The new twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8 making its way throughout AMG's 2012 lineup is a beast: 544 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque with a performance pack upgrade that can kick things up to 571 horsepower and 664 pound-feet. But AMG is looking at stripping the turbos off and running with natural aspiration, according to a new report.
Why would they do such a thing? To slot into the upcoming 2012 SLK55 AMG, of course. But why shed the turbos? To save the fuel and expense that comes with producing big 500-plus-horsepower figures, most likely--especially since AMG is planning cylinder deactivation for the new mill.
The 5.5-liter naturally aspirated V-8 is expected to turn out about 422 horsepower, a gain of 62 horsepower over the SLK55 AMG's current 5.4-liter V-8.
No plans to put the engine in any other AMG cars have been announced, though we wouldn't be surprised if it showed up elsewhere over the next several years.
[AutoWeek]
