Affalterbach, Germany -- Thomas Rappel (recall, in French) is certainly not a good name for someone who works in the auto industry. But that has not prevented him from becoming the chief executive officer of AMG, Mercedes' performance division. I recently had a long and interesting conversation with him. We talked about all-wheel drive, diesel engines, manual gearboxes and even the future of AMG.
Q : Mr. Rappel, will we ever see all-wheel drive AMG cars?
A : We definitely realize that our 4Matic system is more and more popular. This puts us in front of a strategic dilemma: should we create an AMG 4Matic? Surely, we're not closing the door shut. In fact, we talk about it quite a bit. Technically, it is possible. As for safety and image, we don't see any problems, either.
But an AWD system adds weight to a car while also increasing its price and fuel consumption. We have to evaluate what would be lost in terms of driving, what kind of speed the car would be able to achieve in corners as well as the performance in auto-cross. We'll keep discussing and analyzing until we get all the answers we need.
Q : With the success of Audi's diesel engine at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is AMG considering going in the same direction?
A : We made a little foray into the diesel world with our 5-cylinder diesel-powered C30 AMG (editor's note: introduced in 2003 exclusively in Europe). That said, we're not planning on offering a new diesel AMG. Mercedes' current diesel V6 does a really good job. Obviously, we studied the market, but we found out that not many consumers are interested in a diesel-powered AMG car.
Q : Will the B-Class have its own AMG model some day?
A : No, and neither the A-Class for that matter. First, they're front-wheel drive vehicles. We wondered if by making them more powerful, we could compete with such performance cars as the Volkswagen GTi, and our engineers said no. So, we won't go forward with this project.
One more thing we have to take into account is: how much do we want to spread our wings? You know, our top-of-the-line model, the S65 AMG, costs around $250,000CA. What would our image and reputation be if we offered, at the very bottom of the lineup, an AMG A-Class? That's why we'll never go lower than the C-Class. As for a possible C63 AMG? We're still in the evaluation process; no decision has been made.
Q : Normally, performance is improved by a manual gearbox? Why not at AMG?
A : True, BMW offers a manual transmission; that's what sets the company apart. At AMG, we obviously seek performance, but we want it to be combined with daily driving. Of course, we had extremely long talks over this issue, with a lot of requests coming from North America. However, we decided to stick with our automatic gearbox. We believe that the SpeedShift feature, with its steering wheel mounted paddle shifters and three different settings (comfort, manual, sport), is more than adequate to suit all driving styles.
Q : What are your most popular models?
A : Our all-time greatest hit is the SL 55 AMG. Last year, however, it was the CLS 55 AMG and this year, our best-selling car is... the ML 63 AMG sport utility vehicle. Do I have a problem with that? Go ask Porsche the same question (with their Cayenne)!
Q : Does the quest for more horsepower have an end? For example, are you working on a 800-hp rocket?
A : Technically, we could increase the performance rating fairly easily with a quad turbo engine, for instance. Just take a look at the 1001-hp Bugatti Veyron... But I'll ask you a question: with a pure rear-wheel drive car, how much of this power can be distributed to the road? What kind of power is really "useful"? We believe that 500 or 612 horsepower, in the case of our S65 AMG, are good numbers that allow us to stay competitive.
Q : Mr. Rappel, will we ever see all-wheel drive AMG cars?
A : We definitely realize that our 4Matic system is more and more popular. This puts us in front of a strategic dilemma: should we create an AMG 4Matic? Surely, we're not closing the door shut. In fact, we talk about it quite a bit. Technically, it is possible. As for safety and image, we don't see any problems, either.
But an AWD system adds weight to a car while also increasing its price and fuel consumption. We have to evaluate what would be lost in terms of driving, what kind of speed the car would be able to achieve in corners as well as the performance in auto-cross. We'll keep discussing and analyzing until we get all the answers we need.
| In Canada, one out of 10 Mercedes is an AMG. |
Q : With the success of Audi's diesel engine at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is AMG considering going in the same direction?
A : We made a little foray into the diesel world with our 5-cylinder diesel-powered C30 AMG (editor's note: introduced in 2003 exclusively in Europe). That said, we're not planning on offering a new diesel AMG. Mercedes' current diesel V6 does a really good job. Obviously, we studied the market, but we found out that not many consumers are interested in a diesel-powered AMG car.
Q : Will the B-Class have its own AMG model some day?
A : No, and neither the A-Class for that matter. First, they're front-wheel drive vehicles. We wondered if by making them more powerful, we could compete with such performance cars as the Volkswagen GTi, and our engineers said no. So, we won't go forward with this project.
One more thing we have to take into account is: how much do we want to spread our wings? You know, our top-of-the-line model, the S65 AMG, costs around $250,000CA. What would our image and reputation be if we offered, at the very bottom of the lineup, an AMG A-Class? That's why we'll never go lower than the C-Class. As for a possible C63 AMG? We're still in the evaluation process; no decision has been made.
Q : Normally, performance is improved by a manual gearbox? Why not at AMG?
A : True, BMW offers a manual transmission; that's what sets the company apart. At AMG, we obviously seek performance, but we want it to be combined with daily driving. Of course, we had extremely long talks over this issue, with a lot of requests coming from North America. However, we decided to stick with our automatic gearbox. We believe that the SpeedShift feature, with its steering wheel mounted paddle shifters and three different settings (comfort, manual, sport), is more than adequate to suit all driving styles.
Q : What are your most popular models?
A : Our all-time greatest hit is the SL 55 AMG. Last year, however, it was the CLS 55 AMG and this year, our best-selling car is... the ML 63 AMG sport utility vehicle. Do I have a problem with that? Go ask Porsche the same question (with their Cayenne)!
| AMG's largest market is... across the ocean: the United States. |
Q : Does the quest for more horsepower have an end? For example, are you working on a 800-hp rocket?
A : Technically, we could increase the performance rating fairly easily with a quad turbo engine, for instance. Just take a look at the 1001-hp Bugatti Veyron... But I'll ask you a question: with a pure rear-wheel drive car, how much of this power can be distributed to the road? What kind of power is really "useful"? We believe that 500 or 612 horsepower, in the case of our S65 AMG, are good numbers that allow us to stay competitive.