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Mercedes-Benz AMG shows off lighter, stiffer body of next SL-Class

Mercedes-Benz will unveil a new generation of the legendary SL-Class later this year, and on Wednesday the automaker showed off the car’s body shell.

The new SL is the seventh member of a lineage that dates back to the original 300SL gullwing race car of 1952, and the first to be developed by the Mercedes-Benz AMG performance skunkworks.

AMG has developed the car alongside a new generation of its own GT sports car, with the SL set to replace the current GT Roadster, hence the reason it’s being classified as an AMG product this time around. As a result, expect the new SL to be more performance-focused than past generations.

Both the new SL and next-generation GT are clean-sheet designs, based on an AMG-developed rear-wheel-drive platform for sports cars dubbed MSA (Modular Sports Architecture). The platform features space-frame construction relying on a mix of aluminum, magnesium and composites for the body shell, with thicker cast aluminum components used for nodal points where forces will be stronger.

2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG SL Roadster spy shots – Photo credit: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

Compared to the outgoing SL, Mercedes boasts increased torsional stiffness of 18% and a lower center of gravity. Transverse and longitudinal rigidity are also up 50% and 40%, respectively, over the current GT Roadster. The weight of the body shell minus the doors, hood and trunk lid is 595 pounds.

The new specs are particularly impressive given the additional packaging requirements of the new SL over its predecessor, as well as the GT Roadster it’s set to replace. Not only did the engineers have to accommodate 2+2 seating and space for the automated folding soft-top, but also new drive concepts including all-wheel drive and electrified powertrains.

One of the powertrains is expected to be an 800-plus-hp plug-in hybrid setup in an SL73 model. However at launch we’re likely to see mild-hybrid SL53 and SL63 models only.

Production of the new SL will take place at Mercedes’ plant in Bremen, Germany, where the current generation is built. Look for the car to arrive at showrooms by next spring, most likely as a 2022 model.

Source

May 19, 2021
2022 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class brings the V-12

When the 2021 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S-Class debuted it was missing one piece of utter excess: a V-12 engine.

On Monday the German automaker confirmed it would indulge excess in the form of the 2022 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S680. It’s the Maybach S-Class with 12 cylinders and twin turbos, and it arrives in U.S. dealers in the first half of 2022.

2022 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S680

What sets the new Maybach 680 apart from the lesser 580 is its four additional cylinders. The twin-turbo 6.0-liter V-12 engine produces 621 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque, which is 125 hp and 222 lb-ft more than the twin-turbo V-8 model. The extra power will accelerate the Maybach and its owners in comfort from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds vs the V-8 model’s 4.7-second jaunt. Top speed is limited to 130 mph. A 9-speed automatic transmission sends power to all four wheels for the first-time in a V-12-powered Maybach with 31% of the power going to the front wheels and 69% to the rear.

Like the V-8-powered models, the V-12 Maybach features four-wheel steering. The rear axle can turn the wheels up to 4.5 or 10 degrees depending on whether the wheels are staggered.

2022 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S680

Determining whether a Maybach has a V-12 or V-8 under its hood will be difficult as the only discernible difference will be a small V-12 badge on the front fenders and the exhaust note.

V-12-powered Maybach S-Class sedans will feature the same long wheelbase as the V-8 models. The grille gets the Maybach treatment with vertical slats that look like what one would find on a pinstripe suit. A two-tone paint finish can be ordered.

2022 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S680

2022 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S680

2022 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S680

2022 Mercedes-Benz Maybach S680

Inside the Maybach S-Class offers up a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster augmented by a 12.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The interior is lined in real wood, nappa leather, and metal.

The reclining rear seats feature a heated cushion on the headrests and a massage function comes standard. Silver-plated champagne flutes and a refrigerated compartment are optional.

Mercedes-Benz is quiet on pricing for now, but the Maybach S680 will undoubtedly cost more than the 580 model, which is priced from $185,950.

Source

May 17, 2021
2022 Mercedes-Benz AMG GT 73e 4-Door Coupe spy shots and video: 800-plus-hp super hatch coming soon

Mercedes-Benz AMG is readying a new plug-in hybrid version of its GT 4-Door Coupe.

Our spy shots and video show a prototype of the AMG super hatch with a concealed flap on its rear fascia, located just below the taillight on the right. On the corresponding rear fender is the regular filler cap.

When the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Concept bowed in 2017 as a preview of the GT 4-Door Coupe, the striking show car packed a powerful electrified V-8 under the hood. So far such a powertrain hasn’t taken shape but that is now about to change. In fact, AMG has already revealed it. It will debut in this new GT 4-Door Coupe variant later this year.

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The electrified hatch will be positioned as the range-topper in the GT 4-Door Coupe lineup, similar to how Porsche’s Panamera and Cayenne also feature plug-in hybrids as their top option. Expect the AMG to be called something along the lines of GT 73e, the small “e” representing AMG’s new E Performance branding for electrified cars.

The powertrain, which replaces AMG’s former V-12 line, is confirmed to feature a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 mated to a 9-speed automatic up front and a single electric motor mated to a 2-speed transmission at the rear. There will also be a 6.1-kilowatt-hour battery kept charged to provide power during high-performance driving, rather than pure electric range although an electric mode will be possible. Drive will be to all four wheels via a conventional all-wheel-drive system.

The exact output hasn’t been confirmed but we know it will be at a minimum 804 hp, with the electric motor making 94 hp on a constant basis and up to 201 hp during high-load situations. Currently, the GT 4-Door Coupe range tops out with the GT 63 S, whose output is 630 hp. With over 800 horses, expect the super hatch to sprint to 60 mph in less than 3.0 seconds. The GT 63 S does it in 3.2 seconds.

Mercedes-AMG E Performance

The plug-in hybrid system will eventually filter across to other high-end models in the AMG lineup. AMG’s version of the new S-Class is likely the next recipient.

Eager buyers should expect a premium price for the extra performance the powertrain brings. The GT 63 S already starts at $159,995. For this kind of money, buyers could also opt for the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid or the battery-electric Porsche Taycan Turbo S and new Tesla Model S Plaid+.

AMG doesn’t have an answer to the Taycan or Model S Plaid+ just yet, but its first dedicated electric vehicle is coming this year. It will be based on the recently revealed Mercedes EQS.

Source

May 17, 2021