Just last week Tobias Moers, CEO of Mercedes-AMG, confirmed that every new model from 2021 is going to be electrified.
While this isn't too much of a surprise with the way the automotive world is going, the comment about the brand's signature driveline was a pill that is a lot harder to swallow.
Talking to Autocar, Moers mentioned that customers are choosing all-wheel drive cars over AMG's traditional rear-wheel drive layout, so the brand is going to have to change to meet their desires.
"Customers have given us the answer, and most want four-wheel drive," says Moers. "Back in the days when we had an AMG E-Class as rear-wheel drive and with four-wheel drive as an option, over 90 percent chose 4WD. In the new E63 with drift mode, you have a real rear-wheel-drive car but with four-wheel drive also," he told the British publication.
No AMG model escapes this blanket change, as the AMG GT supercar is also getting a revised driveline. This wouldn't have been an easy decision to make, but according to Moers, more and more customers are asking about the possibility of an AWD GT.
"When I ask customers about the GT, they ask me about all-wheel drive," Moers said. "Regarding our competition, this is the downside of the AMG in terms of usability. People in Munich, for example, always, always ask for four-wheel drive – I think it’s for safety and stability."
While it is a hard pill to swallow, safety and stability will always be at the top of a manufacturer's list of priorities.
If these comments killed your AMG hopes and dreams, you're not going to want to read this last one — after the S65, the AMG V12 is no more.
“We’re still responsible for V12s – maybe Maybach is going to use them in the next-generation S-Class, but not AMG," the CEO said.