{"id":71294,"date":"2026-05-27T05:18:05","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T09:18:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/?p=71294"},"modified":"2026-05-27T05:19:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T09:19:21","slug":"controversy-and-innovation-intertwined-how-mercedes-benzs-most-polarizing-models-shaped-the-brands-legacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.globalvillagespace.com\/tech\/controversy-and-innovation-intertwined-how-mercedes-benzs-most-polarizing-models-shaped-the-brands-legacy\/","title":{"rendered":"Controversy and Innovation Intertwined: How Mercedes-Benz\u2019s Most Polarizing Models Shaped the Brand\u2019s Legacy"},"content":{"rendered":"

How Has Mercedes-Benz Navigated the Tension Between Innovation and Tradition?<\/p>\n

The historical trajectory of Mercedes-Benz reveals a persistent tension between technological audacity and the preservation of brand identity. While the company\u2019s reputation is often associated with engineering conservatism and stately luxury, the evidence suggests that its most consequential moments have arisen from calculated departures from orthodoxy. The 35hp of 1900, for example, was not merely a technical milestone but a redefinition of what an automobile could be\u2014its low center of gravity and formidable speed forced contemporaries to recalibrate their expectations. Yet, even as Mercedes-Benz set benchmarks, it was not immune to internal discord, as evidenced by the departure of Wilhelm Maybach, whose innovations had underpinned the brand\u2019s early ascendancy.<\/p>\n

This dialectic between innovation and tradition is not a linear progression. The introduction of the sleeve-valve Mercedes-Knight in 1910, developed by an outsider, Charles Yale Knight, illustrates the risks inherent in technological adoption. While the engines were lauded for their quietness, their complexity and limited developmental headroom ultimately rendered them evolutionary dead ends. Such episodes underscore that Mercedes-Benz\u2019s willingness to experiment has always been tempered by a pragmatic assessment of long-term viability\u2014a pattern that recurs throughout its history.<\/p>\n

What Drives the Brand\u2019s Occasional Forays into Controversy?<\/p>\n

Contrary to the sanitized image often projected, Mercedes-Benz has repeatedly found itself at the center of controversy, albeit less frequently than some of its rivals. These controversies, however, are rarely the product of mere miscalculation; rather, they often reflect the brand\u2019s attempts to reconcile market demands with engineering ambition. The A-Class\u2019s notorious failure in the Swedish \u201celk test\u201d in 1997 is a case in point. The public relations fallout was immediate and severe, yet the company\u2019s response\u2014retrofitting electronic stability control and revising suspension\u2014demonstrates a capacity for institutional learning rather than mere damage control.<\/p>\n

Not all controversies have been externally imposed. The reintroduction of the Maybach marque in 2002, for instance, was met with skepticism not simply because of its price point, but because it challenged the implicit social contract between Mercedes-Benz and its traditional clientele. The rapid depreciation of Maybach vehicles in the secondary market exposed a misalignment between perceived value and actual demand, suggesting that even storied brands are not immune to the perils of overextension.<\/p>\n

To what Extent Has Mercedes-Benz Redefined Its Own Boundaries?<\/p>\n

The evidence indicates that Mercedes-Benz has periodically reimagined the very categories it inhabits. The G-Wagen\u2019s transformation from utilitarian off-roader to luxury icon, and the introduction of the V-Class as a passenger van, both signal an elasticity in the brand\u2019s self-conception. These moves are not without risk; the Vaneo, for example, failed to gain traction, in part because it blurred the line between commercial and passenger vehicles in ways that unsettled brand loyalists.<\/p>\n

Yet, the company\u2019s willingness to experiment with form and function\u2014sometimes successfully, sometimes not\u2014has allowed it to remain relevant across shifting market landscapes. The SLK\u2019s pivot to become the Chrysler Crossfire, following the Daimler-Chrysler merger, is a particularly instructive example of how corporate entanglements can produce both product innovation and brand confusion. The subsequent retreat from such cross-branding exercises suggests a recognition of the limits of platform sharing when it comes to preserving brand equity.<\/p>\n

Who Benefits\u2014and Who Loses\u2014When Mercedes-Benz Pushes the Envelope?<\/p>\n

The beneficiaries of Mercedes-Benz\u2019s risk-taking are not always its traditional customer base. The 190E\u2019s high-performance variants, developed with Cosworth and celebrated by motorsport enthusiasts, expanded the brand\u2019s appeal to a younger, more dynamic demographic. Conversely, the introduction of models like the R-Class\u2014a hybrid of saloon, estate, minivan, and SUV\u2014was met with ambivalence, reflecting the methodological challenge of segmenting consumer preferences in an era of proliferating niches.<\/p>\n

There are also less visible stakeholders. The company\u2019s embrace of diesel technology in the postwar era, for example, had significant implications for fleet operators and emerging markets, even as it left private buyers largely unmoved. Similarly, the adoption of advanced safety features in response to publicized failures has had downstream effects on industry standards, benefiting consumers well beyond the brand\u2019s immediate clientele.<\/p>\n

What Structural Constraints and Blind Spots Persist?<\/p>\n

Despite its reputation for engineering excellence, Mercedes-Benz has not been immune to the structural limitations of the automotive industry. The recurring pattern of introducing technically ambitious models\u2014such as the rotary-engined C 111 or the hyper-powered G 63 AMG 6×6\u2014only to retreat or pivot, highlights the difficulty of sustaining innovation in the face of regulatory, economic, and reputational pressures. Moreover, the brand\u2019s periodic misjudgments of market appetite, as with the Maybach or the Vaneo, suggest that even the most sophisticated market research cannot fully anticipate the social meanings attached to luxury and utility.<\/p>\n

There is also a persistent blind spot regarding the second-order consequences of technological leadership. The focus on horsepower and engineering prowess, while central to the brand\u2019s mythology, has at times overshadowed broader considerations such as environmental impact or the shifting cultural valence of conspicuous consumption. The recent introduction of all-electric G-Class variants signals an awareness of these emerging priorities, but whether this represents a substantive shift or a tactical adaptation remains to be seen.<\/p>\n

What Should an Informed Observer Conclude About the Brand\u2019s Trajectory?<\/p>\n

The Mercedes-Benz story is not one of unbroken triumph or seamless adaptation. Rather, it is a case study in the complex interplay between innovation, tradition, and market positioning. The brand\u2019s most enduring successes have arisen not from the avoidance of controversy, but from its capacity to absorb, respond to, and ultimately transcend it. For stakeholders\u2014whether consumers, competitors, or industry analysts\u2014the lesson is clear: the future of Mercedes-Benz will be shaped less by its ability to avoid missteps than by its willingness to learn from them, recalibrate its ambitions, and redefine the boundaries of what a luxury automobile can be.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"Mercedes<\/a><\/p>\n

Mercedes-Benz was the first to put the automobile into production, but that doesn\u2019t mean all its cars since have been such a success\u2026<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes is not a brand particularly known for controversy, at least compared with some we could mention.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

It has, however, had its moments<\/strong>, producing cars which certainly gave people pause for thought.<\/p>\n

Here, then, are 30 models which could, using the term very broadly, be described as at least partly controversial, arranged for your pleasure in chronological order.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes 35hp (1900)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

The very first Mercedes was proposed to Daimler by one of its dealers, Emil Jellinek-Mercedes<\/strong> (1853-1918), who named it \u2013 and his race team and even, weirdly, himself \u2013 after his young daughter<\/strong> (1889-1929).<\/p>\n

Designed by Wilhelm Maybach<\/strong> (1846-1929), the 35hp was light and powerful, and had a remarkably low centre of gravity for the time. It was such a fast road car, and did so well in competition, that the French journalist and motorsport pioneer Paul Meyan<\/strong> (1852-1938) was moved to write, \u201cWe have entered the Mercedes era.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes-Simplex (1902)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes-Simplex\n<\/p>\n

Wilhelm Maybach followed up the 35hp with the first of several Simplex models, so named because they were simpler to operate than their predecessor. With 40hp<\/strong>, it was even faster, and although less powerful versions were later added the last, introduced in 1909, was rated at a mighty 65hp<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Emperior Wilhelm II<\/strong> (1859-1941) was an enthusiast, joking with Maybach that his new model was \u201cnot as simple as that, you know,\u201d while American tycoon William K. Vanderbilt<\/strong> (1849-1920) owned a Simplex which still exists, and is believed today to be the oldest Mercedes in existence<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes 75hp (1907)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

The first big controversy within Daimler was the departure of Wilhelm Maybach. After a dispute, he left the company he had joined before it started building cars and was replaced as technical boss by Paul Daimler<\/strong> (1869-1945).<\/p>\n

Maybach\u2019s final contribution to the firm was the design of its first six-cylinder engine. In 10.2-litre<\/strong> form, it first appeared in January 1907 in the car then known as the 75hp, though two years later it was renamed 39\/80hp. A 9.5-litre<\/strong> version appeared later in 1907 in the 65hp, which became the 37\/70hp.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes-Knight (1910)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes-Knight\n<\/p>\n

After a decade of producing Mercedes models with its own engines, it must have seemed shocking when Daimler introduced a car with a unit developed by someone else. The someone else in question was the American Charles Yale Knight<\/strong> (1868-1940), whose sleeve-valve<\/strong> design was highly favoured at the time, and used by several manufacturers.<\/p>\n

The first Mercedes-Knight was the 4.0-litre<\/strong> 16\/40hp of 1910, and was followed two years later by the similar 10\/30hp and 25\/65hp. Their engines were very quiet, but they were also hard both to build and to maintain. This, along with limited development potential, led to Daimler giving up the idea in 1924.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes 18\/100 (1914)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

Although we are concentrating mainly on cars developed largely for road use, it seems to make an exception in the case of the 18\/100 racer which competed in the French Grand Prix in July 1914. This event was essentially a battle between France<\/strong> and Germany<\/strong>, represented by Peugeot and Mercedes respectively.<\/p>\n

Peugeot put up a magnificent fight, but in the end all the honours went to Mercedes, which took the top three places. The home crowd was chastened by defeat at the hands of a nation which would become its wartime enemy<\/strong> less than a month later.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes 28\/95 (1914)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

Appropriately enough for the builder of the car which won Europe\u2019s greatest race of 1914, Daimler introduced an innovative and very powerful road-going model in the same year. Its 7.3-litre<\/strong> straight six engine had an overhead camshaft (not exactly new, but still very unusual at the time) and produced no less than 90bhp<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Production was abandoned during the First World War, but resumed when peace returned, and continued until 1924.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes 24\/110\/160hp (1924)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

Having taken over from Wilhelm Maybach many years before, Paul Daimler resigned in 1922 and was replaced by Ferdinand Porsche<\/strong> (1875-1951). Porsche\u2019s early work in the top technical role included developing two very grand cars. The complicated names of the 6.3-litre<\/strong> 24\/110\/160hp and the 3.9-litre<\/strong> 15\/70\/110hp were based on their taxable horsepower, their actual horsepower without supercharging and their actual horsepower with supercharging.<\/p>\n

But it wasn\u2019t just about the engines. According to a rather bumptious Daimler press release of the time, the \u201cdesign and technical execution of both chassis and coachwork represent a tremendous step forward<\/strong> in terms of the series production of the motor vehicle\u201d.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes 8\/38hp (1926)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

Daimler and Benz, the great rivals in the German motor industry, established a \u2018community of interest<\/strong>\u2019 in 1924, and merged two years later. The combined company was called Daimler-Benz, but from now on its cars would be called Mercedes-Benz.<\/p>\n

The first model with this name was the 8\/38hp, and in view of what had gone before it was amazingly conventional, with a 2.0-litre<\/strong> sidevalve (or flathead) engine. Customer choice, however, was considerable. Offered initially as a two- or four-door saloon or an open tourer, the number of available body styles would reach 13 in 1928.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes N\u00fcrburg (1928)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

The N\u00fcrburg models were named after the recently completed N\u00fcrburgring<\/strong> race track, where a prototype had been driven for 20,000km<\/strong> in just 13 days. Despite this, and the fact that their engines in some cases measured as much as 5.0 litres<\/strong>, they were not performance cars but grand luxury vehicles a world away from the little 8\/38.<\/p>\n

They were also the first series-produced Mercedes cars with eight-cylinder engines<\/strong>, and were sometimes referred to as N\u00fcrburg 8 (the figure being embossed with gold on the cover page of early catalogues).<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes SSK (1928)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

The SSK (for Super Sport Kurz, the last word meaning \u2018short\u2019 in reference to its wheelbase) was the ultimate road-going version of the Model S<\/strong>, a series intended for both private and competition use. Its supercharged 7.1-litre<\/strong> straight eight engine was steadily developed to the point where it produced around 250bhp<\/strong> in 1929, and it was wondrously successful in motorsport.<\/p>\n

The SSKL, a lighter derivative of the same car with up to 300bhp<\/strong>, was developed primarily for racing, and achieved victory in the hands of such heroes as Rudolf Caracciola<\/strong> (1901-1959), Hans Stuck<\/strong> (1900-1978) and Manfred von Brauchitsch<\/strong> (1905-2003).<\/p>\n

\n

Grosser Mercedes 770 (1930)<\/h2>\n

\"Grosser\n<\/p>\n

The first Grosser, or \u2018Grand\u2019, Mercedes was powered by a 7.7-litre<\/strong> engine which produced 150bhp<\/strong> in naturally-aspirated form, or 200bhp<\/strong> for the benefit of those who were prepared to extra for a supercharger, as 104<\/strong> of the car\u2019s 117 wealthy buyers did.<\/p>\n

For rather more money, customers could even specify armour-plated bodywork, an offer taken up by Japan\u2019s Emperor Hirohito<\/strong> (1901-1989). His car was returned in 1971 and put on display in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.<\/p>\n

\n

Ponton Mercedes (1953)<\/h2>\n

\"Ponton\n<\/p>\n

Mercedes cars of the immediate post-War era looked more or less as they would have done if they were sold in the 1930s. This tendency was blown out of the water in 1953, when Mercedes introduced the series codenamed W120. It\u2019s nicknamed ponton because of its body style<\/strong>, which had what might unkindly be described as slab sides, and nothing resembling the running boards of the past.<\/p>\n

The 180 D of 1954 had a diesel engine<\/strong>, which was unusual at the time but not new. The pre-ponton 260 D launched in 1936 had one too, as had earlier commercial vehicles. The Ponton Mercedes was a key model in helping the company return to success after the war years.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes 300 SL (1954)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

Developed at the suggestion of the American Mercedes importer Max Hoffman<\/strong> (1904-1981), the 300 SL caused a sensation. This was largely because of its coup\u00e9 body, and particularly the gullwing doors<\/strong> attached to it, but the close mechanical resemblance to the W194 sports race which made its debut in 1952.<\/p>\n

The coup\u00e9 bodywork was abandoned in favour of a roadster in 1957, and from 1955 to 1963 Mercedes also produced the 190 SL, which was nearly as pretty as the 300 SL but very much slower.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes Fintail (1959)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

The W111 was the first Mercedes with what would become a classic look for the brand, with tall, vertical headlight units on either side of a prominent grille. At the back, there was a shorter-lived styling cue \u2013 tailfins<\/strong> which, though extremely modest by American standards of the time, were prominent in European terms.<\/p>\n

All the early Fintail cars had six-cylinder engines, but the fins appeared on the four-cylinder W110 series in 1961. They began to look old-fashioned later in the decade, and were abandoned entirely in 1968.<\/p>\n

\n

Grosser Mercedes 600 (1964)<\/h2>\n

\"Grosser\n<\/p>\n

Introduced 34 years after the first Grosser, the 600 was powered by the first V8 engine ever fitted<\/strong> to a road-going Mercedes. Standard equipment included air suspension, central locking and electronic heating and ventilation \u2013 nothing special today, but a phenomenal specification for a car launched in the early years of the Beatles.<\/p>\n

2677 examples<\/strong> were built before production ended in 1981. Of these, 429 were Pullman limousines, and 59 the even more exclusive landaulets. A particularly special landaulet, with a raised roof among other unique features, was built in 1965 for Giovanni Montini<\/strong> (1897-1978), better known as Pope Paul VI<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes C 111 (1969)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

As is often the case with manufacturers, one of the most remarkable cars Mercedes ever devised was never sold to the public. In fact there were several of them, since the C 111 was a series, produced over several years. Like the 300 SL, they all had gullwing doors<\/strong>, but unlike the earlier production model they were mid-engined<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In most cases, the engine was a rotary<\/strong> of some sort, but Mercedes decided this wasn\u2019t the way forward, and has never to this day sold a production car fitted with such a thing. Later C 111s had petrol V8s, or in one case a 3.0-litre diesel.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes G-Wagen (1979)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

Later renamed G-Class, the Gel\u00e4ndewagen<\/em> was just what it said it was (in German) \u2013 an off-road vehicle<\/strong> which could also be driven on ordinary public roads, though not necessarily in great comfort.<\/p>\n

As Mercedes itself says, the new model \u201cbroke completely new ground<\/strong>\u201d, but quickly found a customer base. Available in various forms, it stuck around until 1992, and was replaced by something similar. Several generations later, you can still buy a G-Class today, and an all-electric version was revealed in April 2024.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes 190E (1982)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

The W201 series consisted of the medium-sized Mercedes models immediately preceding the first C-Class. The most notable version was the 190E, especially when its 2.3-litre<\/strong> (and later 2.5-litre<\/strong>) engine was fitted with a 16-valve cylinder head developed by Cosworth.<\/p>\n

Roughly analogous to the BMW M3<\/strong>, these were fine high-performance road cars, and the versions modified for competition use were deeply impressive. The most famous 190E of them all, though, was the one in which Ayrton Senna<\/strong> (1960-1994), new to Formula 1, beat his more experienced rivals, all of them driving similar cars, in a special race at Hockenheim in 1984.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes C 36 AMG (1993)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

AMG started out as a tuning business specialising in parts for Mercedes vehicles, and was drawn into the company over a period of years. The first road-going collaboration was the C 36 AMG, which had a 3.6-litre<\/strong> straight six engine.<\/p>\n

With a maximum output of only around 280bhp<\/strong>, it was far less powerful than future AMG models, but it was beautifully balanced, and a pleasure to drive on either road or track.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes SLK-Class (1996)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

The original SLK was available with a variety of four-cylinder engines, sometimes supercharged, or a 3.2-litre<\/strong> V6. It was an unusual model for Mercedes to produce, but it did well enough for the company to decide it was worth moving on to a second generation in 2004.<\/p>\n

When that happened, the first SLK was repurposed as the Chrysler Crossfire<\/strong>, an outcome of the merger of Daimler and Chrysler. The fact that one of the partners had taken on a model recently discarded<\/strong> by the other was controversial too.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes V-Class (1996)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

For nearly a century, it would have been almost unthinkable that Mercedes would create a passenger vehicle by adding extra seats and windows to a van<\/strong>. That, however, is what happened with the V-Class, the MPV version of what was otherwise known as the Vito<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Unusual though this seems, the plan worked, and there is still a V-Class today.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes A-Class (1997)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

It all happened a long time ago, but for a while it was almost impossible to have a conversation about the first-generation A-Class without someone mentioning the elk test<\/strong>. This has been conducted for many years by the Swedish magazine Teknikens V\u00e4rld<\/em>, and in 1997 the A-Class failed it spectacularly, turning over before reaching the finish line.<\/p>\n

All talk of the little hatchback\u2019s ingenious double-floor layout<\/strong> was forgotten, and the incident led to a major controversy. After much discussion, Mercedes revised the suspension<\/strong> and added electronic stability control<\/strong> and in 1998 the A-Class became capable of avoiding elks with little trouble.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes M-Class (1997)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

The M-Class was the first Mercedes crossover SUV, and was built at the company\u2019s first American factory, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama<\/strong>. Despite the name of the series as a whole, individual models were named ML<\/strong> (plus a number indicating engine size, such as ML 230<\/strong>), to avoid a possibly unlikely confusion with BMW M cars.<\/p>\n

This problem was eventually eradicated completely when a new policy led to later versions being called GLE-Class<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes Vaneo (2001)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

Mercedes described its little monospace vehicle as \u201ca family saloon, recreational vehicle and spacious estate in one\u201d. Although it looked like it was based on a van, it actually wasn\u2019t (being in fact a relative of the A-Class<\/strong>), and Mercedes took pains to point this out, but didn\u2019t help the situation by giving it a name whose first three letters spelled the word \u2018van\u2019.<\/p>\n

This wasn\u2019t the first vehicle to seem like an odd addition to the Mercedes line-up, but unlike others of which that could be said it wasn\u2019t successful, and was withdrawn from the market in 2005.<\/p>\n

\n

Maybach (2002)<\/h2>\n

\"Maybach\n<\/p>\n

Named after Wilhelm Maybach (who, you\u2019ll remember, had left Daimler nearly a century earlier), the Maybach luxury cars were certainly the work of Mercedes even if they didn\u2019t carry that name. The 57<\/strong> and the longer-wheelbase 62<\/strong> were very expensive both to buy and to own \u2013 independent research once showed that their UK values fell more in the first year after purchase than those of any other car.<\/p>\n

The sub-brand was discontinued in 2013, but ultra-luxury models are now known as Mercedes-Maybach<\/strong> on models like the S-Class and GLS-Class.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes SLR McLaren (2003)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

The SLR (for Sport Leicht Rennsport<\/em>, or Sport Light Racing) was named after a race car of the 1950s, and as the other part of its name suggested it was developed partly by the McLaren Group. Its supercharged 5.4-litre<\/strong> V8 engine, developed by AMG and producing well over 600bhp<\/strong>, was mounted very far back, which meant that the passenger compartment had to be even further back, giving the car a resemblance, at least in profile, to a Funny Car dragster<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot quite the all-conquering hypercar we had expected from two of the industry\u2019s greats,\u201d we said, but added, \u201cThe SLR was nevertheless a unique and intoxicating beast<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes R-Class (2005)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

In another example of blurring the boundaries between market sectors, Mercedes combined the familiar ideas of a sporty saloon, an estate, a minivan and an SUV into the luxurious six-seat R-Class, which it described as a Grand Sports Tourer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As such, it more or less occupied a category untouched by anyone else, though since production lasted for a dozen years there was obviously some demand for it. The 6.2-litre<\/strong> V8 R 63 AMG \u2013 \u201cone of Mercedes\u2019 crazier ideas<\/strong>\u201d, we said \u2013 was perhaps a step too far, and didn\u2019t last for long; just 200<\/strong> or so R63s were sold.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes A 45 AMG (2013)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

The outstanding feature of the A 45 AMG was its turbocharged 2.0-litre<\/strong> engine, whose output of 355bhp (as originally launched) was the highest of any production four-cylinder unit in the world.<\/p>\n

At around the time the car was renamed Mercedes-AMG A 45, this rose further to 376bhp<\/strong>. The successor to this engine, still with the same basic layout, now exceeds 400bhp<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes G 63 AMG 6×6 (2013)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes\n<\/p>\n

The most powerful G-Class of all has been the G 65 AMG, whose \u201cspectacularly unnecessary twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre<\/strong> V12\u201d, as we described it, produced 621bhp<\/strong>. In terms of craziness, though, it takes second place to the G 63 AMG 6×6, even though that vehicle\u2019s 5.5-litre<\/strong> twin-turbo V8 produced a far more modest 536bhp<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As its name indicates, this one had six wheels, all of them driven. The existence of just one example would have been remarkable enough, but in fact Mercedes built and sold more than 100.<\/p>\n

\n

Mercedes-Maybach S-Class (2021)<\/h2>\n

\"Mercedes-Maybach\n<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s equivalent of the old Grosser Mercedes models is the top-level S-Class, a perhaps fitting tribute to the genius of Wilhelm Maybach.<\/p>\n

Writing of the 603bhp<\/strong> V12 S680, we said it \u201cdelivers incredible refinement, strong performance, outstanding roadholding for such a large car, a world-class ride and a truly exclusive passenger experience<\/strong>\u201d.<\/p>\n

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