2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class gets AMG sports package

For those more interested in the way their car looks or goes around corners than how fast it accelerates, Mercedes-Benz has announced an AMG sports package that will be optional with any powerplant available for the new 2010 E-Class hitting European showrooms in March.

Exact pricing depends on the engine chosen and will start at around 3,000 Euros (around $3900 USD). For that sum, the buyer gets a unique set of aprons along with side skirts and 18-inch AMG alloy wheels. We definitely prefer this sportier look to the more stately standard kit. Inside, a set of microfiber and faux-leather seats for your bum join a three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel with shift paddles for your hands and aluminum pedals for your Piloti-clad feet. Performance-oriented bits include a suspension drop of 15 millimeters along with perforated brake discs with silver-painted calipers up front. Sample the high-res gallery below and then check out the full press release after the break.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

PRESS RELEASE:

AMG sports package for the new E-Class: Even more emotive appeal and dynamism for the new business saloon

Affalterbach – With immediate effect, the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class is also available with the AMG sports package. This new, optional package includes sporty and dynamic features, some of which are not available individually. The AMG sports package can be combined with all engine variants and all E-Class design and equipment lines.

The new AMG bodystyling makes for a more sporty appearance and greater

emotional appeal. It comprises an AMG front apron with large cooling air intakes, striking AMG side skirts and an AMG rear apron. The exhaust tailpipes are further attractive features: in the four-cylinder petrol models these polished stainless steel tailpipes are of twin oval design , while four-cylinder diesel models have a single, oval tailpipe in polished stainless steel. All the six and eight-cylinder models feature twin, rectangular tailpipes of polished stainless steel integrated into the AMG rear apron.

Other eye-catching details include the completely newly designed 18-inch AMG light-alloy wheels, which are painted in sterling silver with a high-sheen finish and are shod with 245/40 R 18 wide-base tyres at the front and 265/35 R 18 tyres at the rear. Perforated brake discs and silver-painted callipers bearing the Mercedes-Benz logo at the front, plus the sporty DIRECT CONTROL suspension lowered by 15 millimetres, are also included in the AMG sports package as standard.

Sports seats and an AMG sports steering wheel with DIRECT SELECT shift paddles

The interior features of the AMG sports package impress with a combination of sportiness and style. Thanks to their optimised contours, the front sports seats provide outstanding lateral support when cornering at speed. The new material combination of DINAMICA microfibre/ARTICO man-made leather with light-coloured, twin decorative seams for the seat upholstery, door armrests and centre console lend a touch of enhanced quality to the interior. The AMG sports package also includes floor mats with AMG lettering, a sports pedal cluster in brushed stainless steel with rubber studs, a black roof lining and a shift/selector lever in nappa leather with chrome highlights. Perfect control is ensured by the AMG sports steering wheel with three spokes and a newly designed rim in nappa leather. In models equipped with an automatic transmission, the gears can be shifted manually using DIRECT SELECT shift paddles. The AMG sports package also includes the manual "M" transmission mode.

Depending on the engine variant and the design and equipment line, the AMG sports package costs between 2915 and 4046 euros (incl. 19 % VAT). It is available from the market launch of the new E-Class in March 2009. The AMG sports package is available for numerous Mercedes-Benz models and is proving increasingly popular, not least thanks to its attractive combination of features and favourable price/value ratio.