Mercedes-Benz’s AMG division has been mulling over the development of a sports car designed to compete against the iconic Porsche 911 for the last several years.
According to the latest report out of England, a final decision on the project has yet to be taken, but its future looks bright thanks to the success of the SLS.
“[With the SLS] we have entered a segment with an overwhelming reaction from customers and fans — and many of them are entirely new customers to AMG — so it would certainly be the right strategy to grow the AMG brand,” said Ola Kallenius, the head of AMG.
Kallenius did not specify when a decision on the matter would be taken.
If a 911-fighter is given the green light, it will likely come in the form of a two-seater powered by an engine mounted in the front-mid position. The car’s price and performance will be roughly on par with those of a 911, and both a coupe and a roadster are expected to be part of the program.
Kallenius went on to say that the German company was not planning on developing a diesel engine to rival BMW’s M Performance lineup.
“We looked at diesel a few years back, but petrol engines have obvious benefits of sound, weight, agility and response,” said Kallenius.
In recent memory, AMG has only tuned a single mass-produced diesel-powered model, the Europe-only C30 CDI AMG.
