Mercedes-Benz AMG Will Use Direct Injection, Start/Stop Engines by 2012

[Merc1]

GENEVA — At an evening press conference prior to the start of the 2008 Geneva Auto Show, Volker Mornhinweg, CEO of AMG, announced that his division will introduce gasoline direct-injection engines and start/stop ignitions in an attempt to reduce the overall CO2 emissions of its entire lineup by 2012.

Gasoline direct-injection engines allow for more precise combustion, which typically results in improved efficiency and reduced emissions. The start/stop feature also reduces fuel consumption by shutting the engine down when the vehicle comes to a stop and restarting it as soon as the gas pedal is pressed. Most hybrids use such a system. Direct injection is also used in various production cars already, but none of the current AMG models use the technology.

According to Mornhinweg, the AMG division is also considering hybrid power as a possibility. There are no concrete plans for a particular model just yet, but the high torque produced by electric motors fits the AMG image. "At the end of the day, we stand for torque," Mornhinweg said.

What this means to you: Going green has influence even on the most hard-core enthusiast. — Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor


Mercedes-Benz AMG Will Use Direct Injection, Start/Stop Engines by 2012


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[Zafiro]

LoL I already have these things on my car

 

[cawimmer430]

I am all for keeping the environment clean and green but hybrid performance cars? Performance cars are all about things like the "feel" which means hearing the engine scream when accelerating etc. With a hybrid peformance car you wil most likelyl hear nothing from 0-50 km/h but only from 51 km/h onwards. Doesn't sound very exciting to me.

Plus these performance cars are all low volume models anyway compared to a regular non-AMG Mercedes.

 

[Merc1]

AMG Going Green?

If this headline gives you visions of an AMG Mercedes running a fuel cell or biodiesel-fueled four banger, relax. But AMG boss Volker Morningweg made it clear that going fast while burning a few less hydrocarbons is on his mind.

"Imagine a car that moves about the city silently on electric power, emitting no emissions, yet one that runs autobahn speeds in the countryside or on the racetrack" said the well-spoken Morningweg the evening prior to the Geneva show. "We are evaluating it" he continued, although there is no specific product plan at the moment. Mercedes used the occasion to show of its new SL63 AMG, the F1 Safety Car based upon it, as well as a face lifted SLK. The CLS four-door coupe also now gets AMG's purpose built, 6.2-liter V-8.

Mercedes in developing a V-6 gasoline hybrid that will come to market in 2010. It will power the S-Class, and perhaps the E-Class too. It has not been announced as a power source for the M or GL-Class SUVs, but neither would surprise us. Morningweg was quick to add, however, that "AMG's hybrid would be based around a V-8," so performance remains the primary object. Perhaps a super torquey, hybrid V-8 would replace the heavy, thirsty, and expensive bi-turbo V-12 that AMG installs in its top models.

Is this sudden greenocity real, or is it PR spin? Does a performance brand that makes 0.0003 percent of the world's cars, and one that has many 500+ horsepower models populating it's roster, really care about a few hydrocarbons? I believe the truth to be a little of both. Every carmaker is finally paying attention to the environment; it's just the right thing to do. Mercedes is a world leader in this category. But the ardent greens of the world can't be enthralled with AMG's muscular, tire-burning model mix, so there's a certain political correctness aspect to this notion as well.

Whether hybrid technology is the right thing for AMG or not is yet to be determined. But Morningweg is a sharp gentleman, understands every aspect of the performance car business, and has the ear of the Mercedes mother ship. No matter the political landscape, cost of fuel, or demand for high performance vehicles, AMG is in clear-thinking hands.

AMG Going Green? | Editorial Blog at Motor Trend


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