handling packages that deal with sport suspensions, and have been fettled roof to floorpan and bumper to bumper for performance. Many of these vehicles have 4.0l V8 engines that are designed to extract as much power as possible from the drivetrain and are meant to be driven by those that can handle that dynamic performance.
Verdict
Modern AMG vehicles have a host of driver assistance systems and driving modes to help drivers manage the vehicle but to put it lightly it doesn’t matter whether it is a smaller A-class AMG or a monstrous GTR two-door coupe, AMG models are meant for those with extensive driving experience and therefore inexperienced and novice drivers are urged to attend proper driver training before attempting to turn a wheel in anger.
Lawrence MinnieLawrence has been involved with motorsports for almost 30 years. Whether it's two wheels or four, if it has an engine, he will try to race it. This love of motor vehicles has led him to ride, drive, film, photograph, and write about his passion. Freelance for a while but now a permanent fixture on the AutoTrader team for over 7 years, Lawrence contributes written, photographic, and video content for AutoTrader and AutoTrader Bikes.View News & Reviews
Keyword: Is the Mercedes-AMG good for new drivers? Here’s our verdict.