Mercedes-Benz disclosed today that their new twin turbo V8 4.7L and 3.5L V6 engines will have fuel mileage comparable to the hybrids combining gas and electric motors. The V6 will be 24% more efficient while the V8 is also impressive at 22%.
The figures are not yet the official EPA report but the estimate of the German car manufacturer. Portion of the fuel efficiency can be attributed to start-stop system implemented by Mercedes-Benz. Most likely the EPA rating will not reflect an excellent fuel efficiency in the US market since the standards of testing do not take into consideration yet systems like a start/stop.
The V8 will be a twin turbo unit utilizing direct injection technology and will have a displacement of 4663 cc. According to insiders, this engine will makes its first appearance through the coupe CL- Class and the S-Class sedan by fall of this year. The engine can give out an impressive 435 horsepower and a torque of 516 pound-feet. The horsepower is up by 12% while the torque improved by as much as 32%. Engineers were also able to set the compression ratio of the engine at 10.5:1 because of the direct injection.
The V6 has a new architecture to debut. The powerplant has a V angle from 90 degrees gone to 60 degrees. The carmaker installed new exhaust and intake giving it an ouput of 306 horsepower and a torque eof 273lb-ft. Mercedes-Benz claims that there will be a 24% fuel economy for the new S350 compared to its old sibling. Again, the better efficiency can be linked to the start/stop system installed. There is no word yet on which model this V6 will be used first.
Both engines, by the way, have ancillary units that take less of the power of the engine. These elements should be considered by the EPA when sticking those fuel efficiency numbers. These units are the water pump, fuel pump, and the oil pump. The new V8 and V6 engiens will also have an intelligent management system.
Source: InsideLine
