If you had doubts about the future of performance being electric or not, Mercedes is here to announce is working on a pure electric AMG that will be part of its dedicated EQ lineup of electric cars. Debuting later this year, the future zero-emissions model will boast two electric motors enabling all-wheel drive with variable torque distribution.
According to preliminary data obtained by the experts from Affalterbach, the overall performance is largely on par with current Mercedes-AMG models equipped with the ubiquitous twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 gasoline engine. The Mercedes-AMG GT 73e will be able to complete the sprint to 60 mph (96 km/h) in less than four seconds and top out at 155 mph (250 km/h).
The high-performance EV will feature an AMG-tuned air suspension specifically developed for these new applications that will eschew the combustion engine altogether. Not only that, but the car will also add an AMG i-Booster, which will combine electric recuperation and hydraulic braking during deceleration.
While work is well underway at an AMG EV, the first to arrive in terms of electrification will be a plug-in hybrid powertrain capable of producing more than 804 horsepower and a whopping 738 pound-feet (1,000 Newton-meters) of torque. These will enable AMG PHEVs to hit 60 mph in less than three seconds and offer immediate throttle response thanks to the added electric motor working together with the aforementioned eight-cylinder engine.
Yet another new breed of AMGs is in the offing, featuring a smaller four-cylinder 2.0-liter gasoline engine equipped with an electric exhaust-gas turbocharger. The electric motor built into the shaft of the exhaust-gas turbocharger will enable these cars to provide “lightning-fast response” and V8-like levels of performance.
The gasoline engine with the e-turbo will produce more than 442 horsepower and is going to work together with a rear-mounted electric motor, shared with the V8 PHEVs, generating up to 201 hp and an instant torque of 236 lb-ft (320 Nm) depending on the application. AMG promises the combined output will surpass existing non-hybrid V8 models, with the first model of the bunch to be the next-generation Mercedes-AMG C63 expected to go on sale in 2022.
At the forefront of Mercedes-AMG’s electrification agenda is without a shadow of a doubt the One hypercar of which deliveries to customers will finally commence later this year after a prolonged delay. The high-performance machine equipped with a Formula 1-derived hybrid 1.6-liter V6 engine is expected to deliver more than 1,000 horsepower, with final technical specs to be announced likely in the coming months.
Even though BMW has yet to acknowledge their own work in the hybrid field for M cars, the rumormill churns out that an X8 M will be unveiled within a year. The future BMW X8 M models could come in two flavors: the standard version, with an output of 460 kW / 625 PS (617 hp), and the upper-end X8 M Competition, which is set to become the first electrified M model in history. The future X8 M Competition will pack a hybrid powertrain combining a V8 petrol engine and an electric unit that together will raise the peak output up to staggering 552 kW / 750 PS (740 hp).
In the meantime, an M-tuned electric car will be unveiled this year – the i4 M50. The 530 horsepower electric sedan is likely one of the many BMW EVs to get touched by BMW M.
[Source: EVGLOBE | Photos: Mercedes-Benz]
