After adopting the "no replacement for displacement" mantra and swapping out its 5.5-liter supercharged engines for normally-aspirated 6.2-liter units, AMG might once again be reconsidering its options.
According to a recent report by U.K.-based Car, AMG could be contemplating a return to forced induction, using 5.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8s that could produce in the neighborhood of 570 horses and 665 lb-ft of torque. Not enough? A full 700 horsepower and 885 lb-ft could be available in an even more potent version. What's the reason for the switch? Reportedly, AMG isn't content with the emissions and fuel economy of its latest engines, leading them to develop more environmentally responsible powertrains (if you can call any 700 horsepower engine environmentally responsible, that is).
What else is on AMG's horizon? How about hybrid versions of its cars under the BluePower moniker, a highly efficient electric direct-drive transmission, and a 40 percent overall cut in emissions by the year 2012? All of this is on its way according to the report, as well as the highly-rumored gullwing coupe supercar, codenamed C197. Specifications are said to include an eight-speed automatic, a 6.2-liter V8, and world-beating performance.
Meanwhile, with Mercedes increasing the power of its own engines, there may soon be little difference between power output of the standard motors versus AMG's hot-rodded mills. Especially when AMG R&D chief Wolf Zimmerman has already told Car that 'We're almost at the top in terms of power now." After that, it's reportedly all downhill.
