AMG V8 gets a stay of execution
MOST Mercedes-AMG models, including the next C63, are looking set to downsize to the firm’s 2-litre turbopetrol engine.
However, the 4-litre twin-turbo V8 recently got a stay of execution, with the announcement of a new hybridised powertrain that will offer up to 620kW and 1400Nm. This system will be introduced with the recently announced Mercedes-AMG 63 S E.
But in a world that’s rapidly moving towards greener solutions, how much longer will the decadently rumbly V8 engine still be around? At least 10 years, Mercedes-AMG boss Philipp Schiemer recently told American publication Road & Track in an interview.
“I think there will be a future, yes,” Schiemer said. “I think for the next 10 years we will see the V8s, for sure. We have a lot of customers who love their cars and I still think we’ll see those people buying the V8 for a long time.”
According to Road & Track, Mercedes-AMG’s technical chief, Jochen Hermann, said that hybridisation would open up many possibilities and that the carmaker is quickly realising that it can do so much more with this technology.
“So, it’s all these different combinations that you can have and all of these driving modes. And once the team starts playing around, they realise, ‘oh, we can do this, we can do that’,” Hermann told the American publication, which said the new GT 63 S E Performance hybrid vehicle had not yet unlocked all of the drivetrain’s potential.
As reported previously, beneath the skin of the new GT 63 S E Performance you’ll find a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that pairs with a MCT 9-speed transmission and 150kW electric motor.
The electric drive unit is mounted on the rear axle and includes a twospeed transmission and limited slip differential.
Above the e-motor is a 6.1 kWh AMG high-performance lithium-ion battery that allows the vehicle to cover around 12km on electric power only.
The fully-variable all-wheel drive system also allows the electric motor to transfer power to the front wheels when additional traction is needed.
The vehicle is fitted as standard with AMG Ride Control + multi-chamber
air suspension with automatic level control.
This is combined with a new adaptive damping system featuring “pressure release” valves. These continuously variable control valves, located outside the damper, allow the damping
force to be adjusted even more precisely to different driving conditions and driving modes.
Question is, which Mercedes-AMG product is next in line for this powertrain? Our money is on the nextgeneration SL.