Report: AMG pondering RWD performance version of small FWD Benz

[Bill Wood]

Filed under: Mercedes-Benz, Rumormill

When we think of AMG, the first thing that comes to mind is a herculean 6.3-liter V8 engine that delivers hellacious thrust. We don't give rear-wheel drive much think time because with Mercedes-Benz and AMG, it's a given. That will change for Mercedes in the next couple years with the introduction of a new family of small, premium front-wheel-drive vehicles.

A report from Motor Trend claims that the next Mercedes A-Class and B-Class are reportedly among five new FWD vehicles based on the German automaker's forthcoming MFA platform. But while FWD platforms may be essential to Mercedes-Benz's goal of 1.5 million vehicles per year by 2015, MT tells us that AMG wants nothing of it. AMG will reportedly re-engineer the MFA platform for rear-wheel drive for future performance applications. That's right, you've read that correctly-re-engineer a front-wheel-drive platform for rear-wheel-drive fun. That sounds expensive and a bit impractical to us, but apparently the idea has legs within the hallowed halls of Mercedes' performance unit.

We figure the 6.3-liter is out of the question too, and MT says insiders at AMG insist that a turbocharged four-cylinder engine could be tuned to deliver the over the top torque and horsepower that customers have come to expect. Word is that a decision to modify the MFA platform for RWD is due by the end of the month, and we know what we're hoping for.

[Source: Motor Trend]Report: AMG pondering RWD performance version of small FWD Benz originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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Autoblog
01-22-2010 06:29 PM