Luxury brands have always been interested in flagship super SUVs. On Friday, we learned that Mercedes-AMG plans to make its own in two years, based on ideas from its main competitor. This huge car will go up against the Porsche K1 electric three-row SUV and the BMW XM, no matter what its name is. It will be all-electric, unlike the XM, and so will the K1. Autocar says that this mysterious SUV will not be built on an existing Mercedes-Benz vehicle, which is different from all of the sub-brand’s hot SUVs so far. This means that the comparison to BMW’s disputed M car is accurate. It will be a completely different creature, though its size will be similar to the XM. Because the Bimmer weighs over 6,000 pounds, it’s good that AMG is said to be looking for 1,000 brake horsepower (986 hp). That will make it feel lighter. Axial flux electric motors, like the ones found in the Ferrari 296 GTB and McLaren Artura, which are relatively hybrid supercars, will be very important for delivering power. Both use motors made by YASA, which was the first company to sell the technology. It is important to remember that Merc bought YASA three years ago. You can be sure that they will be used in a cutting-edge way by the Silver Arrows super SUV. YASA says that one of their axial flux motors that weighs 52 pounds can make up to 473 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of force. These motors are very strong for how small they are, and the 800-volt design in the company’s next platform, AMG.EA will help them work better. When you add in cutting-edge torque vectoring and four-wheel steering, it’s clear why Mercedes is said to be optimistic about the project’s chances. The result should stay true to the original idea, even if that’s not what most people think. Is the world ready for another pricey SUV that can do dances on the side of the track? No, of course not. A few weeks ago, I would have laughed at the idea, but I just spent a week with a BMW X5 M Competition and loved it. I don’t want to give away too much because there is going to be a review soon, but trust me when I say that you will be blown away by how powerful these people and shopping movers are. You know that if you ask them to be more agile than they are ready to give, they will stutter and stumble, finally making you lose control. On the X5 M, it doesn’t happen at all. These are real supercars, and if I say that about a “normal” ICE car like the BMW with its twin-turbo V8, then the next Merc with quick torque and 60% more power will really confuse me. Let’s check out what they have. The lower centers of gravity of SUVs don’t completely replace those of better two- and four-door cars. It’s always good to have more AMGs.
