- The concept of AMG XX will take the mark into its next chapter
- Three axial flux engines can drive the smooth shape to 224 km / h
- A LED -lyspanel at the back is one of many futuristic features
Mercedes-Benz has lifted the lid of the future of its reverent tuning arm with the all-electric AMG GT XX concept, which avoids thunder V8 petrol engines for an allelectric driveline.
Where customers once flocked to the hand-built, naturally aspirated monsters that lurked under the hood, Mercedes-AMG has been caught between a cliff and a hard place late, dabbling with less capacity turbocharged engines and hybrid driving force that has failed to hit the mark with Affalterbach aficionados.
“The heart of an AMG was always the engine, we deliver a revolutionary new drive that is unparalleled in terms of current density, weight and packaging,” says Mercedes-AMG CEO Michael Schiebe.
The new engine, which Schiebe hopes, will again touch emotion, is actually three axial Flux-electric engines that are about two-thirds lighter and 67% smaller than traditional radial flux engines displayed on most of today’s EVs.
Often referred to as ‘pancake engines’, axial flux drive units consist of components that look like slim disks and when stacked can almost fit inside a pizza box, which means they can be placed closer to the wheels for improved packaging.
Innovative rectangular copper lines are then packed in tight coils, allowing for more copper per day. Slot in the stator, creating an energy density that is almost three times for conventional, sausage-roll-shaped radial engines, yet they only take up one-third of the room.
To continue the food analogy, Mercedes-AMG compares the use of rectangular wires to the Italian’s use of tagliatelle, rather than spaghetti when making a large ragu because “its flatter, wider surface carries more of the sauce”.
The concept of AMG GT XX uses three of these engines packed in two high -performance electric drive units, a front that uses a single axial engine and a device at the back that has two.
Combined with brand new, cylindrical nickel Cobalt Mangane Aluminum (NCMA) Battery cells supply the driveline line staggering performance numbers: 1,360 hp, a top speed of 224 mph and a top-up time of less than five minutes thanks to 850 kW charging capacity.
Mercedes collaborated with charging experts alpitronic to produce a prototype charging station that is capable of transferring such a high power via a standard CCS connector.
It says it hopes to roll its own 10,000-strong super-fast charging networks using the technology in the next decade, although that would not say how many of them would be able to reach 850kW output.
Aero everywhere
The AMG GT XX draws inspiration from Ultra-Slippery Vision One-Eleven concept car and has a draft coefficient of 0.198-rent the same as a soaring eagle or a dolphin at full speed, according to AMG engineers.
Specially designed contours under the body help channel the airflow, while active cooling flaps are open and close in the front bumper to either reduce drag or funnel cold air to the battery packs and electrically driven.
In another world, the four -wheel -drive AMG GT XX also has active Aero in the wheels, which have electronically activated blades that open when the brakes require cooling, but then close again to reduce drag.
Closily, the wheels act as giant dynamos that charge the system so that it does not depend on EV’s batteries. However, Mercedes would not go into detail about how much each wheel can cost if you accidentally slow it down.
The overall fastback design is low and wide, the steep rocket window to help channel air over the car, with motorsport-inspired air outlets in the bonnet, which helps to spread hot air that is then drawn into the cooling system.
On the back there is a monster diffuser that is finished in nude carbon fiber and a 3D pixel -light panel that can display a variety of messages and graphics. During presentations, it gratily flashed an animated AMG logo, the vehicle’s charging status or a number of NAFt messages.
I may not be the target audience for this vehicle, but for me it doesn’t feel much AMG. But it’s the poenget, right? This is new AMG for the kids.
The concept vehicle is also done in what Mercedes calls his “Fluid Light Paint”. This new caught pigment looks painted sections emit light in response to an electric current.
The result is an exterior light array that runs along the concept’s flank and visibility glows at night.
It can even ‘communicate’ its status at battery level when it is connected to a charging output, such as a robotic vacuum cleaner or any other rechargeable electrical appliance, for that matter.
LEDs and speakers
The headlights also do not avoid innovation as these house a speaker that will emit driving sounds and audible signals for pedestrian protection. Passive membrane technology embedded in the sound beam can emit more powerful bass notes, for more realistic, guttural AMG sounds.
Inside, Mercedes has replaced the traditional steering wheel with a yoke that refers to the fact that the production version of the AMG GT XX concept could be among the first to sports the German Marque’s control-for-wire system.
The interior has lots of exposed elements that make it feel like a GT racer, with 3D-printed seat cushions that can be tailored to fit the driver and replaced with ease.
These are covered in a Lab Fiber Biotech Leather Alternative Material Made of Recycled GT3 Racing Tires, Vegetable Proteins and Biopolymes.
It is an incredibly complex and scientific enterprise that results in a very hardy, leather -like substance, but there is no information about where the energy intense process is compared to, says to raise a cow.
The Twin LED screens make up the infotainment package with a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14-inch multimedia touch screen integrated into the dashboard and angled against the driver of the racing car atmosphere.
Mercedes says its MB.UX operating system supports the entire digital offering, bringing the latest infotainment features despite the racy atmosphere.
Main designer Gordon Wagener said the entire design process was much shorter than a typical car (about a year compared to three), and CTO Markus Schäfer claims that much of the technology revealed today is ready for production.
In fact, there is a preliminary release date for the road -going car at sometime in 2026, despite the fact that we are not yet to obtain information about the overall power, the battery area and perhaps even more important price.
Schäfer says “Hardcore AMG V8 fans” have already driven the car and was very positive for the performance. Similarly, he says the great weight of technology on the car will help protect residual values.
Whether internal combustion engine fans will be convinced by pixel panels and false engine sounds has not yet been seen, while poor resale values continue to hit high -performance, luxury EVs.
Mercedes only has to look at his recent electrified G-Wagon to prove that its current customer base may not be quite ready for the future.
