We can lament the passing of Mercedes M156 V8 6.2 liter until the end of time, but none of our moaning is going to stop the madmen of AMG or Mercedes from coming up with more modern, forced-induction mills like the twin turbocharged 5.5 liter V8, or this, the automaker’s new twin-turbocharged 4.0 liter V8. The freshly revealed mill will make its production debut in Mercedes-AMG GT, and based on the stats, it should prove a real honey.
Known as M178, the all-new turbo engine comes with party with 510 horsepower; however its big trick is the 479 pound feet of torque it deploys between 1750 and 4750 rpm. Engine, thy name is usable power. It can rev to the same 7200 rpm redline like the SLS AMG’s 6.2 liter V8, which means it should be a jolly good engine to wring out. Meanwhile, the two turbochargers can run to a maximum pressure of 17.4 psi and can spin to 186,000 rpm.
The powerplant’s measure isn’t limited to just its power output. In today’s world, it needs to be light. As per AMG, the 4.0 liter is just that, boasting a dry weight of just 461 pounds, thanks to an aluminum crankcase. AMG even cast an eye on the way the engine’s fat is distributed, fitting the turbochargers not outside the cylinder banks, but in what it calls the “hot inside V” configuration. That enables a more compact yet lower engine package whose weight is better distributed. Sound’s right!
Sound is arguably one of the AMG engine’s most important aspects, and in that important arena, the 4.0 shouldn’t disappoint. Set to be introduced in the Mercedes-AMG GT, the 4.0 engine will be teamed up with an exhaust, which integrates variable flaps that open and close depending on things like the throttle inputs and transmission mode. That should allow the GT’s new engine to balance the AMG sound we know and love with a mellow, quieter and more relaxed character in everyday driving.
We’ll have much more on both this engine and the car it will debut in, the Mercedes-AMG GT, in the coming months.
Image Courtesy – Evo
