Mercedes-Benz’ high-performance division, AMG, is going green, AMG chairman Volker Mornhinweg announced at Geneva the night before the 78th international auto show opened. Specifically, Mornhinweg promised the high-performance cars will emit 30 percent less carbon dioxide by 2012 thanks to smaller, turbocharged engines, hybrid systems and diesels. It’s not known which of these, or if all, will be used to attain the goal.
The chairman did offer, however, some particulars. By 2010, AMG cars will feature direct-injection gas engines and systems that will shut off the engine when stopped thanks to an advanced and efficient starter-generator mounted to the crankshaft, he said, according to Car and Driver.
As part of a consortium with GM, Chrysler and BMW, Mercedes is developing a two-mode hybrid system that will allows cars to drive short distances on electricity alone. Once developed, AMG hopes to launch the technology on its CL, SL or CLS-based vehicles.
As for diesel, AMG is keeping an eye on it, citing North America may not be ready for a high-performance compression-ignition vehicle. “We are monitoring the diesel. There is currently no demand, but if that changes, we can react immediately,” Mornhinweg says. AMG will decide it will build its second diesel-powered model (it offered a C30 CDI back in 2003 in parts of Europe) by the end of 2008.
Another option hinted at involved turbocharged V6 engines, as turbo V8s are already near reality.
AMG sold a record 20,107 vehicles last year, with more than half of that number finding homes in North America.
03/06, 11:45 AM
posted by:
Bimmer
Hey Mercedes,
can you dilute AMG division any more!?
03/06, 11:46 AM
posted by:
LamborghiniZ
Well to be real, AMG couldn’t really continue to build even bigger engines…a bi-turbo V12 can only get to be so big before it becomes unrealistic. This is how things have to go, it is what it is, and AMG will continue to build insanely fun, fast, and powerful cars regardless of whatever changes they make.
03/06, 11:51 AM
posted by:
Bimmer
Diesel model might be okay, but hybrid? Give me a break. Hybrid is associated with economy, not performance. So, keep hybrid to regular models, not AMG. If you’re so concern about going green, why not develop Diesel-Hybrid vehicle?
03/06, 12:09 PM
posted by:
Blakkarr
They are putting resources into developing technology to make cleaner cars that are faster. The Role of the In-house Speedshop has changed a bit but they are really more like the post production development house in a company. They figure out how to make a car in the line-up better or, at least, the are supposed to ideally.
I wouldn’t bemoan it, except FORD closed SVT, Chrysler is going to sell, if they haven’t sold, MOPAR, and GM Never really had such a focused branch (the CORVETTE development team doesn’t count).
03/06, 12:34 PM
posted by:
Z06ified
DIESEL!!! DIESEL!!! DIESEL!!!
03/06, 1:20 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
Z06ified: fully agreed. Diesel FTW.
03/06, 1:32 PM
posted by:
El Aleman
If they use the hybrid technology that BMW experimented with a few years ago, it would be perfect..
It was called Super-caps or something like that.. Batteries that charge and decharge extremely quickly and weigh so little and are so compact that they can be fitted underneath the doors of an X5..
They can’t power the car alone, but give insane boosts of torque and horsepower at low revs.
03/06, 2:11 PM
posted by:
Blakkarr
Actually the boost could be used anytime. Electric motor do not behave like gas engines. Adding more power results in increased power no matter where on the power curve you are.
But the capacitors (”Super-caps”) would be used at start or launch while the engine driving the generator spools up. In a Parallel Hybrid they would serve the same general purpose but are less important. In a Series Hybrid it is more noticeable. Even if the engine responses “formula-fast” it is still not the instant power people will come to expect.
03/06, 6:54 PM
posted by:
carbonsigma
Just imagine the evocative noise that a diesel engined AMG would sound…or a hybrid.
03/07, 12:41 AM
posted by:
AxeHead
Why are all manufacturers saying that North America isn’t ready for deisel?
I don’t here that around this forum. I don’t here that anywhere else? WTF is going on? At least put them in trucks less than 250 models where torque and mileage are wanted and needed. I don’t understand this reluctance when gas prices are going to hit $1.40 a litre this summer (not sure what that is in American greenbacks).
03/07, 9:25 AM
posted by:
Z06ified
“Diesel has tendency to start off slower then gasoline engine and that’s where electric motor can assist with acceleration boost. Diesel is actually accelerates faster north of 30-70 mph then gasoline engine.
Comment by autonut, posted on March6 at 10:16 pm ”
You got diesel backwards there, autonut. Diesels are low RPM torque monsters – they have all their punch off the line, and then they actually lose power as they approach higher revs and redline.
Two engines of the same displacement, one gas, one diesel, the diesel engine will have MUCH more torque at 1,500 RPM’s than the gas engine – and that’s what gets you off the line fast.
03/07, 9:33 AM
posted by:
Z06ified
“Why are all manufacturers saying that North America isn’t ready for deisel?
Comment by AxeHead, posted on March7 at 12:41 am ”
Most Americans have a very negative perception/bias against diesel. All they think of is soot, smell, and noise when they think diesel. Americans are repulsed by diesels actually. Only 2% of new vehicles sold in the U.S. are diesel powered. The only segment where they sell well is the heavy duty pickup truck market, because they tow like nothing else.
I think once Americans see and ride in a modern clean diesel their perceptions will change, and diesel sales will increase. But that won’t happen over night. 10 years from now, maybe 10% of new vehicles sold in the U.S. will be diesel – at most.
03/07, 2:37 PM
posted by:
hateful83
Considering the luxury cars of the world tend to have a complete lack of efficiency, this seems to be a good thing. A hybrid AMG will say, “I’m rich, lead footed, and environmentally friendly.”