MotorAuthority

Report: AMG to shrink engines in addition to direct-injeciton, stop-start tech

Posted Mon Feb 9 2009 12:43 PM by Jeremy Weber

Engine stop-start and direct-injection technologies will be joined by weight saving construction methods already seen in the SL65 Black Series

With AMG no longer focused on chasing big horsepower numbers, efficiency could quickly become the new performance benchmark for the Affalterbach tuner. To that end, Mercedes' performance arm may be cutting the displacement of its engines in addition to the debut of new direct-injection and stop-start technology.

A range of new diesel models, advanced lightweight materials and construction methods are currently in development, as well as hybrid systems, and by next year AMG will reportedly introduce engine stop-start and direct-injection technology into its lineup.

But pulling down engine displacement from the 6.2L found in the company's '63'-branded AMG models to 4.6-5.5L could help push efficiency even higher. In order to keep power levels up to current standards, however, forced induction would be used, reports the Dutch AutoWeek. Though the addition of twin turbos could conceivably produce more power more efficiently, it will definitely add to the cost of the already expensive cars.

The more readily-available and less-expensive alternatives are perhaps more likely to come to fruition, especially in the short term. According to AutoTelegraaf, the AMG stop-start set-up will work much like any other engine stop-start system, shutting down the engine when the vehicle sits in traffic and then kick-starting it into life once the brake pedal is released or the accelerator depressed. The direct-injection system will be based on the second-generation system already launched in the Mercedes Benz C350 CGI BlueEFFICIENCY model.

AMG has set itself an internal goal of reducing fuel consumption of its lineup 30% by 2012, but to achieve this engineers will require much more advanced technology than engine stop-start and direct-injection systems. While fuel-efficient diesels and hybrid models are still several years away, we have already seen the first implementation of AMG’s new green initiatives in vehicles like the SL65 Black Series. The car’s advanced composite materials and other weight-saving construction techniques are set to filter across to future models.

Story Tags:

• AMG
• AMG SL 65 Black Series
• Direct-injection
• Hybrid-Electric
• Mercedes AMG
• Mercedes Benz
• Mercedes mild hybrid
• SL
• SL65
• SL65 Black Series
• turbo
• turbocharging

Reader Comments

• Tue Mar 4 2008 10:19 PM

  Gus says

  I look forward to seeing what they come up with, but I doubt something so complex and powerful can be built on a large scale reliably (or exactly as reliably as just a single engine). I can just imagine the nightmare repair costs 10 years down the road...

• Fri Mar 7 2008 12:55 AM

  NaBUru38 says

  AMG isn't large scale. That means more work for German engineers, anyway.

• Sun Feb 8 2009 7:46 PM

  danDAN says

  image 42 on the SL65 BE gallery shows the harsh truth of this car and its buyers
  
  greyed men

• Mon Feb 9 2009 7:36 PM

  NoNameDenton says

  This is not new, AMG said they were looking at performance hybrids, diesels and more turbo engines.

• Mon Feb 9 2009 11:27 PM

  NaBUru38 says

  Most of the fuel-saving measures are great. But a stop-start system in a sports car!!! That's plainly ridiculous.