Mercedes-Benz S 55 AMG: Top sedan with a sporting heart

• V8 engine with 5.5 liters engine displacement and 265 kW/360 hp
• High performance and superior comfort

Just six months or so after the introduction of the new Mercedes S-Class, the DaimlerChrysler subsidiary company Mercedes-AMG GmbH is now launching its sporty version of the revolutionary top sedan. The main difference between the S 55 AMG and its standard equivalent is its more powerful engine, which permits a level of performance normally only found in top-flight sports cars.

With this objective in mind, the Mercedes-AMG engineers did not have far to look, for the 5-liter series production engine in the S-Class provided an ideal basis on which to exercise their power-enhancing skills. This modern V8 engine with its innovative three-valve technology and dual ignition system was given a bore-stroke ratio of 97 x 92 millimeters to increase its displacement to 5439 cubic centimeters, thus providing the essential prerequisite for further torque improvements. The bare facts also serve to impress upon us the result of their efforts: with 265 kW/360 hp available at 5500 revs/min, the torque reaches an impressive upper limit of 530 Nm at 3250 revs/min, although it already goes over the 450 Nm point at 2000 revs/min and remains at this level up to and beyond the vehicle's rated speed. This impressive torque gives the S 55 AMG an acceleration of 0 - 100 km in a mere 6 seconds. The car's top speed is electronically regulated at 250 km/h, although the vehicle can also be supplied, at the customer's request, without speed limitation.