27 Votes

Boost it!

Shed A Tear: AMG Confirms The Horsepower Wars Are Over For Them

Agent009 submitted on 1/13/2009 Official Bell & Ross Timestamp: 4:17:31 PM

31 user comments | Category: Misc News | Source: | SOURCE: autocar.co.uk

AMG is actively pursing a lower emissions policy for its future cars, the company has confirmed.

“The horsepower war is over,” said AMG boss Volker Mornhinweg.

“We are going to use other ways to extract better performance, including weight saving, engine optimisation and alternative technologies,” the head of Merc's performance division told Autocar.

 

Mornhinweg said that the new Mercedes E63 AMG, due to be seen later this year, would be the first beneficiary of weight-saving technologies.

 

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Shed A Tear: AMG Confirms The Horsepower Wars Are Over For Them

About the Author

Agent009

"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough."

— Agent009 (View Profile)


User Comments

stevenv1999

We care because it benefits humans more than it does the planet. Mercedes cannot be perceived to not care about natural resources

— stevenv1999 (View Profile)

Posted on 1/14/2009 10:58:24 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

downtoearth

http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2008/01/303-million-fine-gives-cafe-fine-crown-to-mercedes.html ||| After being fined so hard by violating CAFE rules, what else could they say? BTW, I just wanted to point out that only German and Italian imports were fined: DaimlerChrysler $30.3 million; BMW of North America $5.1 million; Porsche Cars of North America $4.6 million; Maserati Automobiles of America $1.4 million; Volkswagen of America, $1 million; Ferrari North America, $0.8 million. Domestic car makers weren't charged, neither were Japanese imports.

— downtoearth (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 4:36:40 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: -7   

TurboSpyder

"Seven of the top 10 most fuel-efficient luxury cars sold in the U.S. come from European manufacturers. Most are versions of models developed for Europe, where high gas prices (due to high taxes on fuel) make efficiency a higher priority than it is in the U.S., Omotoso says. Japanese luxury-car companies Acura and Lexus make the remaining three models on our list." ---- "The most fuel-efficient luxury car available in the U.S. at the time this article was published is heavier than most of its peers on this list, which seems counterintuitive. The ***diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz E320 Bluetec *** sedan weighs nearly two tons, yet returns 23 miles per gallon in city driving and 32 mpg on the highway, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates." ---- "To identify the 10 most fuel-efficient luxury cars currently available in the U.S., we used the ratings published in the EPA's 2008 Fuel Economy Guide. We ranked luxury cars according to combined city/highway mileage using a formula provided by the EPA and carrying out the calculations to two decimal points." ---- http://www.forbesautos.com/advice/toptens/top-10-most-fuel-efficient-luxury-cars-story.html

— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 5:35:41 PM | | Votes: 5   

_43LE

Yes, good news that European brands offer 7 of the top 10 most fuel efficient cars, but in I don't believe that this does enough to offset the majority of the gas guzzling cars they sell here. There was a reason they were fined and trying to justify it with your top ten list list grasping at straws...again.

— _43LE (View Profile)

Posted on 1/14/2009 10:44:52 AM | | Votes: -2   

TurboSpyder

43LE, Mercedes sells luxury and performance cars and SUVs so it's not surprising that their cars use more fuel than a Corolla. But, as the Forbes magazine article above points out the Mercedes E320 Bluetec is the most fuel efficient luxury car sold in the US. ---- From another Forbes magazine article titled "2009's Most Fuel-Efficient Vehicles" :


"Actually, it's the German manufacturers that are leading the most market segments in terms of fuel efficiency on 2009 models. Across the new model year, six from Daimler AG and Volkswagen AG rank among the most fuel-efficient, beating every new model in five classes and tying in one. Japanese models placed at the top of only one category (but tied in two); one South Korean model was the best in its category, and one category and one tie went to American cars."

— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 1/14/2009 11:19:06 AM | | Votes: 5   

TurboSpyder

Oops, I forgot the URL for the last Frobes article ---- http://www.forbes.com/2008/11/12/vehicles-fuel-efficient-ecologic08-forbeslife-cx_sw_1112cars.html

— TurboSpyder (View Profile)

Posted on 1/14/2009 11:20:35 AM | | Votes: 3   

_43LE

There was a reason they were fined and trying to justify it with your top ten list list grasping at straws...again.

— _43LE (View Profile)

Posted on 1/14/2009 11:44:07 AM | | Votes: -3   

_43LE

If MB, BMW et al. sold all of their lineup here in North America then they would have probably not been fined...but if they did, then they would not be seen as completely premium would they?

— _43LE (View Profile)

Posted on 1/15/2009 11:39:39 AM | | Votes: 1   

audispy

With the horsepower for cars being at the level they are (I'm talking about the high end models like AMG, M, RS, etc) I really don't see a need for them to want to keep topping it anymore anyways. Anymore horsepower than those cars and you'll have a jet. I think the car companies have realized that. and that's why we are seeing cars that are lighter and more efficient instead of cars with more HP. It's a wise decision, but at the same time sad because I wouldn't mind seeing a Mercedes jet

— audispy (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 4:37:27 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

HSCenterconsole

You are absolutely right audispy. It was getting to the point where these cars couldn't effectively put down all their power. In my opinion, AMG would have had to gone to putting 4MATIC on their cars. Drive a 65 AMG Merc and the traction control is constantly coming on because there is way too much power for RWD. Audi had the right idea with Quattro being on all S and RS cars.

— HSCenterconsole (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 4:46:41 PM | | Votes: 5   

B7FAN

They are definitley in the lead as far as HP and Torque wars go. My favorite of course is the CL65 with 604hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. I dont know about anyone else but that is a killer 12 cylinder engine that AMG made. I would love to own that particular model just to feel the power under my right foot :)

— B7FAN (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 4:56:56 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

BSBB

For less money you could buy a Vette. I would put the Vette up against anything on the road. Just because you have the power in an AMG, M-series, Ferrari and the like, it does not mean you know how to use it. This is not like the video game, folks. Most people who should be driving these high-power vehicles take driving courses specifically designed for those types of vehicles.

— BSBB (View Profile)

Posted on 1/16/2009 4:02:30 PM | | Votes: 1   

r_driver04

The Black Series is a killer. It's easy to declare war over when you're winning.

— r_driver04 (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 5:18:32 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Alec

hmm start bringing more carbon fiber, titanium and magnesium parts to standard cars, and not just super cars and sports cars.

— Alec (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 6:34:35 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

answer

Good while it lasted, but the concept had to have a natural conclustion sometime.

Think about just how many AMG (and non AMG) cars now have a sub 5 second 0-60 time versus ten years ago.

Crazy!

— answer (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 6:53:25 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Yonder7

— r_driver04....those words: "gone with the wind" as soon as anyone have engines with more power than AMGs......

— Yonder7 (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 6:58:22 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

MSP6

I was hoping for that day to come.
Good News.. Lets bring back real sport cars, lightweigt, w/o too much electronic assistance, with only a good HP/KG ratio. Take the lotus Elise for example. It was too easy to put a big block in the hood to compensate for the obesity of the car.

— MSP6 (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 7:33:05 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

DaHarder

As a proud owner of a 2008 Lotus Exige S240, I've never been impressed with all of this H/P war nonsense, and there are countless over-weight, over-priced, over-hyped so-called performance vehicles here in Vegas that are quite impressed with my little 1.8l/4 banger Exige after getting spanked by it time and time again.

— DaHarder (View Profile)

Posted on 1/14/2009 2:07:03 AM | | Votes: 1   

1UAW

Horsepower>sex

— 1UAW (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 9:37:55 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

mikeydred20

That is one sick looking car if only their interiors could look that sweet.

— mikeydred20 (View Profile)

Posted on 1/13/2009 10:09:33 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

S4cabriofoxone

Who cares? One flick of the pedal in a C63 and you're enveloped in aural euphoria.

— S4cabriofoxone (View Profile)

Posted on 1/14/2009 1:22:57 AM | | Votes: 3   

t_bone

The SL65 weighs over 4,100 lbs. Does it have exotic metals, like depleted uranium?

— t_bone (View Profile)

Posted on 1/14/2009 12:52:31 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

david999


I guess the people over at Lexus are on the right track with hybrids, more power with less emmissions.

— david999 (View Profile)

Posted on 1/14/2009 7:09:18 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: -7   

david999


You would know, I guess, being the rocket scientist that you are.

— david999 (View Profile)

Posted on 1/15/2009 12:56:02 PM | | Votes: 1   

M53R

It was eventually gonna happen sooner or later. It's already crazy enough. A car as small as the C63 having 450+hp is scary! Automakers should focus on improving handling and reducing weight. I still wish BMW never cancelled the BMW M3 CSL.

— M53R (View Profile)

Posted on 1/14/2009 3:16:17 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

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