2012 Mercedes SLK 55 AMG Video Talks Cylinder Deactivation

There’s a brand new SLK 55 AMG coming, the second generation of the car in fact, and Mercedes could have gone any number of ways to highlight their no product, but the thing the Germans are most proud of is not the carbon fiber on the dash, but the new 5.5-liter engine, and the way it deactivated its half its cylinders to save fuel and the environment. On paper at least, this is a lot more impressive than the previous generation, as the unit is capable of delivering 422 horsepower, but also 30 percent better emissions and economy. Automotive wizardry? No, just clever engineering. The F1 inspired cylinder deactivation system cuts half the cylinders when they aren’t needed. The Cylinder Management System can shut off four-cylinders from 800 to 3,600 rpm. While that does sound interesting on paper, we wouldn’t want to pay the kind of money that a fast Merc’ goes for and roll around town in a car that only has 211 horsepower and make the exhaust note of a four-pot. Fortunately, Mercedes says that the switch from four to eight cylinders is “immediate and imperceptible”, taking a mere 30 milliseconds, and while we’re not fully confident this would work in the city, we are looking forward to a big off button for the Cylinder Management System. autoevolution will be attending the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, so stay tuned for some real up close and personal shots of the vehicles, as well as for first-hand details of the motorized contraptions presented at the event.