AMG Engine Makes E55 AMG Wagon the Ultimate Automotive Decathlete
LOS ANGELES – The world’s fastest wagon – the new Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG – is making its North American debut this week during news media activities preceding the Los Angeles Auto Show, open to the public January 7-16 at the L.A. Convention Center.

While it delivers the same stylish design, sumptuous comfort and versatile utility found on all E-Class wagons, the new E55 AMG wagon also packs the purposeful power of 469 horses and 516 lb-ft of torque, thanks to its 5.5-liter supercharged AMG V8 engine.

The limited-production E55 AMG wagon is the first AMG vehicle of this body type to be offered in the U.S. This model has proven highly successful in Europe, and AMG owners in the U.S. have been asking for this unusual combination of thoroughbred high performance and Clydesdale utility.

The exclusive new wagon also comes with AMG aerodynamic bodywork (deeper front and rear aprons as well as sculpted rocker panels) and AMG 18-inch alloy wheels with staggered tires – 245/40 ZR 18 in front and 265/35 ZR 18 in the rear. Inside, black Birdseye maple trim is standard, and special AMG gauges and sport seats finished in nappa leather upholstery hint at the performance that’s always on tap.

The new E55 AMG wagon stops as fast as it goes, thanks to high-performance four-wheel disc brakes with oversize perforated and ventilated rotors with multi-piston calipers.

V8 Kompressor – The Dual-Personality Powerhouse

The new AMG wagon sprints from zero to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds, and the 5.5-liter supercharged V8 engine with a sport exhaust coupled with the Formula 1 style steering-wheel-mounted gearshift buttons and AMG-developed four-stage Airmatic air suspension make it an unforgettable driving experience.

Its 5.5-liter, supercharged and intercooled V8 engine is hand-assembled one at a time by expert technicians at Mercedes-AMG in Affalterbach, Germany and is bench-tested to ensure top performance. The sturdy V8 engine uses a Lysholm-type, belt-driven supercharger with scrolling aluminum rotors, providing usable boost virtually from idle speed, generating a maximum of 11.6 psi (or 0.8 bar) of boost pressure.

The Kompressor V8 also uses a specially developed air-to-water crossflow intercooler located in the “V” of the engine block beneath the supercharger. The intercooler reduces intake air temperature, creating denser intake air and further boosting power. Other features of the Kompressor V8 include a fast-acting electronic throttle, revised cam timing, high-rate valve springs and lightweight valves.

AMG SpeedShift Gear Selection at the Steering Wheel

The towering torque of the E55 AMG engine requires a high-capacity five-speed automatic transmission with SpeedShift programming that nets 35-percent quicker gear changes. In manual mode, gear changes can also be made by pressing either of the two steering-wheel mounted shift buttons – left side for downshifts and right side for upshifts. If asked (by holding the gear lever to the left when in Drive), the SpeedShift transmission can also switch to an “Optimum Gear Selection” program, automatically downshifting and determining the best possible gear for maximum acceleration in any situation. The SpeedShift transmission will also hold a selected gear under high cornering loads, preventing an upshift in mid-corner. A lightweight torque converter can lock up in all forward gears when conditions warrant. This all adds up to the liveliest, most dynamic performance possible, yet exhibits refinement when driven under normal conditions.

Like all Mercedes-Benz cars, the E55 AMG wagon uses ESP stability control to prevent skids and spins in poor weather driving. However, because the E55 AMG expands the performance envelope, ESP is programmed specifically for the model, with high power, handling grip, dynamics and braking performance all playing a crucial role in its new programming.

Stronger and Safer Than Ever

Underneath the sleek, elegant E-Class exterior is a super-strong body structure that provides a solid foundation for occupant safety. High-strength steel accounts for about 37 percent of the car’s weight, and nearly ten percent of the car is lightweight aluminum, including the hood, front fenders, trunk lid, as well as the front sub-frame and bumper cross members.

Advanced Restraint Systems

Adaptive front airbags deploy with lower force in less severe accidents and with higher force in more serious collisions. The front passenger airbag even takes passenger size into account, getting its signal from a special sensor in the front passenger seat. In collisions, seat belt tensioners remove belt slack, and belt force limiters then loosen the belts progressively, reducing chest loads and gaining greater benefit from the front airbags. A rollover sensor deploys the curtain airbags and belt tensioners if it detects an imminent rollover.

Large-Scale Use of Electronic Braking

An innovative electronic braking system – another Mercedes safety first – is standard equipment in all E-Class models. The electronic braking system provides faster, more sure-footed response, especially in emergencies. Although electronic braking made its industry debut on the SL roadsters, equipping all E-Class models with electronic braking represented the first large-scale use of this revolutionary technology.

With electronic braking, the brake pedal works with an array of sensors, an electrically driven hydraulic pump, a high-pressure reservoir and a computer that tells four fast-acting valves exactly how hard to apply the brakes on each wheel. With split-second accuracy, the system can change brake pressure on each wheel over uneven surfaces and can even increase brake pressure on the outside wheels when braking in turns.

S-Class Derived Dual-Control Air Suspension

The E-Class rack-and-pinion steering, four-link front suspension and patented five-link rear suspension are similar to that of the S-Class. A new AMG-developed four-stage version of the Airmatic air suspension provides unparalleled control of wheel motion on the E55 AMG. Airmatic suspension uses sensors that monitor road conditions, driving style and cornering forces to ensure that the system always chooses the best air spring and shock absorber settings.

The system can switch between different suspension modes in a fraction of a second, and the driver can also select from four pre-set suspension response programs. In essence, the Airmatic suspension system eliminates the compromise between handling and ride comfort, because it automatically optimizes both.

Even Greater Luxury

All E-Class models feature a stylish interior with a sweeping dashboard and center console, soft-touch trim surfaces, elegant wood and chrome trim elements as well as a full array of power amenities such as power tilt and telescoping steering wheel, power windows with one-touch up/down operation and auto-dimming mirrors. The limited-production E55 AMG wagon comes with standard four-zone climate control that allows different temperature settings for the rear outboard passengers as well as the driver and front passenger. Also standard on the both the E55 AMG wagon and sedan models is a Harman Kardon Logic 7 audio system that features seven-channel surround sound, concert-quality output and 12 high-end speakers.

FRANKFURT -- DaimlerChrysler will make all the different versions of its Mercedes-Benz E-class cars at its plant in Sindelfingen, Germany, from 2007, the world's fifth-biggest automaker said on Friday.

Austrian contract car builder Magna Steyr, a unit of Magna International Inc., has been making the four-wheel-drive version of the E class under licence. Its annual output of the model is around 20,000 cars.

Magna Steyr will keep building the Mercedes G-class SUV in Graz, Austria, said Daimler in a statement. Magna Steyr has made more than 185,000 units of the G class there since 1979.

"By continuing to produce the G-Class in Graz and manufacturing all E-class variants at our main plant in Sindelfingen from 2007, we have found a viable solution for both partners," Mercedes Car Group chief Dieter Zetsche said.