Mercedes-AMG’s 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 engine will not be installed in any further Mercedes models after next year.
Despite only being introduced in 2011 and highly praised for its power, throttle response and sound, the M157 motor will be replaced by the new twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 already seen in the Mercedes-AMG GT and about to be released in the new C63.
Despite its smaller proportions, the new engine is capable of delivering even more power than the M157, along with dramatically better fuel and emissions numbers.
The 5.5-litre engine will be used in the forthcoming GLE Coupé, revealed at the Detroit motor show, and its final application in a new car will be in the convertible version of the S-class coupé, which is due to break cover in 2016.
That said, given existing product cycles, it seems likely that the engine will remain in production until towards the end of the decade.
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