MERCEDES BENZ C 36 AMG (W202) 1995-1997 Photos, engines & full specs

The 1995 C36 AMG was the beginning of the official cooperation between Mercedes-Benz and AMG for street vehicles. And the first model was successful.

Mercedes-Benz and AMG used to be different companies, with HQ situated close to each other. The two companies used to work together on various racing products, but nothing for the street use. That was until 1995 when the German carmaker sent two, brand new C280 to the AMG headquarter to modify them. And the C36 was born.

From the outside, there was a new aerodynamic package, with lower side-sills, reshaped front, and rear bumpers. On top of that, new wheels were installed on the special C 36 AMG. But the basic vehicle was a C 280.

Inside the car, there were new, bucket-seats, with leather upholstery. Since the car had to compete against the much-acclaimed BMW M3, it had to offer something different. The initial gearbox was taken from the Mercedes-Benz E500 model (same with the S500) from that era and it was a 4-speed auto. One year later, in 1996, the gearbox was replaced by a new, 5-speed auto and things got even better. The car delivered enough performances to serve as a Safety Car in Formula 1 during the 1996 and 1997 season.

Underneath the vehicle, the AMG had to use parts from Mercedes-Benz's store. But it took only from the top shelf, such as the disc brakes from the S600, which were the biggest in their inventory. A total of 5200 C 36 were produced until 1998 when the top performer C-Class model was replaced by the C43 AMG with a V8 engine.