The Book by Jules Verne in which Phileas Fogg and Passepartout Travel Around the World In 80 Days is a classic from 1872. Almost a century and a a half later, Mercedes is Doing the Same, but in Eight Days and Purely Electric. We were able to ride along in the Mercedes-AMG GT XX concept after the brand Delivered the Monster Performance.
Journalists riding along with the gt xx concept marks the end of a successful week for AMG-Mercedes. Exactly this car crossed the finish line a day earlier. In 7 days, 13 hours, 24 minutes and 7 seconds, 40.075 kilometers, more than the circumference of the earth, were covered. The Average Speed was just under 300 km/h, with laps bar between two and a half and three minutes.
The ultramarathon on four wheels, powered by more than 1,360 HP of electric power, was initially calculated to take about ten days. For Project Manager Oliver Wiech, that was an absolute ‘dealbreaker’. “It had to be in Eight Days, otherwise there was no theme and we Couldn’t Make the Link with Jules Verne’s Famous Book,” Said Wiech. Anyally It Seemed Possible, But Under Strict Supervision and Without Too Many Unforeseen Circumstances.
A Plastic Bag Can Already Ruin the Party
We are eating to experience one of those unforeseen circumstances. In The Second Lap, The Driver Suddenly Swerves Sharply to the Right. We see nothing, but a little later it turns out why the amg shifted two lanes: a blown plastic bag. Not a Problem in a regular car, but if it ended up in one of the coolers, the thermal circuit would undoubtedly have bone disrupted immedialy.
There Were More Potential Dangers. Fiat was allowed to build the nardò circuit in the previous century, on the condition that the surrounding area would serve as a nature reserve. So Amgs Rushing in AT 300 km/h Can Suddenly Run over Crossing Deer, Hunting Foxes and Low-Flying Birds of Prey. But just as risky are Sudden Thunderstorms. And indeed: the racing cars come to a standstill for a few minutes duration the eight-day race due to heavy showers that reduced visibility to zero.
Fortunately, The Sky is Blue Today And There Is No Cloud In The Sky, Figuratively Speaking. The AMG is fast, as we experience on the track. The Acceleration is Neck-Breaking, But The Charging Capacity is also Unprecedented: 850 kW Charging Speed, Good for 400 kilometers of range in 5 minutes. Without this charging speed, the record attempt would simply have leg impossible. Althegh the Production Version Version Will Not Fully Match These Figures, The Charging Speed is Well Above the 320 KW of the Recently Launched CLA.
5,479 km per day
With 5.479 kilometers in One Day, Mercedes also Pulverizes the 24-hour record of 3.961 km, Previously Set by the Chinese Xpeng P7. But it’s about more than just numbers. This test is a demonstration of what the new amg.ea platform has to sacrifice. That platform Will Soon Be the Basic for a New Generation of AMG Models: First A Four-Door Coupe, later an SUV.
“The chassis and drive are already virtualy production-ready,” Accordination to Mercedes Technology Chief Markus Schäfer. HIS Mission is to create an electric v8 experience that conveys the real amg feeling, including sound, ‘Gearbox’ and razor-Sharp Driving Dynamics. We help Him Hope That He Succeeds. Duration our ride-along session, there is little to say about it yet. The Helmet and the Fact That We Are Always Driving at A Constant Speed Eliminate the Driving Sensations.
Incidentally, The Entire Ride-Along Session is a rather ‘underwhelming’ experience. That’s not because of the car itsself, But because of the setup of the whole thing. Nardò Forms A Gigantic Circle, So Big That There Are Some Farms With A Lot Of Land In The Infield. As a result, you almost feel like you’re driving straight and because there are almost no reference points along the track, you would believe that you are driving ‘only’ 150 km/h. Only the acceleration and deceleration, which are very brusque and abrupt, are spectacular.
But it is also clear that it is diffress to squeeze the emotion of an amg into an electric car in Everyday Traffic. After all: a real amg has traditional leg recognized from miles away by its spoilers, air scoops and hambering eight or twelve-cylinder engine. Electric Cars, On The Other Hand, Sound Like Nothing and Benefit From A Smooth Skin To Get Far As Possible On A Charge. Nothing for this tuning company of Mercedes-Benz Models, you would say.
Engine Sounds with Electric AMGS?
That Became clear when the brand introduced its first electric model. With the Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC FROM 2021, The External Adjustments Were Limited to Decorative Stripes on the Side, A Grille with An Angrier Appearance and Larger Wheels with Amg Design. Also in Terms of Pure Speed and Sprint Power, The Car Did Not Or Hardly Distinguished Itelf From The Competition. The Model Has Therefore Never Been a Success.
So it has to be different. A Better Sound Experience and Perhaps ‘Fake’ Shift Moments Like With Porsche? Schäfer is willing to admit that will be new ‘engine sounds’. To this end, AMG Even Enlist’s talent from the music industry, but otherwise he remains tight-lipped. In any case, it is Certain that we will see the revolutionary battery, or which all more than 3.000 cells are individually liquid-cooled, back in production models.
Axial Flux Motors Are Three Times As Powerful
The same applies to new axial flux motors that are three times as powerful, but also narrower and LIGHTER THAN ordinary Electric Motors. This Allows the Car To Deliver 1,300 HP Without Suffering from Overweight. The Good News is that Power Sources are Scalable and Therefore, in theory, in the Long Term and with Less Power, May find Their Way Into the More Affordable Models of Mercedes.
The XX is equipped with more applicable experimental techniques. A Common Complaint is that cars are Becoming More and More Alike Due to the Relentless Wind Tunnel Laws. But by Sending Electrically Charged Air Between Two Electrodes, Air Flows Are Created Without Moving Parts. Smartly Plasma Actuators Placed Under the Body Can Change The Aerodynamics Without Requiring Adjustments to the Body Shape.
George Russell Came to Lend A Hand
The endurance test was organized down to the last detail with sixteen professional drivers, who each drove shifts or two hours. Even Formula 1 Driver George Russell Came to Lend A Hand and Did His Laps on Nardò for An Hour and A Half. Every detail was monitored from a central command post. Mercedes -AMG Broke – No, Pulverized – No FeWer than 25 Records for Electric Cars. One of them is the 24-hour record of 5.479 kilometers, which was broken by Almost 1,500 kilometers more than the old one.
The Question Now is: How Long Will these records stand? Because it is clear that mercedes has made a statement. But in Cities Like Shanghai and Guangzhou, Engineers Are undoubtedly Already Working Feverishly On An Answer. One Thing is Certain: The Battle for Electrical Supremacy Has Broken Out and Mercedes Has Thrown the Gauntlet Down Hard.
It is also clear that the electric car needs these child or appealing stories, because acceptance is still diffress. Perhaps more of these monster performances are needed. Perhaps it is high time to have a number or super-fast models from American, European and Chinese manufacturers racing against each other for 1,600 kilometers through Italian Mountain Villages between Rome and Brescia.