on video Inside Germany's top Mercedes AMG factory producing giant V8 engines

 Inside Germany's top Mercedes AMG factory producing giant V8 engines

During our recent trip to Stuttgart to drive the 2018 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S 4MATIC+, the German manufacturer took the opportunity to show us around the AMG factory in Affalterbach.

In 1967, Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher founded a small company to design and build racing engines. Although they built their business in a small town called Burgstall an der Murr, Aufrecht was born in Großaspach, which is the third letter of the acronym AMG. The two men caused a stir when they entered the AMG 300 SEL 6.8 — also known as the famous Red Pig — in the 1971 24 Hours of Spa endurance race, finishing the event in second place. At the time, they probably didn't know that their company would become a full-fledged high-performance division within Mercedes-Benz, responsible for creating the most

Over time, in addition to building racing engines, AMG began to modify Mercedes-Benz road cars, thereby improving their performance and handling. The firm moved its headquarters from Burgstall to Affalterbach in 1976 and since then the factory has expanded. In 1993, AMG and Daimler-Benz signed a partnership agreement, and cars bearing the AMG badge began rolling off the Mercedes assembly lines — the first being the C36 AMG in 1993. In 1999, the manufacturer (known at that time as DaimlerChrysler) acquired 51% of AMG, and the balance of shares in 2005.

Since then, Mercedes-AMG has been a full subsidiary of Daimler AG, and is no longer a simple tuning company, but above all a development one. It employs nearly 1,700 people — 70% of them working in the development department.

At the moment, the only things built in Affalterbach are the 4.0-liter and 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8s fitted to many of its models, but also the 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 in the Pagani Huayra, of which about 35 units are assembled every year. The V8s are built by hand on the “one man, one engine” principle, meaning that a single mechatronics engineer builds the gleaming V8s from A to Z.

The 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo that powers the AMG 45 models as well as the 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 in the AMG 65 models are assembled in other German factories. As for the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 of the AMG 43 models, it is built normally alongside other Mercedes-Benz engines.

The process of creating an AMG V8 is fascinating. Each mechatronics engineer begins to assemble it from the bottom up on a trolley, using coded components. When each step is completed, the mechatronics engineer pushes his trolley to the next workstation.

And at each of the stations, sensors and cameras monitor the assembly process, and the slightest error or omission is detected. A screen displays green, yellow or red dots depending on the work done, and the mechatronics technician cannot advance to the next station if all the dots have not turned green, the tools of the next station remaining locked. In other words, no one can make mistakes or forget anything. Each step in the assembly of an engine is documented and archived. The technician completes his work by affixing a signed crest to the top of the engine.

Each engine is tested cold in a machine that runs it electrically to detect leaks, but it is only started with gasoline once it is installed in the vehicle.

About 3.5 hours are needed to manufacture an AMG V8, and five hours for a V12. When the working day is over, everyone pushes their cart into a corner of the factory and covers the partially assembled engine with a tarpaulin. Note once again that only one person touches a motor during its assembly - even if the employee goes on vacation or is absent due to illness, the motor will remain untouched until the worker is feedback. This obsession with detail is appreciated by customers of AMG products. Moreover, several of them write letters to the mechatronics engineers, thanking them for having built such a magnificent engine.

At the Affalterbach plant, there is also a workshop where AMG customers can have their vehicle modified. We weren't able to take any photos during our visit, but the place was filled with beautiful machines benefiting from an increase in power, aerodynamic additions or a personalized interior. The AMG folks clarified that each vehicle admitted to the workshop was completely assembled and delivered to the customer before receiving the desired modifications.

Sales of AMG vehicles have increased considerably in recent years. In 2013, 32,000 vehicles sporting

an AMG crest were sold; in 2017, more than 100,000 AMG vehicles will find buyers. It must be said that the AMG 43 variants are largely responsible for this increase. At the moment, the fastest AMG model is the E 63 S sedan, which accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. The E 63 S station wagon needs 0.1 seconds more. However, in the near future, we should see AMG engineers playing with electric motors to improve the power of these vehicles.

 Inside Germany's top Mercedes AMG factory producing giant V8 engines

During our recent trip to Stuttgart to drive the 2018 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S 4MATIC+, the German manufacturer took the opportunity to show us around the AMG factory in Affalterbach.

In 1967, Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher founded a small company to design and build racing engines. Although they built their business in a small town called Burgstall an der Murr, Aufrecht was born in Großaspach, which is the third letter of the acronym AMG. The two men caused a stir when they entered the AMG 300 SEL 6.8 — also known as the famous Red Pig — in the 1971 24 Hours of Spa endurance race, finishing the event in second place. At the time, they probably didn't know that their company would become a full-fledged high-performance division within Mercedes-Benz, responsible for creating the most

Over time, in addition to building racing engines, AMG began to modify Mercedes-Benz road cars, thereby improving their performance and handling. The firm moved its headquarters from Burgstall to Affalterbach in 1976 and since then the factory has expanded. In 1993, AMG and Daimler-Benz signed a partnership agreement, and cars bearing the AMG badge began rolling off the Mercedes assembly lines — the first being the C36 AMG in 1993. In 1999, the manufacturer (known at that time as DaimlerChrysler) acquired 51% of AMG, and the balance of shares in 2005.

Since then, Mercedes-AMG has been a full subsidiary of Daimler AG, and is no longer a simple tuning company, but above all a development one. It employs nearly 1,700 people — 70% of them working in the development department.

At the moment, the only things built in Affalterbach are the 4.0-liter and 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8s fitted to many of its models, but also the 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 in the Pagani Huayra, of which about 35 units are assembled every year. The V8s are built by hand on the “one man, one engine” principle, meaning that a single mechatronics engineer builds the gleaming V8s from A to Z.

The 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo that powers the AMG 45 models as well as the 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 in the AMG 65 models are assembled in other German factories. As for the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 of the AMG 43 models, it is built normally alongside other Mercedes-Benz engines.

The process of creating an AMG V8 is fascinating. Each mechatronics engineer begins to assemble it from the bottom up on a trolley, using coded components. When each step is completed, the mechatronics engineer pushes his trolley to the next workstation.

And at each of the stations, sensors and cameras monitor the assembly process, and the slightest error or omission is detected. A screen displays green, yellow or red dots depending on the work done, and the mechatronics technician cannot advance to the next station if all the dots have not turned green, the tools of the next station remaining locked. In other words, no one can make mistakes or forget anything. Each step in the assembly of an engine is documented and archived. The technician completes his work by affixing a signed crest to the top of the engine.

Each engine is tested cold in a machine that runs it electrically to detect leaks, but it is only started with gasoline once it is installed in the vehicle.

About 3.5 hours are needed to manufacture an AMG V8, and five hours for a V12. When the working day is over, everyone pushes their cart into a corner of the factory and covers the partially assembled engine with a tarpaulin. Note once again that only one person touches a motor during its assembly - even if the employee goes on vacation or is absent due to illness, the motor will remain untouched until the worker is feedback. This obsession with detail is appreciated by customers of AMG products. Moreover, several of them write letters to the mechatronics engineers, thanking them for having built such a magnificent engine.

At the Affalterbach plant, there is also a workshop where AMG customers can have their vehicle modified. We weren't able to take any photos during our visit, but the place was filled with beautiful machines benefiting from an increase in power, aerodynamic additions or a personalized interior. The AMG folks clarified that each vehicle admitted to the workshop was completely assembled and delivered to the customer before receiving the desired modifications.

Sales of AMG vehicles have increased considerably in recent years. In 2013, 32,000 vehicles sporting

an AMG crest were sold; in 2017, more than 100,000 AMG vehicles will find buyers. It must be said that the AMG 43 variants are largely responsible for this increase. At the moment, the fastest AMG model is the E 63 S sedan, which accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. The E 63 S station wagon needs 0.1 seconds more. However, in the near future, we should see AMG engineers playing with electric motors to improve the power of these vehicles.