At first look the Mercedes-AMG GT XX is simply one other piece of idea automobile eye-candy.
The energetic aero wheels with moveable blades between the spokes that shut to scale back drag at pace and open to supply brake cooling when wanted, light-up paint on the facet sills, a configurable mild panel between the tail-lights: We’re not more likely to see any of these items on a manufacturing Mercedes-Benz anytime quickly.
What’s beneath that iridescent orange bodywork is one other story, nonetheless.
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The AMG GT XX previews AMG.EA, an all-new, aluminium-intensive, electrical automobile structure that may underpin a coming era of electric-powered Mercedes-AMG supercars.
The primary of those, a four-door ‘coupe’ just like the AMG GT XX, is predicted to hit the highway inside a 12 months, and Mercedes-Benz has confirmed it will likely be joined by an AMG.EA-based SUV that’s anticipated to seem in 2027.
And so they aren’t the one AMG.EA-based fashions within the pipeline.
“I’m fairly assured that there shall be extra automobiles to come back on that platform,” Mercedes-AMG boss Michael Schiebe informed CarExpert at a preview of the AMG GT XX idea in Germany final month, “as a result of we’re very versatile. And it’s not solely our electrical motors, but in addition the battery setup is versatile for various physique varieties.”
You don’t must be Einstein to determine what Mr Schiebe’s actually saying: An electrical-powered AMG sports activities automobile is coming, too.
The manufacturing model of the AMG GT XX shall be fairly a weapon, a four-door rocketship delivering greater than 1000kW and a prime pace of greater than 360km/h, courtesy of three axial-flux e-motors engineered by Mercedes-Benz-owned subsidiary Yasa Ltd.
They are going to be powered by a light-weight high-performance battery pack developed in-house at AMG with assist from engineers at Mercedes-AMG Excessive Efficiency Powertrains (HPP) in Brixworth, England, the place the hybrid powertrains for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Method 1 automobiles are designed and constructed.
Axial-flux motors characteristic a disc-shaped stator at their centre relatively than the tubular stator used within the radial-flux motors that energy most trendy EVs. This association allows the magnetic flux to circulate parallel to the motor shaft relatively than perpendicular to it, dramatically enhancing effectivity.
Consequently, axial flux motors are 67 per cent lighter and 67 per cent smaller than comparable radial flux motors, says Yasa CEO Jörg Miska, delivering thrice the ability density and twice the torque density.
The 2 rear motors are contained in a single electrical drive unit (EDU) that additionally homes a planetary transmission and silicon carbide inverter for every motor, in addition to 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 simply 140kg however produces effectively over 640kW, says Miska.
The EDU on the entrance axle includes a single axial-flux motor, a spur-gear transmission, and a single silicon carbide inverter. The motor has been designed to kick in solely when extra energy or traction is required on the entrance wheels for acceleration or recuperation.
Throughout regular and low load driving or coasting the entrance motor is decoupled from the entrance axle to scale back frictional losses and enhance general effectivity.
The motors are already being made at Mercedes-Benz’s plant in Marienfelde, Berlin. Manufacturing the motors requires about 100 totally different processes, 65 of them new to Mercedes-Benz and 35 of them world-firsts involving new types of laser know-how, modern becoming a member of processes, and synthetic intelligence methods.
Powering the motors is a battery combining greater than 3000 cells that mix a nickel cobalt manganese aluminium (NCMA) cathode with a silicon content material anode.
The tall and skinny design of the cells permits them to be extra successfully cooled by the electrically non-conductive oil that surrounds them (battery cells usually warmth up from their centre outwards beneath load). The cells are in light-weight laser-welded aluminium housings which additionally present higher electrical and warmth conductivity than the generally used metal containers.
The battery’s cooling system and excessive voltage – greater than 800V – means it may possibly settle for cost charges of greater than 850kW over a variety of its charging curve.
Mercedes-Benz is working with Alpitronic, Europe’s chief in high-power charging applied sciences, to develop a prototype ultra-fast charger that may allow the manufacturing model of the AMG GT XX so as to add 400km of vary (as per Europe’s WLTP measurement) in simply 5 minutes.
With all that energy and all-wheel drive, the manufacturing model of the AMG GT XX guarantees to be as be spine-crushingly fast from 0 to 100km/h as different high-end, high-performance EVs such because the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach.
However what’s going to set it aside from the electrical supercar pack, says Mr Schiebe, shall be its potential to ship its final efficiency over a for much longer time.
Certainly, the AMG boss hints the manufacturing automobile shall be able to at the very least three flat-out laps of the legendary Nürburgring Nordschliefe. Okay, that’s barely 65km, however as Mr Schiebe factors out, most combustion-engined efficiency automobiles are previous their peak after three laps via the Inexperienced Hell, too.
“There’s a fable which you could drive an inside combustion engine high-performance automobile endlessly on the observe,” he says. “You’ll be able to possibly do three laps on the Nordschleife after which you should make a pit cease, as a result of both the tyres are gone, otherwise you’re working out of gas.”
One of the crucial intriguing particulars on the AMG GT XX idea is the actual fact it has a VIN quantity within the decrease left-hand nook of the windscreen, similar to any manufacturing Mercedes-Benz (it’s the third automobile constructed of its sort, in case you’re questioning), together with totally functioning windscreen wipers, a element most carmakers don’t hassle placing on idea automobiles.
There’s an actual automobile beneath, however how a lot of what we see is more likely to make manufacturing? “It’s an excellent sneak into what the [production] automobile may seem like,” Mr Schiebe confirms.
Although the AMG boss gained’t elaborate, we will inform you the manufacturing automobile can have a barely greater roofline (although it’ll nonetheless be two inches decrease than that of the present AMG GT 4-Door, regardless of the under-floor battery pack) and it will likely be a liftback with a rear window.
The manufacturing entrance and rear bumper fascias shall be totally different, although the concave grille with the signature AMG vertical bars shall be retained, together with the six spherical tail-lights on the rear.
The AMG GT XX idea has a claimed drag co-efficient of simply 0.198Cd. Whether or not the manufacturing model will match that quantity stays to be seen, however we do know it will likely be accessible with an non-compulsory energetic rear diffuser that extends – like that on the Mercedes-Benz EQ XX idea – to additional cut back drag, so it might not be only a tease.
The manufacturing automobile may also roll on 21-inch wheels, with a staggered tyre setup – 275/35 ZR 21 entrance and 315/35 ZR21 at rear – to deal with the prodigious energy and torque funnelled via the rear axle.
What’s going to shock individuals most in regards to the manufacturing model of the AMG GT XX is the way it’s going to sound. The GT XX idea contains a visceral V8 soundscape that performs again via the automobile’s audio system – which incorporates exterior audio system behind the headlights – when it’s pushed.
Rigorously listed to inputs like accelerator place and wheel pace, it sounds – from the transient preview performed to the media – like an old-school 6.3-litre V8-powered C63 on steroids.
“I’m tremendous assured, and I imply actually tremendous, tremendous assured, that we are going to persuade the strongest petrol-heads with this automobile,” mentioned Mr Schiebe, who added that in a Mercedes-Benz govt drive of the manufacturing automobile prototype a number of days earlier than the preview of the AMG GT XX, one board member proclaimed: “that is one of the best V8 we’ve ever developed!”.
That board member’s taking liberties, after all. However it will likely be fascinating to see if Mercedes-AMG can actually make its ultra-powerful, ultra-fast four-door electrical coupe sound as thrilling because it undoubtedly shall be to drive.
