Amongst all the hype about hybrids and electric vehicles, here’s a refreshing look at Mercedes’ all new V8 engines – yes please! Hybrids and EV’s are driving us crazy. They dominate the news, world conferences, and pretty much everything in between. Apart from them being deeply unexciting and bland, they are stupidly weak in the area of performance. Thank God for Mercedes Benz! The Germans have released specs of two brand new V8 engines and guess what? Not an electric motor in sight!

US journalists will soon be taking their first drives through New York's Hudson Valley region in all-new direct injection biturbo V8-engined CL model. The new-from-the-ground-up 4.6-liter V8 engine has a 20 percent smaller displacement than its predecessor, but generates 429 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque - 12 percent more horsepower and 32 percent more torque than the engine it replaces - yet fuel economy is improved by about 10%. This new engine is available in the restyled 2011 CL550 4MATIC->ke187.

The second engine making its debut is the hand-assembled high-performance 5.5-liter AMG V8 engine, featuring the use of stop/start technology as well as twin turbochargers and direct injection. This new engine produces 536 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque while at the same time achieving an estimated 20 percent improvement in fuel economy. Mated to the award-winning 7-speed AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT transmission, this new engine is available in the 2011 CL63 AMG coupe and S63 AMG sedan. For even more performance the optionally available AMG Performance Package increases engine power to 563 hp and 664 lb-ft. for torque; top speed also increases to 186 mph. Thank you, Mercedes, for saving us from another boring engine discussion!

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