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New Models

Mercedes-AMG trademarks ’40’, ’50’ and ’73’ badges in Europe

Flagship performance hybrid line on the way?


It seems Mercedes-AMG could be mulling a new line of  '40', '50' and '73' models, after trademarking several model names with new number designations.

Documents submitted last year by Daimler to the European Union Patent and Trademark Office show Mercedes-AMG has trademarked 'AMG 40', 'AMG 50', 'S73', 'GLS73' and 'G73' for use in Europe.

Considering no current models wear the '73' designation, it appears the company is in the process of developing a new range of flagship performance models, likely to replace the current '65' badge.

The current crop of AMG 65 models feature a tried and tested 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12, an engine that dates back all the way to the late 1990s. In its most recent form, the unit develops 463kW of power and a whopping 1000Nm of torque.

Above: Mercedes-AMG S65

While some reports may suggest a new V12 is on the cards, our guess is that the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 used in the AMG 63 range will get a boost, helped by the company's new 48V mild-hybrid system.

How did we come to that conclusion? Let's use the AMG 43 and AMG 53 model lines as an example. The 43 family gets a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, while the 53 model line gets a turbocharged inline six mated to a 48V mild-hybrid system. While the 43 and 53 don't share the same base engine, we'd expect the next-generation of 43 models to use the newer inline six petrol as their base.

Keeping that in mind, the AMG 73 line could feature the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 seen in everything from the C63 to GT sports car matched to the 48V system, boosting outputs to around 600kW and 1000Nm – a powertrain previewed by the recent four-door AMG GT concept.

Considering the huge amount of torque on offer, we'd expect all versions of the AMG 73 family to feature 4Matic+ performance all-wheel drive – a hunch aided by the fact the G-Class and GLS are exclusively four-wheel driven already.

Above: Mercedes-AMG G65

Interestingly, the '73' name has only been used a couple of times in the company's history, namely by the R129 Mercedes-Benz SL73 AMG.

Sold in 1995 and between 1998 and 2001, the SL73 AMG featured a 391kW 7.3-litre V12 – an engine that later found life in the Pagani Zonda supercar. Only 85 examples of the flagship roadster were produced.

Meanwhile, the AMG 40 and AMG 50 names point to two new performance tiers its smaller models, including the all-new A-Class revealed this week.

The 40 name should be worn by the replacement for the previous AMG 250 Sport variants, while the AMG 50 line will likely replace the current AMG 45 models.

Above: Mercedes-AMG A45

Stay tuned to CarAdvice for all the latest Mercedes-AMG updates.

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