Future AMGs will use smaller twin-turbo V8s
A senior Mercedes board member has confirmed that AMG's mighty 6.2-litre V8 is not long for this world. Speaking with US magazine Edmunds, Daimler board member Dr Thomas Weber said that AMG will begin to replace its current naturally aspirated 6208cc V8 next year with a more fuel-efficient 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8.
That's likely to be the engine that's headed for the 911-rivallng 'baby' SLS that AMG engineers told PH's Chris-R about back in November. This means that it should get direct-injection and cylinder cut-off technology to help maximise the engine's efficiency.
Although the German horsepower war of recent years is now well and truly over, AMG isn't going to skimp on power. No figures have been revealed but expect an output, like today's engine, in the range of 500bhp-550bhp depending on the application.
Weber also told Edmunds that the ageing 383bhp V8 from the E500 (the only petrol engine that survives from the previous-generation E-class) will be phased out, to be replaced by a smaller-capacity turbocharged unit. Expect the new engines to make their debuts at the Paris show in September 2010.
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The Future of Mercedes-Benz Revealed
Mercedes-Benz SL Class Picture
An early test mule for the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL roadster was caught roaming the streets of Munich. | December 15, 2009
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — A new family of engines will emerge from Mercedes-Benz starting late next year that will rely heavily on turbocharging and direct injection to deliver gains in power, efficiency and CO2 reduction. That's the word from Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the board at Daimler AG Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, who spoke to Inside Line at an event here held for the unveil of the 2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class convertible.
The new engine class, dubbed MoVe for modular V6 and V8s, will power a raft of new products that will begin to arrive late next year. Among them are a fully redesigned CLS sedan, a face-lifted R-Class people mover and a renamed and refreshed S-Class coupe, formerly known as the CL coupe.
Dr. Weber said that all eight-cylinder Mercedes-Benz models will be turbocharged by the 2011 model year and that includes the high-performance AMG variants. The current 6.2-liter normally aspirated V8 designed and built by AMG will be replaced by a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 with direct injection.
Non-AMG Mercedes-Benz models will get either a slightly smaller-displacement twin-turbo V8, a twin-turbo V6 or a normally aspirated 3.5-liter V6. All will use direct injection and most will be designed to integrate with hybrid drive systems.
In 2011, Weber said a C-Class coupe will join a face-lifted C-Class lineup. More news will arrive in 2011 with the complete redesigns of the SLK roadster and ML sport-utility vehicle. There's even a diesel/electric E-Class Bluetec Hybrid scheduled for production.
Finally, in 2012, an all-new SL roadster arrives. It will be offered in both standard and AMG versions, so it will make full use of the company's new engine technologies to reduce fuel consumption and improve emissions.
The Future of Mercedes-Benz Revealed
