1990 Mercedes 560 Sel on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mercedes-AMG to phase out 5.5-liter V8 after next year [UPDATE]

UPDATE: A previous version of this story indicated that AMG's 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 was still mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, however the latest models (including the S65 AMG sedan and coupe, SL65 roadster and G65 sport-ute are equipped with the newer seven-speed unit. Mercedes also reached out to point out that the 5.5-liter engine will be phased out gradually, not overnight. There's a lot to love about AMG's 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8. It produces as much as 577 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, and delivers blistering performance to even the heaviest of vehicles. But try not to get too attached, because like its 6.2-liter, naturally aspirated predecessor, it's not long for this world. The latest word comes from Autocar, which reports that Mercedes will release the last applications for the 5.5 biturbo within these next two calendar years in the new GLE63 AMG and upcoming S63 AMG convertible. After that, even though it was only introduced in 2011, it will be phased out. Fortunately Affalterbach has a worthwhile successor already in place in the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 from the Mercedes-AMG GT. The smaller powerplant, already in store for the new C63, is already producing 503 hp and 479 lb-ft in S spec. That's still shy of the larger unit's output, but where the 5.5 is nearing the end of its production cycle, the 4.0 is just starting out. Of course the 4.0-liter biturbo isn't the only engine AMG is making these days. Smaller models (based on the front-drive platform) employ the 45-designation, high-output 2.0-liter turbo four. Models at the very top of the lineup, however, use a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 that may be a dinosaur, but with 621 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque on tap, still can't be beat.

Four-leaf clovers, hybrid Hondas and the next automotive downturn | Autoblog Podcast #561

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Alex Kierstein and Associate Editor Reese Counts. The group discuss the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, the Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 and the Honda Clarity PHEV Alex has been driving in Seattle. They also discuss the future of the auto industry, how customer tastes and needs are changing and what might happen if the world faces another economic downturn. Finally, we spend your money.Autoblog Podcast #561 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Mercedes-Benz CLS 450 Honda Clarity PHEV The next automotive downturn Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:

2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Review

"It's about great cars on great roads." The late David E. Davis, Jr., said this of Winding Road when he took the reins as editor-in-chief in 2006. Our mission at that magazine was to not just review cars, but to describe the emotional experience of piloting brilliant machines down beautiful roads. "The art of driving," per David E. This all comes flooding back into my mind as I pull out of a Shell station onto Angeles Crest Highway, just south of the 210 freeway in La Canada Flintridge, CA. I'm in the 2015 Mercedes-AMG C63 S. I've got a full tank of fuel, the whole day to myself, and I'm staring down one of the finest driving roads in the country. Prior to this moment, I spent two days bombing around the greater Los Angeles area in this sinister-looking C63 S. This car is a villain, and looks appropriately so in black paint with the $750 AMG Exterior Night Styling pack. The C-Class as a whole is far more upscale in this latest generation, with its long hood, cab-rearward design, and short rear deck. "Baby S-Class" is not an exaggeration. Thankfully, the addition of AMG bits don't detract from the new C's more premium aura. Where a BMW M3 just looks like a brash 3 Series, the C63 is more like a C400 with a trick up its sleeve. The 4.0-liter V8 is an exceptional engine. Start the engine, and there's no question you're blessed with the power of AMG. Any worries I had about the new, twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 not providing enough aural delight are gone, especially with the $1,250 AMG Performance Exhaust. At start-up there's a low, burbly sound quality, typical of a V8. At full throttle, it's loud, angry, and passionate. I will always miss the naturally aspirated, 6.2-liter M156 V8 from the last C63, not only for its noise, but for its character. That said, I eagerly welcome Mercedes' new turbocharged techniques. The 4.0-liter V8 is an exceptional engine. In C63 S guise, the M178 lump makes 503 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, the latter of which comes on in full force as low as 1,750 rpm. That's a ton of power for the 3,935-pound C63. But it never feels like there's too much to handle. Power comes on progressively, and when I mash the throttle on a straight stretch of pavement, the car is composed and controlled. And quick. Seriously quick. Zero-to-sixty-in-under-four-seconds quick. The balance between viciousness and grace is perfectly met in this new C63.