How Mercedes-AMG Will Bring Classic V8 Feel To EVs

Miami Herald

a day ago

Despite electric vehicles breaking all kinds of speed records, they've generally failed to match the driving engagement of their gas-powered counterparts. Mercedes-AMG realizes this, and will be taking quite extreme measures to engineer a more engaging emotional character into future performance EVs. That's what Mercedes Group tech chief Markus Schäfer told Autocar at the launch of the stunning new AMG Concept GT XX, and the production version of this car could be the first recipient of these new technologies, but what are they?
We've seen simulated gearchanges before: Hyundai's N e-Shift system in the Ioniq 5 N successfully mirrors the shifting feel of a conventional dual-clutch transmission. And, while the tech initially sounded gimmicky, most of us who have driven the Ioniq 5 N deem the e-Shift system to be genuinely fun. Mercedes-AMG will look to implement a similar system.
"How does the car feel in terms of noise, in terms of sound level, in terms of the vibration, in terms of the gearshift? It has to touch the emotional side of you," said Schäfer. "And if it doesn't, it doesn't do the job. This is what AMG cars do, and that's exactly what we transferred piece by piece into this AMG GT XX."
Related: Five Crazy Features of the Concept AMG GT XX We Hope Make It To Production
Besides these simulated shifts, speakers in the headlights of the GT XX will mimic the sound of an AMG V8, and Mercedes-AMG published a video of the car that confirms the use of simulated shifts.
Quite how the AMG team will simulate the vibrations of an ICE car remains to be seen.
"The AMG is also an emotional experience from an acoustic standpoint, from noise and vibration harshness, and that's exactly what you should expect in this car as well," said Schäfer of the GT XX. "You can expect everything that you have today in the V8, V12 race-oriented AMGs [in this car]."
In the current C63, GLC 63, and SL 43, Mercedes-AMG turned to four-cylinder hybrid power instead of the six- or eight-cylinder mills one would expect to find in these cars. All are quick and technically advanced, but they lack the exciting engine note and immersive building of power in the engines that came before. Such has been the icy reception to this four-pot, that AMG is already working on a plan to replace it.
The performance division must now apply these learnings to its next generation of EVs. It's obvious that most enthusiasts are not blown away by high-tech features unless they enrich the driving experience. Hyundai has shown us this can be done in the Ioniq 5 N, but that's also a younger performance sub-brand that doesn't have the weight of expectation and history behind it that AMG does.
Still, we're glad to hear that Mercedes-AMG is focusing on the driving experience, not just straight-line speed and outrageous outputs. It was this same switch in strategy that turned AMG into a true BMW M rival in the 2000s and 2010s.
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