Despite BMW’s recent adoption of a diesel-powered performance range, Mercedes-Benz has decided not to follow suit, but rather take a tilt at one of the most iconic performance cars out there – the Porsche 911.
In a recent interview with Autocar, AMG boss Ola Källenius claimed that the adoption of diesel technology would compromise the performance arm’s line-up. Instead, AMG will continue to focus on squeezing further performance and efficiency from petrol engine technology. Källenius’s counter to adopting diesel technology is that an engine such as the company’s recently introduced twin-turbo 5,5 V8 is relatively efficient thanks to the combination of forced induction and direct fuel injection. He added that AMG has previously considered diesel engines for its products, but “petrol engines have [the] obvious benefits of sound, weight, agility and response.”
But while AMG will not entertain the notion of a diesel-engined performance model, it is serious about building a sportscar to directly rival the Porsche 911.
Having enjoyed a considerable degree of success with both the coupe and roadster versions of its SLS supercar, AMG’s Källenius has stated that the company considers growing its portfolio on the back of the enthusiastic reception the SLS has received to be the right move. said “Could we grow the family?” said Kallenuis, “Probably, yes, but that is not a decision we’ve made at this stage.”
Tentatively dubbed SLC, the 911 rival would be offered in both coupe and roadster body styles and would draw a number of design cues from the larger SLS AMG. Power could come from a front-mid-mounted version of the company’s twin-turbo 5,4-litre V8 with around 373 kW on tap. This set-up could enable the rear-wheel driven SLC to crack the 0-100 km/h run in 4,5 seconds on the way to a 290 km/h top speed.
