Mercedes is listening to customers, dropping the widely derided four-cylinder hybrid setup and installing a revised six-cylinder engine in the new GLC 53, an engine that will make its way to other models very soon. The automaker isn’t done making enthusiasts happy, though, with current Mercedes-AMG CEO Michael Schiebe confirming to Car and Driver that its famed Black Series badge will return, despite the recent introduction of similarly low-volume Mythos creations, one of which will be based on the CLE coupe. In fact, AMG sees the continuation of the Black Series as an “obligation,” indicating that Mythos models will cater to a different type of clientele.
AMG’s Outgoing CEO Says the Black Series Drought Won’t Last Forever
Mercedes-Benz
Ahead of Schiebe making way for incoming CEO Stefan Weckbach in July, the current AMG boss said of Black Series models, “We have been very successful with it. This is such a strong brand, it’s an obligation. If you want to develop a Black Series, then it really has to convince in terms of performance. It needs to be radical. But we want to carry that into the future.” In essence, Schiebe is telling us that, in order for a Black Series model to be worthy of the badge, it needs to be a hardcore performance vehicle capable of competing with the very best, and that’s not something it takes lightly. The yet-to-be-revealed Concept AMG GT Track Sport that Mercedes teased last year seems to fit the mold, but whether this will revive the Black Series name is not yet confirmed.
The last Black Series model, introduced in 2021, was also based on the AMG GT, but this badge has also been applied to the SLS supercar, the C63 compact coupe, the SL65 luxury sports car, and the tiny SLK55, the first car to launch the Black Series lineage. But if Black Series cars are coming, where does the Mythos line fit in?
Mythos Will Also Signify Exclusivity, But Moreso
Mercedes-AMG
In 2022, Mercedes announced the Mythos line as a new breed of “ultra-exclusive collector cars” that would only be available to “the most dedicated enthusiasts and collectors of Mercedes-Benz.” Its first creation was the attention-grabbing, windshield-free PureSpeed roadster, of which only 250 examples are planned for production, and while extreme, this vehicle is more of a showpiece than a truly performance-focused machine. Think of it this way: while Ferrari is producing the F80 as its most aggressive and focused hypercar, the Icona series, including cars like the Monza SP1 and Daytona SP3, is more automotive art than outright exhilaration. Black Series and Mythos cars will both be expensive and both be capable of remarkable speeds, but while the former’s buyers might occasionally find their way to a track, the latter’s will be more comfortable putting their cars in a climate-controlled garage that doubles as an automotive museum, or on the lawns of Pebble Beach.
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