ONE MAN ONE ENGINE | Big Boy Toyz

One man, One Engine

The DYNAMIC SELECT selector knob

Affalterbach. Heard this word before? Okay, I get it you haven't.

Yes it's alright too if you can't pronounce it too. Most people can not. Let's simplify things. Ever heard the term AMG? If not, then you should not be here my friend. But for those of you who know about AMG even though you don't know what it means or can not pronounce this one too, welcome!

A car enthusiast slower than a donkey would have guessed, that we are talking about fast as hell Mercedes cars here. We all love a fast sporty Mercedes with the AMG badge and the spin chilling power it offers, but have you dwelled in deeper than that? I guess not. Allow me to elaborate.

Mercedes AMG GmbH, or more commonly know as simply AMG is the high performance division of Mercedes Benz. Founded and based in Affalterbach, Germany it has been taking mercedes cars from its ‘regular’ lineup and has been making totally bonkers like almost on the verge of insane performance versions.

Originally an independent firm in itself, their work on Mercedes cars gained such acclaim that Daimler-Benz bought a controlling share in the firm. Over the years it was so well received that in 2005 Daimler-Benz became its sole owner. AMG stands for Aufrecht Melcher Grossaspach. Hans Werner Aufrecht (A) and Erhard Melcher (M) who were partners, while Aufrecht's birthplace of Grossaspach (G) was how the name came to be. But you don’t want to focus on that too much partly because of the fact that it is near impossible to spell and pronounce for you and me. Lets just call AMG ‘Ahh My God’ shall we?
Okay sorry lets not.

Leave alone the average person, even the casual enthusiast does not know is the level of dedication that goes into an AMG car, specifically its engine.

AMG is one of the few companies in the industry that still focuses on hand built engines. At AMG they follow the philosophy of one man, one engine. It showcases the level of emotion that a single builder puts into a single engine. Only the employees with the maximum experience are employed here. They consider their hand made engines as pieces of art. If the engines didn’t have to go in a car, they would probably take them home and consider it as their children!

Each engine is honoured with an engraved plaque of the builder’s signature. The factory at Affalterbach runs at an easy pace which ensures each engine is perfectly built to the satisfaction of the builder. Each and every part of the engine ranging from the main block to the pistons are scanned via codes. These codes are fed into tablet computers present with each builder keeping a record of the parts going into a engine while guiding the builder as well.

The engine in picture here is the super exclusive Twin Turbo V12 for the Pagani Huayra built by AMG

Each engine component is oiled before being put together to ensure the harmony that a well built engine is. The only machine used in building a complete engine is a nut and bolt tightener, testament to the dedication of the company to deliver hand crafted masterpieces. After the completion of every engine, every builder affixes an engraved plaque on the engine that bears his signature. It is moment of pride for every builder. Seeing his name on the engine knowing that he built it all by himself creates a sense of accomplishment in them.

source - you tube

The plaque attests to the quality of the engine. With engine configurations ranging from inline fours to big behemoth V12s, AMG has come to be one of the most flexible, yet true to its roots brand. I think Mercedes should rename AMG as ‘I (A)m the (M)aster of this (G)rowl. It’s better than speaking gibberish isn’t it?!

Here are some gobsmacking pictures of outlandish AMG cars from the Mercedes stable. Try not to drool though, it’s not cool.