Even though there were plenty of folks who made fun of the first Porsche Panamera's overall shape, it still became a best-seller and pretty much invented a new segment.
The latest carmaker to jump on the superfast-premium-liftback bandwagon is not Mercedes-Benz, but Mercedes-AMG, which will also unveil its first ever hybrid in the shape of the Mercedes-AMG four-door in 2018.
Spied for the first time a couple of months ago, the prototype has since shed quite a lot of camouflage, leaving its Panamera-like shape open for discussion.
We have a vague feeling that at least 90 percent of the concept car's design will remain unchanged, though, including most of its powertrain.
For those who need a refresher, by “powertrain” we are referring to a twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 coupled with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery. This translates into all-wheel-drive with torque vectoring a massive 816 PS (805 HP) total system output, which would make it the most powerful production Mercedes-Benz in history.
That said, we must also reiterate the fact that it won't be a Mercedes-Benz, but an AMG-only model, having been developed from the ground up by engineers in Affalterbach. Sure, it will use a three-pointed star platform, but the model won't have a non-AMG equivalent.
Apart from the 800+ horsepower version, there should also be a milder one, without any electric trickery and with “only” around 600 horsepower. Later on, an inline-six using mild-hybrid technology could also fill-up the engine lineup.
Although somewhat similar with the CLS, the GT four-door will occupy a more expensive niche, and it will be much larger than its four-door coupe brother. Even so, its appearance might mean that the CLS will no longer have a 63 version to not step on its big brother's toes too much.
Judging by these latest spyshots, the hybrid AMG prototype was probably prowling for its chief nemesis around the Nurburgring area. We are of course talking about the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, which should be its raison d'etre in the first place.
Spied for the first time a couple of months ago, the prototype has since shed quite a lot of camouflage, leaving its Panamera-like shape open for discussion.
We have a vague feeling that at least 90 percent of the concept car's design will remain unchanged, though, including most of its powertrain.
For those who need a refresher, by “powertrain” we are referring to a twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 coupled with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery. This translates into all-wheel-drive with torque vectoring a massive 816 PS (805 HP) total system output, which would make it the most powerful production Mercedes-Benz in history.
That said, we must also reiterate the fact that it won't be a Mercedes-Benz, but an AMG-only model, having been developed from the ground up by engineers in Affalterbach. Sure, it will use a three-pointed star platform, but the model won't have a non-AMG equivalent.
Apart from the 800+ horsepower version, there should also be a milder one, without any electric trickery and with “only” around 600 horsepower. Later on, an inline-six using mild-hybrid technology could also fill-up the engine lineup.
Although somewhat similar with the CLS, the GT four-door will occupy a more expensive niche, and it will be much larger than its four-door coupe brother. Even so, its appearance might mean that the CLS will no longer have a 63 version to not step on its big brother's toes too much.
Judging by these latest spyshots, the hybrid AMG prototype was probably prowling for its chief nemesis around the Nurburgring area. We are of course talking about the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, which should be its raison d'etre in the first place.