Best AMG Mercedes-Benz Cars Ever Made

Mercedes is one of those car companies that can't be driven without sounding like you're bragging. It's one of the most reliable car brands out there, and has made some of the most reliable luxury cars in history.

So, when muscle car company AMG started to pair up with Mercedes-Benz, one could only assume that anything the two groups made together would turn into a spectacular work of mechanic art.

Ever since AMG joined DaimlerChrysler, this extremely niche subdivision was dedicated to tweaking luxury vehicles to turn them into roaring monsters that are built for high-performance bragging rights.

Though all AMG-tweaked cars are great, this list proves that the best AMG Mercedes-Benz cars will always gain respect from gearheads and luxury car fans alike.

1971 300 SEL 6.8L AMG

Known as "The Red Pig," the 1971 AMG 300 SEL wasn't exactly a looker by any means of the word. However, performance-wise, this is one of the best AMG Mercedes-Benz cars of the 70s—and it was what sealed AMG's reputation as one of the best performance divisions Mercedes-Benz could have teamed up with.

Over 425 horsepower and a max speed of 142 miles per hour made this piggy fly down race tracks. Though it was an underdog, it scored second place in its debut race and quickly gained respect throughout the muscle car world.

1974 300 SL Gullwing AMG

A lot of gearheads will disagree with me when I say that this is one of the best AMG Mercedes-Benz cars in history. However, it wasn't because it was one of the worst car designs in history.

The reason why is that this was a "resto-modded" version of an iconic Mercedes car from the 1950s, and gearheads hated seeing a classic redone car. That being said, AMG did not care and installed a slew of new options into the classic model.

The end result actually turned out fairly well, with a price tag upwards of $1 million for later model.

1990 W124 300E Class

The 1990 W124 300E Class is one of the best AMG Mercedes-Benz cars from its time, and much of that deals with the fact that the W124 was already one of the most coveted Benzes in dealership lots.

When AMG tweaked it, this beautiful car pushed out 385 horsepower with a top speed of 195 miles per hour. This car was so speedy, it competed around some of the best supercars out there, including a Lamborghini and a Ferrari Testarossa.

Earlier models were called "the Hammer" because they'd nail the competition. We can see why with this beautiful machine, too.

1999 SL73 AMG

The SL73 AMG was one of the best AMG Mercedes-Benz cars released before the new millennium—and not just because they were so pretty, either. This was a mean, lean, racing machine that is designed to tear up the pavement.

When customers would buy the already-pricey $50,000 and get it modded up, they'd get an SL73 AMG capable of pounding out as much as 518 horsepower. This would make a Porsche 911 sweat, and would make plenty of sports cars turn green with envy.

A fun fact about the engine that AMG started to use in these monsters is that they ended up becoming the base for the Pagani Zonda. That alone says volumes about its power.

2007 R63 AMG

It's kind of strange to see the "oddball" R-Class from Mercedes-Benz become one of the best AMG Mercedes-Benz cars in history, but as they say, truth is stranger than fiction.

A seven-speed automatic transmission was added to the R63 to make it capable of hitting as much as 507 horsepower in output. That being said, it was a seriously imposing car that ended up getting a lot of applause. These days, these rare mods can easily go for $50,000—despite not being "vintage age" yet.

2015 300 SLS AMG

Remember when we talked about how the Mercedes-Benz Gullwing series was one of the most favorite classic cars ever put out by the company? Well, it seems like AMG really had a knack for making these cars even better than before.

From 2010 to 2015, the classic 1955 300 SLS AMG was brought back in a new "clean slate" form. Gullwing doors, an engine capable of delivering over 740 horsepower in its electric coupe form, and a maximum speed nearing 200 made this a smash hit.

Add on that gorgeous body design, and you'll see why this is one of the best AMG Mercedes-Benz cars to ever hit the market.

1995 Mercedes-Benz C36 AMG

Believe it or not, prior to 1995, all Mercedes-Benz AMG tweaks were not available to the public for purchase. The reason why this is one of the best AMG Mercedes-Benz cars is because it was the first to actually be released to the public as a sales option.

The C36 AMG featured one of the best six-cylinder cars Mercedes-Benz ever produced—an upgraded M104. Two hundred and eighty horsepower, elegant steering, and AMG suspension made this a racing class car with a luxury daily drive price tag.

Not too shabby, eh?

1997 Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR AMG

Not all AMG cars were able to be bought by the masses after 1995. One of the best AMG Mercedes-Benz cars ever made for the racetrack remained a "solo project" for the FIA GT Championship race in the late 90s—and it never really sold mainstream as a result.

A fully carbon fiber body, a slick V12 engine with epic stats, and a race car steering style made this a major collector's item. Only 25 of these were ever made, and it took the Guinness Book of World Records for "Most Expensive Production Car Ever Built" at the time.

2000 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG

A V12 engine is something that you just have to expect when you talk about the zippy E55 AMG, but even then, it's hard to express how powerful this car is. Known for being ahead of its time, Car and Driveractually pitted it against a similar high-performance model from Jaguar with similar results.

Three hundred and eighty-five horsepower and a serious punch of Torque made this a seriously impressive car back in the day. Then again, I might be biased; this is one of my favorite AMG mods of all time!

2018 Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 Coupe

I like to think that the best is always yet to come, and that's why I'm ending this list with one of the best AMG Mercedes-Benz cars currently hitting dealership lots—the AMG C 63 Coupe!

The V8 Biturbo engine pushes out over 460 horsepower and is totally handcrafted, making it a testament to Mercedes-Benz's dedication to quality. The body kit is classy and features a panoramic roof.

It even has a great sound system and collision repair, both of which are relatively unheard of in high performance cars of this type. What's not to love? The future's looking bright!