Mercedes AMG GT Engine Specs Finally Confirmed

Giancarlo Perlas June 12, 2014

Christian Enderle poses with the new Mercedes AMG GT engine.

Finally, the specifications of the Mercedes AMG GT engine has been officially confirmed. According to Christian Enderle, the person in charge of the car’s engine development, the upcoming sports vehicle will carry a biturbo four-valve-per-cylinder 4.0-liter V8 petrol engine.

A band of revs within 1750 and 4750 rpm in its initial state of tune will enable the car to reach an output 375 kW at 6250 rpm with 650 Nm of torque.

The engine, codenamed M178, uses the all-new 90-degree quad-cam injection system. Mercedes said that the M178 was made as a replacement for the previous 6.2-liter V8 engine used by the Mercedes SLS AMG, called the M159, when it will be phased out within four years.

The new sand cast aluminum block engine of AMG has bore and stroke measurements of 83 mm and 92 mm, respectively. Their total swept volume is at 3,982 cm³. Then, the induction of the engine is boosted by twin-turbochargers from Borg Warner. These are mounted on top of the engine in the gap between the two cylinder banks.

Warner stated that the layout let them make the new engine around 88 mm shorter than the M159. The turbochargers operating in tandem at a max of pressure 1.3 bar are fed charged by a water to air intercooler.

The other technologies present in the Mercedes AMG GT engine are the piezo injection system that can offer up to seven individual injections per cycle by Bosch, cylinder barrels fitted with Nanoslide friction-reducing material, cylinder head produced from Zirconium-refined aluminum and dry sum lubrication.

It is expected that the Mercedes AMG GT engine will produce the same baritone note as its predecessor, thanks to the way that its exhaust is rooted to its turbochargers on top of the engine’s midline.

Despite all the details provided here, it is not clear yet what the actual performance of the car is. However, AMG officials claim that it can match its predecessor’s record of 3.8 seconds sprint from zero to 100 kmph while the top speed of the vehicle will be at 320 kmph.