When the M178 AMG V8 biturbo engine came out, it was a dramatic improvement over its predecessor. Its features showcase Inventive Principles.
Lower displacement
The new engine is 4.0 litres in displacement, compared with its 6.2-liter M156/159 predecessor, a whopping 35% reduction. Principle 35 – Parameter Change
With improvements listed below, the new engine is able to make comparable power while weighing less and taking less room under the hood.
Hot V
Typical V8 engines draw air from intake manifolds at the centre of the V and exhaust through manifolds on either side. This engine swaps these so that it feeds exhaust into a “hot V” which brings more energy to the centrally located twin turbos. Principle 13 – The Other Way Round
Porous coating
Nanoslide is a proprietary Mercedes-Benz technique that coats cylinder bores with porous iron for reduced friction and better wear resistance. Principle 31 – Porous Materials
Valve train
The dual overhead cam valve train has variable intake and exhaust timing. Principle 15 – Dynamics
The cams act on finger followers that have rollers to minimize friction. Principle 14 – Spheroidality & Curvature
Lightning strikes 100 times
The engine direct injects fuel five times and fires its spark plugs up to 100 times with each power stroke. Principle 19 – Periodic Action
Shared parts
This new engine shares pistons, rods and injectors with its four cylinder AMG cousin to reduce development costs. Principle 6 – Universality
