Are the C class and E class AMG sedans muscle cars?

Kinja'd!!! "Anon" (tjsielsistneb)
09/03/2013 at 12:09 • Filed to: None

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What are the qualifications or a car to be a muscle car? A massive front engined V8. Check. To be heavy and comfortable? Check. Not really designed to be used on a track but rather on the road? Check

So what do you think? Is it a muscle car?


DISCUSSION (11)


Kinja'd!!! twinturbobmw > Anon
09/03/2013 at 12:15

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A muscle car is a car that originally was made to have a smaller engine and less power than before. The Ford Mustang was a small luxury sporty car, but when Shelby took over it became a muscle car. Same with AMG: the C class had some I4s/V6s then was sent to AMG for a 6.2 V8.


Kinja'd!!! Tom McParland > Anon
09/03/2013 at 12:16

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Able to do burnouts at will? Check.

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So yeah, based on your working definition of a muscle car, why not. Though I would say they are the "Gentleman's Muscle Car" :)


Kinja'd!!! Party-vi > twinturbobmw
09/03/2013 at 12:17

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The Mustang was a pony car.


Kinja'd!!! For Sweden > Anon
09/03/2013 at 12:19

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Muscle car and luxury are antonyms.


Kinja'd!!! William Byrd > Anon
09/03/2013 at 12:19

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It's certainly a variation on a theme. Muscle cars were always sort of "affordable" as well, but generally speaking the ingredients are the same other than that.


Kinja'd!!! Nibbles > Anon
09/03/2013 at 12:20

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I'm gonna say no. Chassis too sophisticated. Do more than just straight-lines. Possibly too many doors (up for debate).

They do have the growl down, and the flat-out acceleration. But they're not "big off-the-shelf engine shoehorned into small car" muscle cars.


Kinja'd!!! dieselwagon > Anon
09/03/2013 at 12:21

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C and E class are very similar to muscle cars but I tend to not think of them as such due to the higher price tag and all the luxury items. When i think of muscle car i think cheap car with big engine. The Mercedes are expensive to start with, when they have small engines. They're more luxury performance than muscle.

Competing in the same sphere with different nuances.


Kinja'd!!! Party-vi > Anon
09/03/2013 at 12:21

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Muscle car = mid-size affordable American automobile with the engine from a full-size automobile. Literally anyone could go get a muscle car. Options were cheap and they weren't usually luxury models (you could get higher trim levels but some were really stripped).

The only way the C Class or E Class could be considered muscle cars is if Mercedes put the M278 V8 into them and sold them at the price point of a Fusion or Malibu (C Class) or Taurus/Impala (E Class).


Kinja'd!!! Mikeado > Anon
09/03/2013 at 12:24

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I'd say so. They're not sports cars, they're based on regular cars and they're wayward V8 monsters.


Kinja'd!!! Anon > Nibbles
09/03/2013 at 12:26

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You do have a point with it being too sophisticated. As for the door argument, I think a sedan can count because they're typically about the same size as the coupe. Also almost everyone considers a dodge charger SRT 8 a muscle car. But I agree it really goes on a case by case basis.

Well I mean it kind of is shoe-horned. It's a <6 litre v8 stuffed into a car who's base model uses a 4 cylinder.


Kinja'd!!! Nibbles > Anon
09/03/2013 at 12:30

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True on the shoehorning, but those engines are anything but off-the-shelf. I think having a purpose built, handcrafted work of art definitely throws them out of the muscle car category.