This, should you can consider it, will probably be coming into Mercedes-Benz showrooms within the not-too-distant future. You’re Mercedes-AMG’s new Idea AMG GT XX which, because the title suggests, will preview a manufacturing model of the AMG GT 4-Door‘s successor.
However whereas that automobile will be had with a spread of combustion and plug-in hybrid powertrains, the AMG GT XX is solely electrical, primarily based on the purpose-built AMG Electrical Structure (AMG.EA). Meaning it’ll debut some attention-grabbing high-performance applied sciences, a lot of which had been derived from System 1.
The primary is a brand new axial flux motor developed by subsidiary Yasa, already utilized in vehicles just like the Ferrari 296 GTB and SF90 Stradale and the Lamborghini Temerario and Revuelto; that is its first in-house software. In comparison with standard radial flux motors, these are two-thirds lighter and take up simply one-third of the house, but they’ve 3 times the facility density, able to significantly larger sustained output.
And that output makes for fairly some studying – three motors, one on the entrance and two on the again, ship a quoted whole of greater than 1,000 kW (1,360 PS), enabling the AMG GT XX to hit a prime velocity of over 360 km/h. For these retaining rating, sure, that’s larger than what the AMG One hypercar is able to, and that one has an precise System 1 engine. Who says EVs can’t hit excessive speeds?
These motors are juiced by a battery specifically developed by Affalterbach and Mercedes-AMG Excessive Efficiency Powertrains (HPP) in Brixworth – the latter of System 1 fame – and makes use of a nickel cobalt manganese aluminium (NCMA) chemistry with a silicon anode and a full-tab configuration, which means much less inner resistance. The cylindrical cells are lengthy and skinny and are available in an aluminium housing, aiding cooling in live performance with an oil-based coolant that flows immediately across the cells.
The result’s a battery that may ship repeatable excessive power whereas sustaining a excessive energy density and significantly fast charging. How fast? Strive a searing 850 kW due to an 800-volt structure, which means it may possibly pump in 400 km of extra vary – sufficient for it to get from Affalterbach to Spa-Francorchamps, Mercedes helpfully provides – in simply 5 minutes. Hopefully, the manufacturing model will include a voltage booster to permit for charging at 400-volt stations, not like a few of Stuttgart’s different choices…
Conserving the battery blissful is a exact temperature management system that shortly heats the pack as much as an optimum temperature after which retaining it cool. This not solely permits for sooner charging speeds but additionally minimises the battery’s ageing – even throughout spirited driving with frequent discharge underneath onerous acceleration and powerful regenerative braking pumping electrical energy again in.
All that is housed in a physique construction made out of aluminium, metal and fibre composite supplies, with the battery built-in inside and forming a part of the crash construction. The automobile itself is lengthy and low, with a sweeping roofline and orange paint that, along with the low, wide-mouthed Panamericana grille, twin bonnet nostrils and twin black bonnet stripes, is clearly meant to channel the experimental C111 prototype.
Nearly as putting is the conspicuous lack of gaudy three-pointed stars. For example, the slim vertical headlights consists merely of dual projectors; the housing itself varieties a part of an exterior speaker for the “driving sounds”, saving house and weight. In the meantime, the taillights are made up of three circles on both facet, giving the automobile a Ferrari-like vibe (am I the one one getting hints of 812 Superfast?).
Between these lamps is an MBUX Fluid Gentle Panel containing greater than 700 RGB LEDs, which can be utilized to speak with the surface world. The contoured underbody creating floor impact downforce eliminates the necessity for drag-inducing wings or spoilers, however there’s a pop-up airbrake hidden within the tailgate. As is changing into the norm today (for seemingly no obvious motive), there isn’t a rear windscreen.
Aerodynamics is a key issue within the AMG GT XX’s design. Due to options just like the slim door mirrors, flush pop-out door handles, low-slung roofline and energetic grille shutter, the drag coefficient is a powerful 0.198 regardless of the fats tyres, permitting the automobile to hit its comparatively lofty prime velocity (Mercedes says that at 300 km/h, 83% of the drive power is used to beat drag.
Different options embrace a clearly-defined ground that runs from the entrance splitter by the facet skirts to the massive carbon fibre rear diffuser. The facet sills are the place one other innovation is situated – MBUX Fluid Gentle Paint. Sections of the panels are coated in electroluminescent paint that not solely supplies a putting glow at night time but additionally serves as a charging indicator. The expertise was trialled on AMG GT3 race vehicles on the Nürburgring 24 Hours final weekend.
In a world first, the wheels function energetic aero with 5 movable parts. They scale back drag and enhance vary when closed, however they may also be opened to not solely cool the brakes but additionally draw turbulent air out of the wheel wells. The actuator for the weather is powered utilizing electrical energy generated by the shifting wheels and is related to the automobile utilizing Bluetooth.
Step inside and also you’ll discover an inside closely impressed by the AMG One, replete with a floating show panel, discrete silver centre air vents and an oblong steering wheel. The latter options paddles for controlling the regenerative braking power and is topped by lights to sign recuperation and energy output, though it’s not onerous to think about them being repurposed as paddle shifters and shift lights for simulated gear modifications, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N fashion.
Elsewhere, there’s a ten.25-inch digital instrument show and a 14-inch infotainment touchscreen that’s angled in direction of the driving force. They sit atop a flat dashboard that dispenses with cladding in favour of a wrinkle end harking back to engine cam covers, even when the actual motive might be to save lots of prices by not utilizing soft-touch supplies.
The identical end is discovered on the centre console, shaped by an extrusion from the body-in-white. They function illuminated orange tubes meant to imitate high-voltage cables and are topped by heatsink-like finned parts topped by the AMG crest. It appears the designers stared too onerous on the internals of a gaming PC…
The roof is manufactured from carbon fibre and isn’t coated in headlining, saving weight (and once more, perhaps prices) along with cloth door pulls and the carbon buckets; the pews behind are built-in into the rear bulkhead. The 3D-printed cushion pads are upholstered in Labfiber “biotech” fake leather-based and suede upholstery created from discarded rubber from GT3 race vehicles, whereas the door pulls are shaped in fake silk created by genetically-modified micro organism. Six-point harnesses are fitted on the entrance.
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