Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG have a technical partnership that dates back to 2013. That relationship laid the foundation for the Aston Martin DB11 to come to life, thanks in large part to its AMG-sourced, 4.0-liter, biturbo, V-8 engine. Recently, Aston Martin’s chief engineer, Matt Becker, hinted that the two brands could have another partnership in the works, one that would involve Aston Martin using another AMG-engineered engine on one of its future models.
2018 The Aston Martin Vantage of the Future Could be the Recipient of an AMG-Branded Inline-Six
- Make: Array
- Model: 2018 The Aston Martin Vantage of the Future Could be the Recipient of an AMG-Branded Inline-Six
2019 The Aston Martin Vantage of the Future Could be the Recipient of an AMG-Branded Inline-Six
- Make: Array
- Model: 2019 The Aston Martin Vantage of the Future Could be the Recipient of an AMG-Branded Inline-Six
- [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Speaking with Wheels, Becker admitted that AMG’s new, 3.0-liter, turbocharged, inline-six engine is a smart engine that can fit into Aston Martin’s future lineup of models. “With emissions regulations going where they're going and getting harder and harder, we have to consider all powertrain options, and we are considering six-cylinders for the future,” Becker said. “Previous Astons have had six cylinders – a long time ago – but I think with CLS 53, the engine that has is a very complicated and clever engine and it's something that could fit with the brand in the future.”
Becker alluded to the main reason Aston Martin is considering the engine. With emissions regulations becoming more stringent, Aston Martin is being put in a precarious position where it may need to downsize its engines just to be able to pass the tests. That wouldn’t have been a problem if the automaker’s run of V-8 and V-12 units would still be accepted, but the drive towards a more eco-friendly future has made smaller units like AMG’s turbocharged, inline-six much more appealing.
Aston Martin’s chief engineer didn’t specify which model would be in line to receive the AMG six-cylinder unit, but there are signs pointing to the new Aston Martin Vantage as a likely candidate. Bekker even admitted that the performance car’s engine bay is spacious enough to accommodate a V-12 unit so a six-cylinder wouldn’t be too much of a problem. In the event Aston decides to go this route, we can at least expect that it will be tuned to power levels that would allow a six-cylinder Vantage to have the necessary power it needs to stay true to its own identity.
There’s also the issue of calibrating the engine to Aston Martin’s ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. While that itself can be done, doing it means that the six-cylinder engine will have a different output compared to what it gives to a model like the Mercedes-AMG CLS 53. It’s hard to imagine Aston Martin’s entry-level unit only having 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque at its disposal, but with the next-generation V-8 version packing just 503 horsepower and 505 pound-feet of torque, we can expect the six-cylinder unit to have power somewhere in the high 400s.
References
Aston Martin Vantage
Read our full review on the 2018 Aston Martin Vantage.
Read more Aston Martin news.