AMG has revealed a new twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8 engine, which will be available in the Mercedes S63 AMG from this summer. Despite having a smaller capacity than the 6.2-litre V8 it replaces, the new unit, codenamed M157, produces more power and more torque and promises improved fuel efficiency. A total of 537bhp is produced at 5500rpm (versus 518bhp at 6800rpm in the 6.2 V8) and 590lb ft of torque is also on offer between 2000 and 4500rpm, which is considerably more than the 464lb ft at 5200rpm produced in the current engine. A 563bhp, 664lb ft version of the engine will also be available as part of a performance package upgrade on the S63 AMG. The engine weighs 204kg, the twin turbochargers are provided by Garrett and the engine will be mated to Mercedes’ seven-speed MCT transmission, which is also found in the E63 AMG. Fuel consumption in the 5.5 V8 has been improved to 26.9mpg from 19.6mpg in the outgoing 6.2 V8. The new unit is based on an upcoming Mercedes twin-turbo 4.6-litre V8 engine, which will find its way into the new CLS and S-class models later this year. It’s codenamed M278
Mercedes AMG has pulled the lid off a new eight-cylinder engine they plan to begin using in their new vehicles beginning this summer. The engine will make its debut in the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG, and will be mated to the company's new seven-speed SpeedShift MCT transmission. The 5.5-liter biturbo direct-injection V8 petrol engine will be available in two different power settings. First, the company will sell a 544 PS (400 kW / 537 hp) version that produces up to 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) of torque at 2000-4500 rpm. An upgraded version produces 571 PS (420 kW / 563 hp), and up to 900 Nm (664 lb-ft) of torque at 2500-3750 rpm. In the S63, the engine uses 10.5 liters of petrol per 100 kilometers, or roughly 22.4 mpg-US. Features in the engine include start/stop as part of a driving mode called "Controlled Efficiency." According to the company, this helped bring fuel consumption down 25 percent compared to the current S63 AMG. Despite the greater efficiency, the new engine gets the S63 to the 100 km/h mark in 4.5 seconds, 0.1s faster than the previous model. Like the last version, the S63 AMG will also be electronically limited at 250 km/h (155 mph). You can read more about the 5.5-liter V8 AMG engine in the press release below.
