Comments on: AMG boss says “horsepower war” is over

By: LS7

LS7 — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:16:54 +0000

A4: How the f.uck are they giving up, you f.ucking moron? Clearly they are selling more AMGs than ever. They are just antipating a market turn, as the economy is slumping. Yes, Toyota gave up on the mid-size coupe segment. But it is not like AMG is folding up shop. They are just changing the way they are making cars go quicker. They have recently sold more AMG cars than they have ever before.
On the side note: Can you explain why you are so f.ucking stupid?

By: fan

fan — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 09:01:40 +0000

its no wonder theyre stating that… as Jake said… a road going machine can only be so powerful before it starts to be a waste of energy because the power will be either
a) sufficient for the car to lift off the ground
or
b) so much that no traction control can EVER put it to good use except having a burnout every time you try to accelarate from 60 to 120… (im not even talking about 0-60…)
i prefer a car that has fewer HP but needs no electronic restraint systems over any overpowered, anabolic show-off…

most people cant even come up to the task of driving a real sports car anyways…

By: Blakkarr

Blakkarr — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:09:07 +0000

I agree mostly on what Z06 has said as well.

I doubt you will see straight manuals from Europe after 2010 though. The DSG/DCT/PDK, “Automated Manuals”, is going to be the new standard until Electric propulsion is accepted and widely used.

Still I think that the cars needs to reach parity with their engines. But then why would I care? They cost almost as much as my house in most cases. I would lean on the Muscle Car and J-Sport Car model of high level performance and potential at more attainable prices. If you want 600+ hp strap on some big turbos or a supercharger.

The “War” was over anyway when the GT-R35 showed up anyway. They need to develop better cars not more horsepower.

By: jonmiles

jonmiles — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:43:48 +0000

For once I agree with Z06…

By: jonmiles

jonmiles — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:42:46 +0000

I second A4’s comments. The problem with the AMG’s are that they are stuffing wonderfly powerful engines in the fattest luxury chassis in the world. If Audi or BMW wanted to dominate them, they would.

By: Dangerous1

Dangerous1 — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:42:09 +0000

Do you really need a car with 500 + HP anyway? Mine has half of that and it gets me to where I want to go.

By: Borat

Borat — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:02:41 +0000

IN todays day and age “heavy duty” and “heavy weight” can be mutually exclusive. Steel allows used today are much stronger, lighter and corrosion resistant. It is not construction that weighs Benz down it is the fact that it is a living room on wheels. Volvo managed weight (when it choose to) and structural strength.

By: yarddog82abn

yarddog82abn — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:02:17 +0000

Hmm…… $60K CTS-V vrs. $110K AMG E-63…
And their performance is so close to each other…
Sorry gotta go with the Cadillac, what can I say, it’s $50K less…

By: Other Man

Other Man — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:54:52 +0000

Mercedes uses lots of heavy duty parts so that they last a LONG time. THAT is a big part of why they’re heavy.

There’s nothing wrong with an auto either.

I still don’t fully buy this though. Their next AMG V-8 was supposed to be a 5.0TT with 570 hp/665 lb-ft and up to 700 hp.

By: Z06ified

Z06ified — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:30:45 +0000

Good. Mercedes can start by shedding about 2,000 lbs. of weight from their vehicles, and offering manual transmissions. Then maybe they’ll have some serious performance vehicles instead of some overweight tank with a slushbox and lots of horsepower.

johnnycanuck – you can’t comment on the CTS-V having a weight problem. The CTS-V’s excessive weight is NOTHING compared to the excessive weight of nearly every AMG model. Mercedes wrote the book on bloated overweight vehicles.

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:51:17 +0000

Borat, I know. Their 727 is parked outside our hangar. I’m surprised they’re still here since they could have left after the first period last night and the Canucks probably still wouldn’t have won.

By: Gundy

Gundy — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:32:40 +0000

Do NOT believe that the horsepower war is over. Anyone old enough to remember the early-70’s energy “crisis” and all the other ones in the last 30 years, will know that this isn’t the end by any means. Who ever thought that there would be vehicles as powerful or fast as the early 70’s Hemi-powered cars, or the GM 454’s / 455’s or Ford’s 428’s or whatever. They went away, just like convertibles did, for a few years and then, literally, came roaring back to be both bigger and better, safer and more-refined. AND, while getting better mileage at the same time. Who here thinks that this is the end of the supercar, raise your hands? Ok, now go sit in the corner with your dunce cap on. It’s just like architecture, the more restraints you have on a project, the easier it is to come up with meaningful / powerful designs. Who thought that an electric car would ever be faster than a gas-powered car? i didn’t. Some of them are much faster. I don’t want an electric car really, but things change and evolve. By this gentleman saying that the horsepower war is over, he’s saying that it’s over for a year or two maybe, then they’ll be back. Maybe in a different form, but they’ll be back.

By: Borat

Borat — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:26:27 +0000

Johnny, hate to rub it in but Devils 5 Vancouver Canucks 3. See ya

By: Borat

Borat — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 19:24:01 +0000

Johnny, all cars got middle age spread. Look at new ‘tang 4000lbs! Original was near 3000. Actually, the only reasonable one is Volvo, yes, Volvo. Mine in mid 90’s (wagon) was about 3400 lbs and new V70 about the same. Any advances in engine performance can go into fuel saving and performance not heft compensation.

By: johnnycanuck

johnnycanuck — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:46:42 +0000

The CTS-V illustrates exactly what is wrong because although being an exceptional sedan it’s a porker checking in at some 4,200 lbs. That’s what a full size Caprice wagon weighed 20 years ago.

By: mulletmaster

mulletmaster — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:18:37 +0000

NMOFGM, shut the hell up tard boy. What the fvck is a ceries anyway, perhaps you mean series?

By: MurcieMe

MurcieMe — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:15:05 +0000

I’m all for cars getting lighter! That makes them far more fun and responsive than just adding power. I think less weight is more important than more power. Not that more power doesn’t hurt!!

By: Need more oil for GM

Need more oil for GM — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:06:47 +0000

Merceds has admitted defeat HA that’s a good one. Cadillac hasn’t admitted defeat and will put ANY of your POS craptacular engines to shame. AMG is just a bunch of hype with no substance. Buy a Cadillac V-ceries if you want big reliable horsepower.

By: gitcypher

gitcypher — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:56:48 +0000

Oh how I miss the ‘dragon under the hood’ commercial of the old E55…

By: A4

A4 — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:44:48 +0000

Good luck, a pristine example of a 1st generation M3 can easily go for $60k.
I found a 1991 M3 on autotrader with 4,900 miles for $63,000.

By: JakeK66

JakeK66 — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:42:46 +0000

A4,
I wouldn’t. I’d take the new one and sell it for about 20 old ones!

This was inevitable. I mean, you wouldn’t keep going up, a road going machine can only be so fast before it needs wings. Getting cars lighter will be the new fad for the next 10 or so years for performance cars before something else comes along.

By: A4

A4 — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:32:49 +0000

although i will greatly applaud the use of a four cylinder in an AMG vehicle… the best mercedes ever built was the 190E 2.3-16. The same can be said for the 1st generation M3 with its four banger… i would take one of those over todays V8 M3 any day.

By: yarddog82abn

yarddog82abn — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:29:51 +0000

I need to buy a SL 65 AMG… V-12 Twin Turbo 600HP…
I need to stop thinking about it, I gonna need a cold shower…

By: A4

A4 — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:29:36 +0000

theyre just giving up, just like when toyota said that the “midsized coupe segment is disappearing” just because its solara is a piece of trash.

By: Zcarsales

Zcarsales — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:24:27 +0000

Thank you, you tree huggers, you!