Automotive electrification may mean that we’re moving toward a future where the internal combustion engine lives only in the history books, but all of this fancy electric technology actually comes with a silver lining. There will come a day when all you can by is an all-electric vehicle, but this very technology is also extending the life of the internal combustion engine. And, that’s a good thing. Take Mercedes-AMG, for example. The brand will one day deliver only electric sports cars, but that’s not coming as quickly as we originally thought. In a recent interview with Road & Track, Mercedes-AMG Boss, Tobias Moers, said that starting in 2021 all AMG branded models will feature some kind of hybrid drivetrain and that the company is “heading fast in that direction.” And, while this means that AMG-branded cars won’t lose that feeling of soul that you get from a rumbly, precision-turned engine, it also means that AMG cars will get more powerful, faster, and better. And, it all comes down to some tech that we’ve already seen – the 805-horsepower hybrid drivetrain from the 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT Concept!

Mercedes-AMG Sports Cars Will Get Insanely Better Thanks to Electrification.

This is all better news than what you might be thinking right this moment. A day will come when AMG will only produce electric cars, but for now, the company can deliver even more power and better fuel economy by pairing its hybrid tech with new or existing engines. This enables the new S-Class of SUVs to pump out as much as 504 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque. And, we’ll be seeing more of this 48-volt system in the future as well.



The outrageously powerful hybrid setup from the 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT Concept will make it into a production vehicle as well. Now, it probably won’t end up int AMG GT Black Series (even though the company promises it’ll be the fastest GT yet) but it could be used to create an even more powerful version of the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. Yeah, we already have a GT 63 S, but the company could actually develop a new range-topper that’s faster, and, coincidentally, more expensive. It also opens the door for more special editions models or specially tuned models as the there’s a lot of room to play with between the 600- and 800-horsepower mark. Moers even reiterated that the 805-horsepower electrified drivetrain from the GT Concept will end up in a production model, so for now, we just have to wait.

2017 Mercedes-AMG GT Concept specifications

Engine

4.0-liter biturbo V-8 with an electric motor

Drivetrain

4MATIC+ AWD

Horsepower

800 horsepower

0 to 60 mph

under three seconds


This news is more important than ever when you consider the fact that AMG is officially retired its current V-12 engine – that last it will probably ever produce – and engineers need to come up with a way to replace it with something that can deliver similar performance and significantly better fuel economy. After all, emissions requirements are only getting tighter as the clock ticks. The GT Concept’s hybrid setup will probably serve as the heart for a number of high-performance Mercedes and AMG models in the future and, who knows, maybe it’ll even be able to deliver even more power – a thought that could open the door to some pretty wild models in the future.

For now, ICE-only models are on their last legs for every automaker, but Mercedes-AMG is already diving in full-force. This means that the upcoming Mercedes-AMG A45 could be the very last AMG-branded model to not feature some kind of electrification. Not that it needs it, of course, as it should deliver some 420 horsepower from its 2.0-liter four-banger. Mercedes could also present the CLA 45, GLA 45, GLB 45, A45 Sedan with the same non-electrified engine but 2021 is creeping up fast, so any one of them could end up being electrified if not at lunch, by the time the facelifted models come into play for the 2022 or 2023 model year.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT Concept.