Latest news with #AMGGTXX
Edmunds
13 hours ago
- Automotive
- Edmunds
Mercedes-AMG's Wild New EV Packs 1,341 HP and Super Fast Charging
Mercedes-AMG is entering the world of high-horsepower electric vehicles and it's starting with a wild concept, the AMG GT XX. This four-door fully electric superlative on wheels is said to have a mind-bending 1,341 horsepower, a 223-mph top speed, and the ability to add 250 miles of range in just 5 minutes thanks to mega-fast charging speeds. It's just too bad that, from the front, it kinda looks like a fish. Design focused on aerodynamics The overall design is certainly … polarizing. But there are still a lot of cool details worth calling out. The wheels have electronically controlled moving blades that can open and close to maximize range or cooling as needed. All told, the overall shape is slippery enough to give the GT XX a drag coefficient of just 0.19 — a staggering number in terms of aerodynamic design.
7NEWS
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- 7NEWS
Mercedes-AMG GT XX concept previews performance brand's electric future
At first glance the Mercedes-AMG GT XX is just another piece of concept car eye-candy. The active aero wheels with moveable 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 tail-lights: We're not likely to see any of this stuff on a production Mercedes-Benz anytime soon. What's under that iridescent orange bodywork is another story, however. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. The AMG GT XX previews an all-new, aluminium-intensive, electric vehicle architecture that will underpin a coming generation of electric-powered Mercedes-AMG supercars. The first of these, a four-door 'coupe' like the AMG GT XX, is expected to hit the road within a year, and Mercedes-Benz has confirmed it will be joined by an SUV that's expected to appear in 2027. And they aren't the only models in the pipeline. 'I'm pretty confident that there will be more cars to come on that platform,' Mercedes-AMG boss Michael Schiebe told CarExpert at a preview of the AMG GT XX concept in Germany last month, 'because we are very flexible. And it's not only our electric motors, but also the battery setup is flexible for different body types.' You don't have to be Einstein to figure out what Mr Schiebe's really saying: An electric-powered AMG sports car is coming, too. The production version of the AMG GT XX will be quite a weapon, a four-door rocketship delivering more than 1000kW and a top speed of more than 360km/h, courtesy of three axial-flux e-motors engineered by Mercedes-Benz-owned subsidiary Yasa Ltd. They will be powered by a lightweight high-performance battery pack developed in-house at AMG with help 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. Axial-flux motors feature a disc-shaped stator at their centre rather than the tubular stator used in the radial-flux motors that power most modern EVs. This arrangement enables the magnetic flux to flow parallel to the motor shaft rather than perpendicular to it, dramatically improving efficiency. As a result, axial flux motors are 67 per cent lighter and 67 per cent smaller than comparable radial flux motors, says Yasa CEO Jörg Miska, delivering three times the power density and twice the torque density. The two rear motors are contained in a single electric drive unit (EDU) that 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 140kg but produces well over 640kW, says Miska. The EDU at the front axle comprises a single axial-flux motor, a spur-gear transmission, and a single silicon carbide inverter. The 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 overall efficiency. The motors are already being made at Mercedes-Benz's plant in Marienfelde, Berlin. Manufacturing the motors requires about 100 different processes, 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. Powering the motors is a battery combining more than 3000 cells that combine a nickel cobalt manganese aluminium (NCMA) cathode with a silicon content anode. 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 centre outwards 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. The battery's cooling system and high voltage – more than 800V – means it can accept charge rates of more than 850kW over a wide range of its charging curve. Mercedes-Benz is 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 400km of range (as per Europe's WLTP measurement) in just five minutes. With all that power and all-wheel drive, the production version of the AMG GT XX promises to be as be spine-crushingly quick from 0 to 100km/h as other high-end, high-performance EVs such as the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach. But what will set it apart from the electric supercar pack, says Mr Schiebe, will be its ability to deliver its ultimate performance over a much longer time. Indeed, the AMG boss hints the production car will be capable of at least three flat-out laps of the legendary Nürburgring Nordschliefe. Okay, that's barely 65km, but as Mr Schiebe points out, most combustion-engined performance cars are past their peak after three laps through the Green Hell, too. 'There is a myth that you can drive an internal combustion engine high-performance car forever on the track,' he says. 'You can maybe do three laps on the Nordschleife and then you must make a pit stop, because either the tyres are gone, or you're running out of fuel.' One of the most intriguing details on the AMG GT XX concept is the fact it has a VIN number in the lower left-hand corner of the windscreen, just like any production Mercedes-Benz (it's the third car built of its type, in case you're wondering), along with fully functioning windscreen wipers, a detail most carmakers don't bother putting on concept cars. There's a real car underneath, but how much of what we see is likely to make production? 'It's a good sneak into what the [production] car could look like,' Mr Schiebe confirms. Though the AMG boss won't elaborate, we can tell you the production car will have a slightly higher roofline (though it will still be two inches lower than that of the current AMG GT 4-Door, despite the under-floor battery pack) and it will be a liftback with a rear window. The production front and rear bumper fascias will be different, though the concave grille with the signature AMG vertical bars will be retained, along with the six round tail-lights at the rear. The AMG GT XX concept has a claimed drag co-efficient of just 0.198Cd. 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 EQ XX 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 tyre setup – 275/35 ZR 21 front and 315/35 ZR21 at rear – to handle the prodigious power and torque funnelled through the rear axle. What will surprise people most about the production version of the AMG GT XX is how it's going to sound. The GT XX concept features a visceral V8 soundscape that plays back through the car's audio system – which includes exterior speakers behind the headlights – 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 an old-school 6.3-litre V8-powered C63 on steroids. 'I'm super confident, and I mean really super, super confident, that we will convince the strongest petrol-heads with this car,' said Mr Schiebe, who added that during a Mercedes-Benz executive drive of the production car prototype a few days before the preview of the AMG GT XX, one board member proclaimed: 'this is the best V8 we have ever developed!'. That board member's taking liberties, of course. But it will be fascinating to see if Mercedes-AMG can truly make its ultra-powerful, ultra-fast four-door electric coupe sound as exciting as it undoubtedly will be to drive.
Perth Now
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Mercedes-AMG GT XX concept previews performance brand's electric future
At first glance the Mercedes-AMG GT XX is just another piece of concept car eye-candy. The active aero wheels with moveable 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 tail-lights: We're not likely to see any of this stuff on a production Mercedes-Benz anytime soon. What's under that iridescent orange bodywork is another story, however. Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The AMG GT XX previews an all-new, aluminium-intensive, electric vehicle architecture that will underpin a coming generation of electric-powered Mercedes-AMG supercars. The first of these, a four-door 'coupe' like the AMG GT XX, is expected to hit the road within a year, and Mercedes-Benz has confirmed it will be joined by an SUV that's expected to appear in 2027. And they aren't the only models in the pipeline. 'I'm pretty confident that there will be more cars to come on that platform,' Mercedes-AMG boss Michael Schiebe told CarExpert at a preview of the AMG GT XX concept in Germany last month, 'because we are very flexible. And it's not only our electric motors, but also the battery setup is flexible for different body types.' Supplied Credit: CarExpert You don't have to be Einstein to figure out what Mr Schiebe's really saying: An electric-powered AMG sports car is coming, too. The production version of the AMG GT XX will be quite a weapon, a four-door rocketship delivering more than 1000kW and a top speed of more than 360km/h, courtesy of three axial-flux e-motors engineered by Mercedes-Benz-owned subsidiary Yasa Ltd. They will be powered by a lightweight high-performance battery pack developed in-house at AMG with help 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. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Axial-flux motors feature a disc-shaped stator at their centre rather than the tubular stator used in the radial-flux motors that power most modern EVs. This arrangement enables the magnetic flux to flow parallel to the motor shaft rather than perpendicular to it, dramatically improving efficiency. As a result, axial flux motors are 67 per cent lighter and 67 per cent smaller than comparable radial flux motors, says Yasa CEO Jörg Miska, delivering three times the power density and twice the torque density. The two rear motors are contained in a single electric drive unit (EDU) that 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 140kg but produces well over 640kW, says Miska. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The EDU at the front axle comprises a single axial-flux motor, a spur-gear transmission, and a single silicon carbide inverter. The 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 overall efficiency. The motors are already being made at Mercedes-Benz's plant in Marienfelde, Berlin. Manufacturing the motors requires about 100 different processes, 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. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Powering the motors is a battery combining more than 3000 cells that combine a nickel cobalt manganese aluminium (NCMA) cathode with a silicon content anode. 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 centre outwards 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. The battery's cooling system and high voltage – more than 800V – means it can accept charge rates of more than 850kW over a wide range of its charging curve. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Mercedes-Benz is 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 400km of range (as per Europe's WLTP measurement) in just five minutes. With all that power and all-wheel drive, the production version of the AMG GT XX promises to be as be spine-crushingly quick from 0 to 100km/h as other high-end, high-performance EVs such as the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach. But what will set it apart from the electric supercar pack, says Mr Schiebe, will be its ability to deliver its ultimate performance over a much longer time. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Indeed, the AMG boss hints the production car will be capable of at least three flat-out laps of the legendary Nürburgring Nordschliefe. Okay, that's barely 65km, but as Mr Schiebe points out, most combustion-engined performance cars are past their peak after three laps through the Green Hell, too. 'There is a myth that you can drive an internal combustion engine high-performance car forever on the track,' he says. 'You can maybe do three laps on the Nordschleife and then you must make a pit stop, because either the tyres are gone, or you're running out of fuel.' One of the most intriguing details on the AMG GT XX concept is the fact it has a VIN number in the lower left-hand corner of the windscreen, just like any production Mercedes-Benz (it's the third car built of its type, in case you're wondering), along with fully functioning windscreen wipers, a detail most carmakers don't bother putting on concept cars. Supplied Credit: CarExpert There's a real car underneath, but how much of what we see is likely to make production? 'It's a good sneak into what the [production] car could look like,' Mr Schiebe confirms. Though the AMG boss won't elaborate, we can tell you the production car will have a slightly higher roofline (though it will still be two inches lower than that of the current AMG GT 4-Door, despite the under-floor battery pack) and it will be a liftback with a rear window. The production front and rear bumper fascias will be different, though the concave grille with the signature AMG vertical bars will be retained, along with the six round tail-lights at the rear. Supplied Credit: CarExpert The AMG GT XX concept has a claimed drag co-efficient of just 0.198Cd. 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 EQ XX 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 tyre setup – 275/35 ZR 21 front and 315/35 ZR21 at rear – to handle the prodigious power and torque funnelled through the rear axle. What will surprise people most about the production version of the AMG GT XX is how it's going to sound. The GT XX concept features a visceral V8 soundscape that plays back through the car's audio system – which includes exterior speakers behind the headlights – when it's driven. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Carefully indexed to inputs like accelerator position and wheel speed, it sounds – from the brief preview played to the media – like an old-school 6.3-litre V8-powered C63 on steroids. 'I'm super confident, and I mean really super, super confident, that we will convince the strongest petrol-heads with this car,' said Mr Schiebe, who added that during a Mercedes-Benz executive drive of the production car prototype a few days before the preview of the AMG GT XX, one board member proclaimed: 'this is the best V8 we have ever developed!'. That board member's taking liberties, of course. But it will be fascinating to see if Mercedes-AMG can truly make its ultra-powerful, ultra-fast four-door electric coupe sound as exciting as it undoubtedly will be to drive. MORE: Everything Mercedes-AMG
Motor 1
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
AMG's New V-8 Will Be Around for as Long as People Want It, Says CEO
Mercedes-AMG just unveiled the AMG GT XX, a 1,340-horsepower super sedan concept with an electric powertrain and synthesized noise that one board member called 'the best V-8 we have ever developed.' But fans of real, combustion V-8s needn't worry, as AMG has a new one of those in development, which the brand's CEO assures us will arrive in late 2027 and stick around for a while. 'Since we are just in the development of a new V-8, there is not a natural end date that we have defined,' AMG CEO Michael Schiebe told Motor1 when asked when the company might phase out its forthcoming V-8. Photo by: 'There are still customers that just want the V-8, a pure V-8.' 'We keep on going as long as we see that there is customer demand, and especially, you know, when it comes to the US, for example, we see that there are still customers that just want the V-8, a pure V-8. And so this is why we are investing in the technology.' Schiebe acknowledged the European Union's 2035 rule that new cars must create zero CO₂ emissions, which amounts to a ban on internal combustion unless automakers can invest in synthetic fuels quickly. 'There is, at the moment, a natural ending in Europe,' he said. But other countries don't face the same cliff. 'In the US, in the overseas market, where there is no certain end date, I'm pretty confident that we will carry them a couple of years, beginning of the [20]30s, middle of the [20]30s.' Schiebe acknowledged that Europe's rules could change. That's why Mercedes ensured the V-8 met stringent EU 7 emissions regulations. 'It wouldn't make any sense to just develop it for the US. And if you develop a new V-8 at the moment, of course, it has to comply with EU 7, because it's coming at the end of 2027 and 2028 so you have to fulfill the requirements.' The new V-8 powertrain in development is rumored to be related to AMG's existing 4.0-liter 'hot vee' twin-turbo engine, potentially with a flat-plane crankshaft. We don't know for sure yet which models it will make its way into, only that it won't power the C63 anytime soon. More on AMG's Future Mercedes-AMG's New Super Sedan Revealed: Insane Power, V-8 Noises AMG Says Its New EV Powertrain Is 'The Best V-8 We've Ever Developed' Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Car and Driver
14 hours ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
1341-HP Mercedes-AMG GT XX EV Takes Aim at the Porsche Taycan
Mercedes-AMG has a new concept car called the GT XX that previews a new electric performance model set to reach production next year. The powertrain has three motors and provides 1341 horsepower, and Mercedes says the top speed is 223 mph. This sporty-looking sedan is targeted at the Porsche Taycan and other luxury electric cars. The current era of Mercedes's electric vehicles is defined by the blob-shaped lineup of EQ-badged cars, but the next phase promises to be more exciting. This new concept car, called the AMG GT XX, is a clear indicator that the brand's new electric performance halo model is nearly here. This car looks production-ready in its current form and is set to arrive next year riding on the new architecture that promises huge power and ultra-quick charging speeds. It's easiest to think of the GT XX as a successor to the current AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, as this new model is similar in size and features a similarly low-slung fastback silhouette. The rakish GT XX has a Maserati-esque, mouth-shaped grille and a daringly tapered rear end with no rear glass. Mercedes design chief Gorden Wagener says that the six circular taillight units are meant to evoke the quad exhaust tips seen on AMG gas models. The AMG GT XX's all-wheel-drive powertrain consists of three electric motors, with two in the rear and one in the front. These motors use a power-dense axial-flux design, as opposed to the more typical radial-flux motors found in most EVs. Total output sits at 1341 horsepower, which tops the most powerful Porsche Taycan, the 1019-hp Turbo GT. AMG isn't yet making claims about 60-mph acceleration but does project a top speed of 223 mph. With its 800-volt electrical architecture, the platform that underpins this car introduces new battery technology to the Mercedes range as well. We don't yet know the battery capacity, but AMG emphasizes the tall, thin battery cells that make up the pack and promises that the special cooling system allows for highly repeatable performance. Mercedes is also making bold claims for the EV XX's charging speeds. It says that the car will be capable of an average charging speed of 850 kilowatts and that it will be able to add 248 miles of range in five minutes. This will, of course, depend on charging equipment, as you'll need a DC fast-charger capable of this kind of power in order to charge this quickly. Mercedes and European charging company Alpitronic have created a prototype charger that can do it and plan to roll this out to the public at some point in the near future. The company said that the 850-kW charging will be through a CCS port for European applications, but couldn't say how this would translate to the North American Charging Standard (NACS) port that it has started adopting for its U.S. EVs. The GT XX's interior also seems to change course when compared with some of the current EQ vehicles and their massive hyperscreens covering the dashboard. There are still two large screens inside, but overall, the look is more driver-focused and minimalist, with orange accents and a sparse center console. AMG says it is using sustainable materials, including a synthetic leather made from recycled rubber from GT3 racing tires. The lightweight seats with carbon-fiber structures and the squared-off steering wheel take their inspiration from race-car cockpits. AMG may eventually offer varying power levels, but we can only assume that this 1341-hp setup will be the range-topper. The Porsche Taycan is its clearest target, but it will also compete with high-performance EVs such as the Lucid Air Sapphire and the Audi e-tron GT. It will also spawn an SUV sibling that will share this platform. We're not sure at this point what the production version of this AMG EV will be called, but we assume it will use the GT moniker in some way or another. AMG says that this new model will enter production in 2026, and we expect it to be priced well into the six-figure range. Joey Capparella Deputy Editor, Rankings Content Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City. Read full bio
