Celebrating 55 Years of AMG With an SUV: AMG GLE Edition 55
Fifty-five years ago, two former Mercedes engineers started the company that now gives us Teutonic beasts.
Mercedes-AMG is marking 55 years with four special editions. Based on the 2023 AMG GLE SUV and Coupe, this paint and trim special-edition package will be offered in just 55 examples of each of the four. They’ll arrive at U.S. dealers starting later this year.
From Engine Builder to Performance Icon
The company AMG was first formed back in 1967 by former Mercedes-Benz engineers Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher. Their names brought the A and M to the company name, with the G from Aufrecht’s hometown of Großaspach.
AMG’s original business was designing and testing racing engines, but by the early 1970s that had expanded to making go-fast parts and fully custom versions of standard Mercedes-Benz road cars.
By 1993, AMG had such a high-profile building modified Mercs that Benz parent Daimler signed a deal to sell AMGs directly from Mercedes-Benz showrooms. By 1999, Mercedes-Benz had bought a controlling share in the company, and Mercedes-AMG cars were leaving Mercedes-Benz factories with more power and bold styling to create a performance halo atop the Mercedes brand.
Fifty-five years from the company’s founding, it’s hard to imagine AMG not being part of Mercedes-Benz.
AMG Now a Key Part of Mercedes-Benz
Edition 55 versions of the Mercedes-AMG GLE SUV and Coupe will be built using the AMG-lite GLE 53 variant as well as the beefier GLE 63 S. Both are versions of the Mercedes GLE midsize crossover. For Mercedes, the Coupe in this case means a sleeker roofline and not a car-based Benz.
The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 uses a 3.0L turbocharged inline-six with a 48-volt mild-hybrid assist. It makes 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque with a 21-horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque boost from the electric motor as needed.
With all-wheel drive and an AMG-tuned nine-speed automatic, both the SUV and Coupe versions can hit 60 miles per hour in 5.2 seconds.
The fast ones are the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S models. They get a 4.0L twin-turbo V8 with the same 48-volt mild-hybrid assist and make a much more AMG-like 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque. The GLE 63 S models get the same 21-horsepower, 184 pound-feet of torque electric boost, and can hit 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds.
To make the Edition 55 cars feel special, Mercedes-AMG has painted them in either Obsidian Black or special Manufaktur Diamond White Paint. On the lower doors, both will get an AMG crest highlighted with a contrasting foil applique.
Special Paint, Graphics, and Cabins
Other changes include 22-inch AMG cross-spoke wheels finished in matte grey with a high-gloss rim. There will be a laurel wreath for the wheel center caps along with Edition 55 lettering.
Pop the fuel filler door and you’ll find a special filler cap. It’s silver chrome with AMG lettering and is exclusive to the Edition 55 limited editions.
Mercedes-AMG has finished the cabin in black and red Nappa leather, extending the color combo from the seats to the door panels as well as the center console. The AMG floor mats get red contrast stitching and Edition 55 badges. The door sills have red illuminated AMG lettering.
Fifty-five of each AMG GLE 53 SUVs and Coupes and GLE 63 S SUVs and Coupes will be built for the U.S. market. Other countries will get their own allocations and will also get a variant based on the 571-horsepower GLE 63.
Buyers of the Edition 55 units will get a special custom-fit AMG indoor car cover to help them keep their AMGs warm and cozy in the garage at night.
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