Now that we know that AMG buyers will accept four-cylinder hybrids like smartphones (see links at the end), the boss of the Mercedes performance division follows up with an equally controversial statement. In an interview with the British magazine Autocar AMG boss Michael Schiebe was very confident that buyers will have no problems switching from a large V8 engine to an electric drive.
“Customers who came to the brand for the V8 engine didn’t come because they just wanted a big engine. They came because they love the technology we’ve put into the car. So when it comes to “When it comes to electric driving, I’m pretty sure they’ll jump at this new technology because it’s the latest and greatest thing you can get.”
The essence of this statement is that AMG wants us to believe that Affalterbach’s customer base consists of people who prioritize technology. If the latest developments do not have an internal combustion engine, the customers will apparently switch to electric cars. Sooner or later, the “one man, one engine” philosophy will come to an end, and it looks like Schiebe believes people won’t hesitate to embrace EVs as long as they have the latest technology.
But the V8 engine isn’t going away anytime soon. AMG has promised that it still has new eight-cylinder models in the works. A spy video that recently emerged suggests that the CLE 63 will again have a biturbo V8. Originally, the top-of-the-line CLE was supposed to have a downsized, electrified powertrain, but weak demand for the current C 63 led AMG to change this late in the development phase.
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Although exact sales figures for the C 63 are not available, the massive discounts in Germany suggest that it is not exactly popular. The C 63 is not the only AMG to lose its V8 engine, as the GLC 63 also does without the 4.0-liter biturbo engine. In addition, Mercedes has already announced that the next E 63 will not have eight cylinders.
Regarding the 2.0-liter plug-in hybrid system, Schiebe acknowledged in a previous interview that some AMG customers “need time to get excited about this technology.” It is important to be open to technology, continues Schiebe. Looking back, Schiebe defended the company’s decision to put a four-cylinder in the C 63 by saying that the plug-in hybrid system was “very, very advanced.”
In its defense it has to be said that AMG follows its words with actions. Not only has the company launched several high-performance PHEVs, but it is also developing a customized electric car platform. The AMG.EA architecture has been in the works for several years, and Autocar believes an all-electric supercar is in the works.
It will be based on the concept of last year’s Vision One-Eleven (as a homage to the legendary C 111) and serve as a spiritual successor to the four-motor 2013 SLS AMG Electric Drive.
AMG has already ruled out developing another F1-powered hypercar as a successor to the One due to increasingly strict emissions regulations. There are still many six- and eight-cylinder models in the large Mercedes product range and even a huge V12 in the Maybach S-Class.
In general it is still possible to have a car with the correct Number of cylinders to buy, but there are fewer and fewer options.
