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According to Mercedes’ CEO, AMG’s V-8 engines are here to stay until at least 2031
by Khris Bharath, on LISTEN 03:18Over the coming decade, several automakers have already pledged to transition to electric vehicles. As the industry now makes this shift to EV’s, Mercedes Benz is also taking a forward-thinking approach.
With the German automaker set to become an electric-only marque by 2030, the company has already halted the development of new combustion engines in order to devote more resources towards the shift to electrification.
The Future of the AMG V-8
In the light of tighter norms for Europe, with the new Euro 7 emission rules kicking in and the 2035 gas ban, it will be inevitable but for Mercedes Benz to abandon the combustion engine altogether and all four Diamler brands, i.e (AMG, Mercedes, EQ, and Maybach) will henceforth only make electric vehicles. The future of performance brands like AMG, Ferrari & Lamborghini is now at stake, with the Italian marques asking for an exemption to the combustion engine ban in Italy.
However, despite this rapid industry-wide migration to electric vehicles, the existing Mercedes-AMG V-8 powertrains could be accessible in new cars until at least 2031. AMG’s V-8 will be kept alive thanks to hybrid technology. In spite of an overlap with this timeline, a hybrid variant of these V-8 power plants hasn’t been ruled out.
AMG to use hybrid tech to keep the V-8 alive
Speaking to Road and Track, Mercedes-AMG CEO Philipp Schiemer stated that the end of the V-8 isn’t here yet. Schiemer is in charge of several in-house programs from the German automaker including the likes of AMG, Maybach, and, of course, the hulking G-Class SUV. He had a positive attitude when it came to the company’s well-known V-8 vehicles.
"I think for the next ten years we will see the V-8s, for sure. We have a lot of customers who love their cars and I still think that we will see those people buying the cars for a long time."
Hybrid technology is likely to play a major role with the V-8s during this transition phase. AMG’s Chief Technical Officer Jochen Hermann highlighted some of the benefits of going hybrid and how it opens up new opportunities for performance. According to Hermann, the firm has only just started exploring this domain with the GT 63 S E Performance, and he anticipates more exciting advancements in the future.
"You have this extra power, like low-end torque which is usually more of an issue for a combustion engine," said Hermann.
Conclusion
In the future, cars will offer more power, lower emissions, and lower consumption, but with a different sound note or the lack of sound. It’ll only be a matter of time before all high-performance vehicles become the hushed kind. But until that happens, it’s fantastic news for those hoping to get their hands on a new AMG V-8.
You might be excused for believing the situation is terrible at the moment, given Mercedes’ decision to almost completely abandon V-8 production for 2022 as a result of supply chain concerns. Regardless, for the upcoming decade at least, you don’t need to worry, because it appears that the Affalterbach-based automaker will continue to produce its big-engined brutes for some more time after all.
Source: Road & Track
