AMG

It should go without saying that I highly covet the brand with the star on front. Yes, I'm speaking of Mercedes-Benz, a company with a few small achievements; one of which being the first automobile in history: the Patent Benz Motorwagen. Their name has always been synonymous with elegance, style, and quality. However, over the past couple decades, another word can be added to that list: insanity. 

Now I know what you're thinking; insanity seems a bit out of place in a brand commonly associated with elder church-goers and wealthy sultans. Well thanks to a little company known as AMG, these luxury land-yachts can be turned into monsters. The company was started by a couple of former Mercedes-Benz engineers and officially opened shop in 1967. At this time the company was primarily tuning Mercedes engines for racing. The tuning company became so successful that in 1990 a contract was signed giving the company access to develop and sell vehicles directly through Mercedes-Benz.

Since the merger, AMG has basically become an in-house tuning company, which is reflected in production model Mercedes vehicles. With AMG badging, along with upgraded wheels and body elements, these models differ ever-so-slightly in appearance when compared to the base. More substantial by far, though, are the engine upgrades. AMG take a stock Mercedes V8 or V12 and bore it, stroke it, and commonly add a supercharger or multiple turbochargers. The result is a vehicle closely akin to the traditional American muscle car: heavy, tail-happy, and loud.

What makes AMG models so great though is the fact that they are still Mercedes in every other aspect. Interior quality and luxury remains the same, unless you go for the optional carbon fiber accenting. The body and wheel modifications make the exterior that much more tasteful. The culmination of all these elements is a car that is unassuming, sedate, and elegant when you want it to be, but brutal, brash, and most importantly, fun at the simple flip of a switch.