Latest news with #MichaelSchiebe
The Drive
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
Mercedes-AMG Might Be Having a Windows Vista Moment With These Four-Cylinder Hybrids
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Multi-billion-dollar companies get so caught up in innovation that they focus more on what they could do than what they should do. Sure, the products are usually impressive from a technological standpoint, but oftentimes, they're way worse to use. One example that comes to mind is Windows Vista—the fresh-looking operating system from 2007 that people absolutely hated to work with. Another more recent example is the four-cylinder plug-in hybrid Mercedes-AMG models that used to run twin-turbo V8s. Like Windows Vista, Mercedes-AMG's small-displacement PHEVs are great in theory. Microsoft marketed better security and enhanced search functionality with its OS; meanwhile, Mercedes bragged about its 671 horsepower with electric turbo anti-lag and supercar-like zero-to-60 times. But just as customers grew massively frustrated with Vista and its inability to run on older computers without crashing, drivers decided that all that power from an electrified AMG isn't any good if you can't hear it. Vista's predecessor, Windows XP, was admittedly showing its age by the time the new version came along, but like the old-fashioned V8, it worked—and on the rare occasion that it didn't, its users knew how to identify, troubleshoot, and eliminate those shortcomings. See the resemblance? Microsoft / Mercedes-AMG Mercedes acknowledges this now as it's reportedly moving away from the four-cylinders to build more inline-sixes and V8s. Autocar cites a source at Mercedes as saying, 'Technically, the four-cylinder is one of the most advanced drivetrains available in a production car. It's also right up there on performance. But despite this, it failed to resonate with our traditional customers. We've recognized that.' This would also mean that, like Vista, the four-cylinder AMG C63 and GLC63 didn't last long. If you'll remember, those only launched three years ago, in 2022. That's even shorter than Vista, which received mainstream support for five years, through 2012. Still, Microsoft's faux pas was far more widespread. Estimates claim some 330 million people were tortured by Vista, while far fewer than 100,000 ever took a chance on the AMGs that whir like a vacuum cleaner. 'We jumped far ahead with this technology, but we should have explained the technology more to our salespeople and customers,' explained AMG boss Michael Schiebe to Car Magazine in April. 'We will continue to do that and further improve. There is a German saying, 'You never have a second chance at a first impression.' Maybe we missed out on the first impression, but if you have the opportunity, I'm sure you will be convinced of the technology.' The list of Vista criticisms is longer, too—enough to warrant not just a Wikipedia tab but an entire page. Everybody's beef with the electrified four-cylinders is pretty much the same: They sound bad. That's a pretty big problem considering the customers they're marketed to. Mercedes was so sure people wouldn't mind the switch from twin-turbo V8s to plug-in hybrid four-cylinders, and really, that's as crazy as it seems. Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Mercedes-AMG C63 a step closer to dropping four-cylinder PHEV
Latest report confirms previous speculation of the C63 reverting to six-cylinders, also with a plug-in hybrid setup, instead of reviving the V8. Mercedes-AMG is reportedly soon to revert to six-cylinders for the C63. Image: Mercedes-AMG With rumours of its move away from four-cylinders continuing to mount, a senior Mercedes-AMG employee has let slip that the controversial plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain in the C63 will indeed be phased-out based on poor reception and slumping sales. No, yes? First mentioned in 2023 following a report from US publication Car and Driver that the 2.0-litre based unit has received significant backlash despite being powerful than the 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 it replaced, an AMG figure head stated that adapting the V8 for Euro 7 emissions regulations had already taken place in response to dealers struggling to shift units dramatic prices cuts. ALSO READ: Mercedes-AMG C63 set to go six-cylinder PHEV route in 2026 According to the most recent report by Mercedes-Benz dealers in the United Kingdom have offered discounts of up to £9 500 (R233 386) on the C63, bringing its price tag to £90 095 (R2 213 363) or £17 525 (R430 536) less than the sticker price of the BMW M3 Competition. 'We could have explained it better' Similarly, discounts in the States have also been enforced, with AMG CEO, Michael Schiebe, admitting to MotorTrend last month that it 'could have better explained' the system before putting it into the C63. 'There are pure V8 fans, and it's hard to convince them of this four-cylinder hybrid technology. It's my job to do a constant review of our portfolio. I'm pretty confident that we will fulfil our customers' dreams in the next two to three years,' he said. The combination of the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and plug-in hybrid hardware has main the biggest point of content with the new Mercedes-AMG C63. Image: Mercedes-AMG Despite Mercedes-AMG debunking the hybrid's withdrawal in a response to Germany's Auto Motor und Sport days after the Car and Driver statement, an unnamed executive has admitted to Britain's Autocar that the setup has 'failed to resonate' with buyers. 'Technically, the four-cylinder is one of the most advanced drivetrains available in a production car. It's also right up there on performance. But despite this, it failed to resonate with our traditional customers. We've recognised that,' the source told the publication. In spite of its combined outputs of 500kW/1 020Nm, 125kW/270Nm more than the V8-engined C63, the newcomer' 2 165 kg kerb mass has been cited as another reason for its slump in sales, with recent evaluations in Europe and the States also criticising the battery pack getting hot at over 200 km/h. Return of six In confirmation with the most recent Autocar report in April, the unnamed source said the plug-in hybrid 2.0-litre will give away to a six-cylinder in the reported form of a 3.0-litre plug-in hybrid modelled on the mild-hybrid configuration that powers the AMG CLE 53. Seemingly not earmarked for a return is the 4.0-litre V8, which will produce a reported 478kW/880Nm with mild-hybrid assistance in the forthcoming AMG CLE 63. While no official word from Mercedes-AMG has yet been made confirming the move to back six-cylinders for its flagship C-Class since the supercharged C32 AMG made from 2000 to 2004, expect possible clearer details to emerge throughout the rest of the year. NOW READ: Mercedes-AMG C63 V8 return blasted as German sales tumble
IOL News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- IOL News
1000kW Concept AMG GT XX is our closest look yet at the performance division's new flagship
The Concept Mercedes-AMG GT XX previews a new electric era for the performance division. Image: Supplied Mercedes-AMG will soon usher in a new era with its AMG .EA high performance architecture and innovative axial flux motors. The new Concept AMG GT XX, revealed to the world on Thursday, provides our closest look yet at the first series production model that will be based on this architecture. Set to rival Porsche's Taycan EV, the new battery-powered performance sedan will reportedly replace the current Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door. The Concept AMG GT XX shows off a bold new design language that takes elements from the brand's motorsport icons. To that end, it features an ultra-wide Panamericana grille, while the triple-round taillights are a new design feature for the brand. Styling is inspired by the brand's competition cars. Image: Supplied Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ The concept's performance potential is even more startling, with three 'axial flux' electric motors delivering a peak output of more than 1,000kW. Acceleration figures haven't been announced, but the top speed is listed at 360km/h, which is impressive for an EV. AMG's new creation has a disc-shaped stator and rotor, with the magnetic flux following parallel to the motor's axis (axial) rather than perpendicular (radial) as it would in a conventional e-motor. Two of the motors are mounted on the rear axle, with one powering the front wheels, allowing fully variable torque distribution through the AMG Performance 4Matic+ all-wheel drive system. 'With our high-tech axial flux motor, we're delivering a revolutionary new drive that is unparalleled in terms of power density, weight and packaging,' says Mercedes-AMG CEO Michael Schiebe. 'This pairs with a new performance battery developed from scratch that enables previously unimagined levels of performance and endurance.' To that end, the pioneering battery design features cylindrical cells that are 'remarkably' tall and slim, which benefits cooling. The lithium-ion energy storage unit has a high voltage of more than 800 volts, and thanks to a very high average charging power of over 850kW, the concept can recharge energy for around 400km in just five minutes. The cabin has a minimalistic design. Image: Supplied
Herald Sun
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Herald Sun
Mercedes-AMG GT XX concept revealed
Don't miss out on the headlines from HiTech. Followed categories will be added to My News. Mercedes could be the first brand to sell a car in Australia with one megawatt of power. Mega what? That's the term for 1000kW of power, an enormous figure that pushes the brand's next supercar beyond the wildest cars currently on sale – machines such as the 760kW Porsche Taycan Turbo GT and Lamborghini's V12 hybrid Revuelto with its 747kW of power. Mercedes-AMG Concept GT-XX. Picture: Supplied Wilder still, Mercedes says its car is capable of 'at least 1000kW', suggesting the car's true performance potential is even higher than that. That enormous power lies under the composite skin of the Mercedes-AMG Concept GT XX, a show car designed to demonstrate the brand's considerable ability. It has three 'axial flux' electric motors that, according to Mercedes, develop 'high power from an extremely compact package', offering 'unprecedented capability'. MORE: The proof EVs have arrived Mercedes-AMG Concept GT-XX. Picture: Supplied How unprecedented? Try a top speed of 360km/h – some 55km/h more than Porsche's fastest Taycan. Better still, the car has the ability to take on 400 kilometres of electric range in just five minutes. Granted, electric charging infrastructure to support that does not exist. But when it does, Mercedes will be ready. The electromechanical guts underpinning the concept car were a joint effort by Mercedes‑AMG in Affalterbach, where flash road cars are made, and Mercedes‑AMG High Performance Powertrains in Brixworth, where Formula 1 powerplants are born. The new machine represents the first electric car developed purely by AMG – other fast battery-powered Benz models are hotted-up versions of the brand's luxury cars. MORE: Inside BYD's plan to take over the road Mercedes-AMG Concept GT-XX. Picture: Supplied The car's retro looks are inspired by Mercedes concepts of the 1970s, accompanied by thoroughly modern details. A dot matrix light panel between the tail lamps replaces conventional badges. The show car can display Mercedes or AMG logos – or be customised with anything else a driver might like to say to those behind them. MORE: F1: The Movie reviewed Mercedes-AMG Concept GT-XX. Picture: Supplied Clever lighting elements on the side replace pinstriping or vinyl details. In the cabin, an F1-like steering wheel takes inspiration from the Mercedes-AMG One hypercar – the revolutionary machine powered by the same 1.6-litre V6 turbo hybrid motor that powered Mercedes to several championships. Michael Schiebe, chief executive of Mercedes-AMG, said the concept car represents 'the next milestone in the history of AMG', one that 'forges a whole new dimension of performance'. 'We're bringing groundbreaking technology that redefines high performance,' he said. 'The best thing is that this car is a true AMG with every fibre of its being. The heart of an AMG was always the motor, and that will remain so with our in-house electric architecture. 'With our high-tech axial flux motor, we're delivering a revolutionary new drive that is unparalleled in terms of power density, weight and packaging. 'This pairs with a new performance battery developed from scratch that enables previously unimagined level of performance and endurance.' Originally published as Mercedes-AMG GT XX concept revealed
Motor Trend
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
The Mercedes-AMG GT XX Is a 1,340-HP, 220-MPH EV Rocket in Concept Clothing
Officially, the Mercedes-AMG GT XX is a concept. But in the lower left-hand corner of the windshield is a VIN number, just like on any vehicle you'll find at your local Mercedes-Benz dealer. Underneath its low-slung, searing orange bodywork are the bones of a real car, a four-door electric-powered rocket ship with more than 1,340 horsepower and said to be capable of more than 220 mph. A car designed to be nothing less than the new flagship of the Mercedes-AMG lineup. The Mercedes-AMG GT XX is a concept EV, featuring a tri-motor powertrain capable of 1,340 HP and a 220 mph and innovative battery tech. It's a preview of AMG's future high-performance EVs, promising rapid charging and a unique soundscape, with production models expected to follow. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next 'It's a good sneak into what the [production] car could look like,' Mercedes-AMG boss Michael Schiebe says of the AMG GT XX concept. Although Schiebe would not elaborate on details, we can tell you the production version will have a slightly higher roofline (though it will still be 2 inches lower than the gas-powered AMG GT 4-Door despite the underfloor battery pack), and it will be a hatchback with a rear window. The front and rear fascias will also be different from what you see here, though the concave grille with the signature AMG vertical bars will be retained, along with the six round taillights at the rear. The AMG GT XX concept bristles with innovative eye candy: active aero wheels with movable blades between the spokes that close to reduce drag at speed and open to provide brake cooling when needed, light-up paint on the side sills, a configurable light panel between the taillights, and an interior that looks like something straight out of a Vision Gran Turismo digital concept car. Not all of this will make it to production, of course. But what will is most of the stuff you can't see, such as the tri-motor electric powertrain and oil-cooled battery pack— key components of the all-new architecture that will underpin not just the production version of the AMG GT XX but also a whole generation of EV supercars from Mercedes-Benz's performance brand. A Massively Powerful EV Underneath The production version of the AMG GT XX concept will be powered by three axial flux electric motors developed by British-based Mercedes-Benz subsidiary Yasa Ltd. Unlike the radial flux motors that power the vast majority of modern EVs, which have a tubular stator inside a tubular housing, axial flux motors feature a disc-shaped stator at their center that enables the magnetic flux to flow parallel to the motor shaft rather than perpendicular to it, dramatically improving efficiency. Axial flux motors are 67 percent lighter and 67 percent smaller than comparable radial flux motors, delivering three times the power density and twice the torque density, Yasa CEO Jörg Miska says. The two rear motors are contained in a single electric drive unit (EDU), which also houses a planetary transmission and silicon carbide inverter for each motor, as well as pumps for the oil-based cooling system used for the motors and transmissions and the water-based system that cools the inverters. The rear EDU weighs just 308 pounds but produces more than 860 horsepower. Up front is an EDU with a single axial flux motor, a spur-gear transmission, and a single silicon carbide inverter. The front motor has been designed to kick in only when additional power or traction is required at the front wheels for acceleration or recuperation. During steady and low-load driving or coasting, the front motor is decoupled from the front axle to reduce frictional losses and increase efficiency. Why just three motors? Why not go for four, as in the electric-powered Mercedes-Benz G580? 'We just looked for the sweet spot in terms of weight and technology,' Schiebe says. When the AMG boss pointed out 'there's room for even faster speeds' in the production car than the concept's claimed 220-mph top end, it's hard to argue that it's going to need any more power. The motors that will power the production version of the AMG GT XX are already being made at Mercedes-Benz's Marienfelde plant in the Berlin metroplex. Manufacturing the motors requires about 100 processes, Miska says, 65 of them new to Mercedes-Benz and 35 of them world firsts involving new forms of laser technology, innovative joining processes, and artificial intelligence systems. A Showcase for New Battery Technology The AMG GT XX also showcases a lightweight ultra-high-performance battery that has been developed in-house at AMG using expertise from engineers at Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) in Brixworth, England, where the hybrid powertrains for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 cars are designed and built. The battery has more than 3,000 cells with a unique nickel cobalt manganese aluminium (NCMA) combination in the cathode and an anode with silicon content. The tall and thin design of the cells allows them to be more effectively cooled by the electrically non-conductive oil that surrounds them. (Battery cells typically heat up from their center outward under load.) The cells are in lightweight laser-welded aluminium housings, which also provide better electrical and heat conductivity than the commonly used steel containers. 'It's high performance, not only on the road but also at the charging station,' development engineer Denis Blanusa says of the new battery. The battery's cooling system and high voltage (more than 800V) means it can accept charge rates of more than 850 kW over a wide range of its charging curve. In fact, Mercedes-Benz's in-house charging specialists are working with Alpitronic, Europe's leader in high-power charging technologies, to develop a prototype ultra-fast charger that will enable the production version of the AMG GT XX to add 250 miles of range (as per Europe's WLTP measurement) in just five minutes. The company plans to roll out this next-generation high-performance charger across its Mercedes-Benz Charging Network in Europe. But even when hooked up to the current generation of fast chargers, the cars promise the most rapid charging of any EV on the road today, as the high-tech battery will effortlessly suck in 350 kW across almost its entire charging curve, Blanusa says. The production version of the AMG GT XX will of course have the neck-snapping 0–60-mph acceleration of EVs such as the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach and the Xioami SU7 Ultra. But what will set AMG's electric flagship apart from them, Schiebe says, is that its powertrain and battery have been designed to deliver a level of continuous high performance that competing cars simply won't be able to match. Indeed, Schiebe hints the production car will be capable of three flat-out laps of the legendary Nürburgring Nordschliefe, almost 40 miles. That doesn't sound like much, but the AMG boss points out that most high-performance gas-powered road cars are also past their best after just three hot laps of the 'Ring. 'There is a myth that you can drive an internal combustion engine high-performance car forever on the track,' Schiebe says. 'You can maybe do three laps on the Nordschleife, and then you must make a pit stop because either the tires are gone, or you're running out of fuel. If you know that,' he says with a smile, 'then you have already set the target.' The production version of the AMG GT XX won't just be about raw performance, though. 'Most of our customers buy our cars not just because of the specs,' Schiebe says. 'They buy them because they are very emotional, and this is something that we will really deliver with the cars. All the senses you have will be triggered.' And that includes sound: The AMG GT XX features a visceral V-8 soundscape that plays back through the car's audio system when it's driven. Carefully indexed to inputs like accelerator position and wheel speed, it sounds—from the brief preview played to the media—like a NASCAR stocker booming off the banking at Daytona. 'I'm super confident, and I mean really super, super confident, that we will convince the strongest petrol heads with this car,' Schiebe says, adding that during a recent Mercedes-Benz executive drive of the prototype, one board member proclaimed, 'This is the best V-8 we have ever developed!' The AMG GT XX concept has a claimed drag coefficient of just 0.198. Whether the production version will match that number remains to be seen, but we do know it will be available with an optional active rear diffuser that extends—like that on the Mercedes-Benz EQXX concept—to further reduce drag, so it may not be just a tease. The production car will also roll on 21-inch wheels, with a staggered tire setup—275/35ZR21 front and 315/35ZR21 at rear—to handle the prodigious power and torque funnelled through the rear axle. The platform features bonded aluminium components to reduce weight, and like the new Mercedes and electric vehicle platforms, it has been designed from the outset to be very flexible. Mercedes has already confirmed that in addition to the production version of the AMG GT XX, the platform will be used for an electric-powered SUV from AMG. And they won't be the only high-performance EVs coming from AMG. 'I'm pretty confident that there will be more cars to come on that platform,' Schiebe says, smiling like the Cheshire Cat, 'because we are very flexible. And it's not only our electric motors, but also the battery setup is flexible for different body types.' Take it as read, then: An electric-powered AMG sports car is coming, too.
