The Red Pig rides again

Classic showcase with a modern twist for new AMG engine

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Mercedes has created a showcase vessel for its new turbocharged AMG V8 engine that harks back to the company's "Red Pig" racer of the early 1970's.

The "Red Pig" was basically a 300 SEL saloon that had a whopping great 6,8-litre V8 shoehorned into its nose. With a respectable 313 kW on tap, this model was pressed into racing service and consequently won a class victory and second place in the overall ranking for AMG at the 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium in 1971. It was an impressive performance for the bulky super saloon, but a combination of unsuitable tyres and frequent fuelling stops meant that it quickly fell from favour in racing circles and was sold to French engineering company Matra, who used it to test jet fighter landing gear.

The modern take, imaginatively dubbed the S63 AMG concept car, lifts its red paint job and ethically-questionable tobacco branding from the original car and has thankfully shed any porcine nomenclatures. The interior has been pared down somewhat and the S-Class' squashy pews for sports seats.

But it's what's lurking beneath the bonnet that really grabs attention - the company's replacement for its normally aspirated 6,2-litre V8. The new M157 engine displaces 5,5-litres and incorporates twin-turbochargers and direct fuel injection to boost power and pare down fuel consumption.

The engine can be had in two states of tune: the "milder" version cranks out 400 kW and up to 800 N.m of torque while the unrestricted mill puts out 420 kW and up to 900 N.m of torque between 2 500-3 750 r/min.

In the S63 AMG (Mercedes has not chosen to re-embrace the old S55 AMG nomenclature), the 400 kW powerplant is mated with AMG's seven-speed MCT automatic transmission and is capable of propelling the car from 0-100 km/h in 4,5 seconds while delivering a claimed fuel consumption figure of 10,5 litres/100 km. An optional Performance pack shaves 0,1 seconds off the 0-100 km/h time, but irregardless of specification the engine maxes out at an electronically-limited 250 km/h.

The engine features start/stop technology as part of a driving mode called "Controlled Efficiency." According to the company, this helps to reduce fuel consumption by 25 percent compared to the current S63 AMG.