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People's Mercedes AMG? Not so Fast!

Money these days substitutes for happiness, intelligence and strength of character. It gets you everything, and you need lots and lots of it if you want to make yourself happy! Everybody wants to own the big toys, paying 5% now and the rest later. It’s not just cars - we need jeans, shirts, leather shoes, bags, belts, perfume, hair gel, and a cool watch to feel good… as men. Don’t even get me started about the women!
With so many expenses to take care of, a smaller, more affordable, yet equally exciting car will solve all our money problems. Surely, Mercedes’ upcoming A45 AMG will ‘cure’ the global economic crisis on it own, with it’s powerful yet small engine and compact city car size. It’s a new sort of German people’s car, one built for performance. Or is it?

In a world of gray, economical cars, the Mercedes Benz three-pointed star logo is in my mind really well preserved. Alfa Romeo don’t look like the GTV any more, everybody makes cars in China, yet I still see the ‘granddaddy’s’ 1979 280E every time I look at the modern version.

What’s more, most of their new cars, the ML, the SL, the SLK, look absolutely stunning from every angle. Buy in white or silver with LED accents, and you just can’t get it wrong. Now, I’m not saying that I’d buy one of these cars with money, but having one would signal that I’ve arrived in a big way.

You can’t get that feeling after buying a Golf R or an Audi RS3 Sportback, yet Mercedes is going to make the A45 AMG, car that works on exactly the same principles - hatchback body, luxury fittings, powerful turbo engine and AWD. The peoples Mercedes AMG or an overpriced rival?

I think it’s a brilliant idea on paper, but it will create plenty of problems once you actually try and buy it. You see, there’s going to be a price to pay, and this is going to be… the price. Obviously!

The A45 AMG will be marketed as the cheapest AMG you can buy, a combination of raw performance, premium leather and advanced systems. But to me, it’s still a car with five doors, five seats and a four-cylinder engine, a jumped up hatch.

If VW makes a hyper-hatch like the Golf R, it’s a boost to the image of that boring Jetta that sells for Chevrolet money. What do you think the owner of an old SL550 feels when he looks at an A-Class. Pride that he has a three-pointed star up front? I’d buy an Aston if I was him.

Judging from what I’ve seen so far, the A45 AMG will look brilliant. Not only will it be spacious for its class, but it will also be comfortable as well. Its base price should be very reasonable to any rich client looking to swap out his old E-Class for one of these.

But this is where i’m really worried. The most expensive A-Class you can order right now (European deliveries will start this fall) is the A 250 Sport Limousine - €36,860 in Germany including tax. So, a ballpark figure for the AMG would be somewhere between €40,000 and €45,000.

That sounds very reasonable for a car with a bespoke engine built by a single technician, 350 horsepower and room for the family. But most of the things on it that you really want will be optional - trick Bang & Olufsen stereo, Designo leather, parking sensors, bigger wheels and magnetic ride control.

You’re going to look at this small, good looking Mercedes in the press photos and notice massive rims, red brake calipers, slim mirrors, crazy paint finishes etc., and say it’s a prince of the hatches. But all it actually represents is the poor man’s Rolex watch - half as expensive but less attractive than an imitation.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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