AMG goes all-paw

Two-turning and two-burning looks set to become a thing of the past for the German hooligan tuners AMG.

Traditionally almost Australian in its passion for V8s and rear-wheel drive, the MercedesBenz hot-up division looks set to transition to all-wheel drive for all its models.

That includes the next generation of the thundering C63 – which is very popular in Australia – and even the GT agship.

It’s a sad move if you are a rear-drive purist, remembering AMG rst came to fame courtesy of the ‘red pig’ 6.3-litre V8 300SEL sedan that raced in the Spa 24 Hours and the European Touring Car Championship in the early 1970s.

The good news is various tunes of the

company’s 4.0-litre biturbo V8 seem set to stay part of the company’s long list of performance models for years to come.

However, even the bent eight will dip its lid to 21st century realities, with hybridisation soon to be introduced.

The rear-wheel drive bombshell was dropped by AMG boss Tobias Moers, a hard-driving engineer who has overseen a massive growth in the division’s global popularity.

And he insists the vast majority of that growing customer base prefer AWD over RWD.

“Back in the days when we had an AMG E-Class as rear-wheel drive and with four-wheel drive as an option, over 90 per cent chose 4WD,” Moers told Autocar.

“In the new E63 with drift mode, you have a real rear-wheel drive car but with four-wheel drive also.”

Moers also con rmed the end of another era, with the last V12 engine set to soon be built for an AMG model.