Driving performance of the future

As part of its 50th anniversary Mercedes-AMG is this year celebrating not only the successful past and present; above all it is looking forward. With the show car Mercedes-AMG GT Concept the sports car and performance brand is giving an indication of the alternative drive configurations AMG is designing. Over and above this the four-door coupé heralds the further extension of the AMG GT family. The third model series after the SLS AMG and AMG GT is now being completely autonomously developed at the company's headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany. The fundamental design elements on the front and tail end denote the family affiliation to the AMG GT. The “EQ Power+” identifier on the mirror cam indicates the increased performance that can be expected from hybridisation at AMG.“With the Mercedes-AMG GT Concept we are giving a preview of our third completely autonomously developed sports car. Plus the GT Concept – like the AMG Hypercar, which we are presenting at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt – illustrates how we are defining performance of the future at AMG. Impressive driving dynamics coupled with high efficiency, resulting from an innovative drive system and tailored to the vehicle segment in question – that is Future Performance made by AMG. With our AMG GT Concept that means a combination of an ultramodern V8 petrol engine and a high-performance electric motor. Both are intelligently networked with a modular battery concept with a combination of extremely powerful yet light batteries. This performance hybrid powertrain offers an impressive electric range and the opportunity to generate a system output of up to 600 kW in its last level of development. It covers the sprint from 0-100 in less than three seconds – which corresponds to a super sports car level,” says Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG GmbH.The four-door sports car from Affalterbach will seamlessly continue the success story of the AMG GT. The dynamic fastback will also be highly suitable for everyday use thanks to the large tailgate and the variable interior and luggage compartment. The new coupé thus blends the high functionality of the performance cars with the sportiness of the AMG GT sports cars. The show car gives a sneak preview of the exterior design of the coming series production model.With the aid of the unmistakeable design idiom with a deeply drawn bonnet and powerfully raked windscreen, the AMG GT Concept is recognisable at first glance as a genuine AMG GT. The exterior design stands out with extremely muscular proportions, a large volume plus sensuous and simultaneously reduced surface styling. The concept car represents the design philosophy of Sensual Purity and lends it the added performance characteristic of AMG.“The GT Concept embodies the most extreme expression of our design idiom and underlines anew the autonomous profile of AMG as a performance brand”, said Gorden Wagener, chief design officer Daimler AG. “Through perfect proportions it creates a puristic design with the emphasis on its surfaces, featuring sensuous shapes and is hot and cool at the same time.” Pure powerThe drive system of the AMG GT Concept represents a completely new development. With the SLS AMG Electric Drive back in 2010 Mercedes-AMG proved that a super sports car with a battery/electric drive system can be realised – with astounding performance and maximum driving pleasure. Formula 1 driving dynamics and efficiency are promised by the planned AMG Hypercar. It gives a sneak preview of the ultimate that is currently feasible with hybrid technology.Based on this experience, the AMG GT Concept study conveys an impression of the alternative drive configurations Mercedes-AMG is designing. Following the AMG brand pledge “Driving Performance” Mercedes-AMG will in future develop segment-specific hybrids with an impressive performance gain which not only ensure an incomparable output, but also maximum efficiency.After the Formula 1 vehicle, the show car is the second AMG model to bear the new designation “EQ Power+”, which all performance hybrids from Mercedes-AMG will be given in future.The performance hybrid system combines the powerful 4.0-litre V8 biturbo engine with an additional powerful electric machine and thus ensures extremely immediate response and offers an extraordinarily high system performance. The sprint from 0-100 km/h can be mastered at a super sports car level by the AMG GT Concept in less than three seconds.Characteristically for the brand, the maximum Driving Performance in the form of extremely high driving dynamics is the Affalterbach engineers´ focus. This is why the AMG GT Concept has a balanced axle load distribution. The fully variable AMG performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive is also supported by the electric motor. It drives the rear wheels directly and has the effect of an additional booster. Besides this, according to the principle of Torque Vectoring, every wheel can be allocated torque individually. The result: the driver directly experiences a tangible increase in performance.The scalable performance battery is set to extend the portfolio of Daimler AG to include a performance-oriented alternative: The energy storage unit is more powerful than conventional hybrid batteries, but at the same time more compact and lighter – further proof of the systematic way in which the AMG Lightweight Performance Strategy is being implemented. On a modular basis the system is scalable upwards, so that the performance and capacity of the battery can be adjusted to meet specific requirements of customers or certain markets.The charging of the battery during the journey occurs on the one hand via brake recuperation, but on the other hand also with the aid of the combustion engine if the battery charge has dropped beneath a certain threshold value.The operating strategy of the AMG GT Concept is derived from the hybrid powerpack of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 racing car. As in the champions league of motorsport, the battery is also charged whilst the vehicle is being driven so as always to have the full amount of electrical power available – and for instance to be able to accelerate out of bends in a flash with full thrust. The transfer of knowledge works through the cooperation with the development engineers at Mercedes-AMG HPP (High Performance Powertrains GmbH), meaning that the operating strategy of future performance hybrids from AMG will be perceptible all the time.Three operating modes can be preselected via the electric drive unit: the AMG GT Concept either drives purely electrically or only with the combustion engine or it optimally combines both drive sources with one another as a hybrid.The manifestation of the operating strategy, the definition of the drive programs and fundamental hybrid components are exclusive AMG developments, which all pursue the same aim: to facilitate a unique dynamic driving experience with Driving Performance in future, too.STAFF REPORTER

Driving performance of the future

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-25

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Driving performance of the future

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Namibian Sun 2024-11-25

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