AMG eyes all-turbo future

AMG has killed diesel and is getting set to say goodbye to its atmo V8s -- with one exception. That's the summary of the internal combustion part of Mercedes-Benz performance arm's motive strategy according to Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-AMG.

Speaking at the recent Geneva Motor Show, Källenius was forthright in his assessment of where his operation's engine technology was going. AMG saying auf wiedersehen to its tuneful atmo V8s now seems only a matter of time, he suggests; the high-performance division following its parent company down the lower capacity turbo route.

"We all know that in the future of the performance segment of performance engines, downsizing and charging higher cylinder pressures, ever more sophisticated versions of direct injection, and so on and so forth. That is the technical direction that we’re going in," Källenius told motoring.com.au.

Kallenius says AMG is "at the peak of the career" of its bespoke M156/159 series 6.2-litre atmo V8 -- a favourite with Australian buyers in C63 and the recently superseded E and CLS-Class AMGs. He suggests future AMG engines will continue to shrink – though with turbos to top up the power outputs. The one exception is the company's range-topping SLS.

"The technical trend, yeah, is downsizing, charging, higher cylinder pressures, sophisticated direct-injection systems, and so on and so forth. That’s the direction we’re marching in.

"In my heart-of-hearts [is it right]? As a motor racing fan you have to say that the naturally-aspirated engine will always have a little chamber in that heart...

"[So] Don’t worry, we won’t mess with the [M]159 in the SLS platform. So that engine stays unique."

Kallenius says turbos and tunes are mutally exclusive, however.

"[But] I have to say, I actually spent some time last week in our sound studio with our sound engineers and we were talking about the AMG brand sound, which is, of course, one of the reasons why you buy an AMG...

"With a turbo engine it’s a different challenge than if you have a naturally aspirated engine... But we try to put science into that sound and, I think, the engineers have done a damn good job of making that [latest] biturbo [V8] sound as attractive as a naturally aspirated engine, even though it has a different [engine] note."

Sounds and performance attributes, as well the improving efficiency of direct-injection petrol engines, have also ruled out diesel in AMGs – even SUVs, says Kallenius.

"The reason why I say, no [to diesel AMGs], is that the technological developments on the gasoline side are converging with the type of technologies that we’ve had on the diesel side for a longer time. Thus you’re closing up in terms of fuel economy on the diesel at the moment.

"But, sound, even for a turbo engine, and power delivery are significant benefits on the gasoline side. To be able to deliver the AMG brand promise of driving performance, as we call it, we feel that we’re married to the gasoline engine at the moment," he stated.

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