Mercedes-AMG Plugs Into the Future And Teases An Electric Taycan Slayer
Image Credit: Mercedes-AMG.
It looks like the blokes in Affalterbach have been fiddling with the electrics again. And not in a "my toaster's gone on the blink" kind of way. It seems Mercedes-AMG, creators of glorious, earth-shattering V8s, are finally dipping their toes – or perhaps plunging their entire Wellington boot – into the electric car pond. And not a moment too soon, some might say. While they're apparently still tinkering with the dinosaur juice-guzzlers, they've also been busy cooking up an all-electric super saloon.
AMG has been teasing us with glimpses of this battery-powered beast, peeling back the camouflage like a toddler unwrapping a particularly intriguing Christmas present. And what we're seeing bears a rather striking resemblance to that Vision AMG concept from a few years back. You know, the one that looked like it had escaped from a particularly stylish science fiction film.
Image Credit: Mercedes-AMG.
The front end, where you'd usually find a gaping maw of a grille sucking in air for a fire-breathing engine, is just not there anymore. Instead, we've got some slatted bits down low, presumably to keep the electric bits from getting too toasty. But the real eye-catcher up front is those daytime running lights. They're shaped like the Mercedes three-pointed star, only supersized. Apparently, we'll be seeing similar, albeit smaller, versions on other new Mercs, but AMG being AMG, they've decided to go big. In AMG speak, subtlety is for librarians, not lunatic fringe engineers.
Slip around the side, and it's a looker, isn't it? Low-slung, sleek as an otter in a wetsuit, and those tightly-spoked wheels? They're not just for show, mind you. Apparently, they're supposed to help it slice through the air for the sake of aerodynamics. It's all terribly clever.
Image Credit: Mercedes-AMG.
And the rear? Gone are those temporary, rather agricultural-looking lights they've been slapping on test mules. Instead, we've got proper circular LED taillights, and guess what? They've got the star motif in them, too. Consistency, thy name is Mercedes-AMG. Oh, and there's an active rear wing. When you've got enough power to rearrange the local scenery, you need a bit of extra downforce to keep things pointing in the right direction.
This all-new electric AMG is gunning for the likes of the Porsche Taycan and the Audi RS e-tron GT. Both are rather rapid pieces of kit, I must admit, even if they did mark a bit of a departure from their makers' usual fare. So, AMG needs to be on its A-game. And all the signs point to them bringing a proper thunderbolt to this electric showdown.
Image Credit: Mercedes-AMG.
Underneath all that sculpted metal lies the new AMG.EA architecture. But what's really interesting is what's bolted to it - a battery pack from clever chaps at Sila Nanotechnologies over in the good ol' US of A. And the electric motors? They're coming all the way from a British firm called Yasa. Four of them. Slim as a pancake and with enough twist to rip the tarmac off the road. A proper international effort, this.
Word on the street is that AMG is chasing a four-digit horsepower figure - we're talking upwards of 1,000 ponies. Enough to make your eyeballs sweat and your internal organs do the tango. This kind of grunt would put it right in the ring with the top-dog versions of the Taycan and the RS e-tron GT.
For those of you still clinging to the comforting rumble of internal combustion, Mercedes-AMG will continue to sell the petrol-powered AMG GT 4-Door alongside this electric newcomer. So, you can still have your cake and eat it, albeit one makes a glorious noise and the other doesn't. But the quiet one will be quicker than greased lightning.
Image Credit: Mercedes-AMG.
Is the electric AMG worth getting excited about? If you like your performance served up with zero tailpipe emissions and enough power to embarrass a fighter jet on a short runway, then yes, I reckon you should be rather excited indeed. This isn't just another electric car; this is AMG having a crack at the future. And knowing them, it's likely to be a rather spectacular one.
