The REALITY Behind AMG Hand-built Engines

[John Laidlaw]

Just need to unpick this.



What is your definition of quality? Build quality? Vehicle longevity? Corrosion performance? Perceived quality? Touch and feel response? All of those are massively improved over what they were 20 or 30 years ago. We can measure it empirically and those measures show significantly reduced failures over time as the designs have progressed. Any claims to the contrary are pipe dreams combined with rose tinted specs.

The big issue isn’t that MB have become worse. They haven’t. They’ve become a lot better. However they sit at the very top end of the market. Their aspiring competition- Lexus, Infiniti, Genesis etc. have all massively improved from where their models were 20-30 years back; the aspiring end of the market has improved more at a greater rate across all metrics than the top end of the market has. That’s a result of the state of industrial technology allowing the cost of technology content within the vehicles to be reduced hugely over time. As an example, now 80% of the cost of a car’s satnav unit is the map data license fee; in 2000 it was 25% (the license fee hasn’t changed...)

The same with very many other things. The cost of NVH isolation now dramatically reduced after VAG spread their in-metal tech across the development of A, B and C segment lineup from 1998 to 2005.



I’ll let you into a secret. There are about 4 automotive electronics manufacturers. Valeo, Bosch, Alps and Koito. That’s literally IT- there are a few subcontractors mainly on the lighting side for pick and place/ SCEM work. They design and manufacture the electronics for the whole industry with the exception of the domestic Chinese cars.

Where is your data and fact on rusting bodies or collapsing engines? Not anecdotal evidence. Actual data.



MB, BMW, JLR, & Audi form the top end of the main volume European car market. Due to that they still maintain a committed base of devotees. As to whether or not they deserve it, why not and who does over them?

Well said and written Craig- wholeheartedly agree with this.
I seriously think there are very few BAD cars these days- thinking of the rubbish I was forced to drive in my early driving days I would swop none of those for probably even the lowest of the market stuff we have now....

 

[Craiglxviii]

I imagine Aston Martin have a similar process. The writer seemed to be suprised that nuts and bolts weren't hand made by the individual engineer.

They did until Andy Palmer took over!

 

[Craiglxviii]

From Mercedes Magazine:

https://www.mercedesmagazine.com/me...ontent/reality-behind-amg-hand-built-engines/

It’s also bollocks. Blueprinting engines means investing as much as possible in the manufacturing tolerances of the kit making the engines to give those engines the necessary precision. That article exactly describes “file to fit” which went out in the 1960s here and in the 1930s in the US.

Why have a craftsman hand-forging a crankshaft with a cold chisel and anvil, when they can be machine forged and rotation welded at a fraction of the cost and time involved, and result in a better performing, stronger, lighter product? Why not design that into the product to start with?

MB Magazine needs to gain a better understanding of the state of design engineering, I’d say.

 

[Rappey69]

I’ll let you into a secret. There are about 4 automotive electronics manufacturers. Valeo, Bosch, Alps and Koito. That’s literally IT-

?? So what about denso, Mitsubishi, Draexlmaier Group (and a fair few more german manufacturers) and Delphi, to think of a few?

 

[Craiglxviii]

?? So what about denso, Mitsubishi, Draexlmaier Group (and a fair few more german manufacturers) and Delphi, to think of a few?

They act as Tier 1. Denso buy and store, sometimes assemble but their manufacturing arm has been withering for years and now it’s atrophied to the point that Asteelflash just hoovered up their main pick & place contract. Delphi similar, they are in second or third tier nowadays. Those I mentioned have a disproportionate share of the market.

 

[robparker]

I don't think mercedes-amg ever tried to pretend it was something it wasn't... They have released their own videos showing the engine assembly process. I think the writer misunderstood what AMG were saying.

 

[Craiglxviii]

Or deliberately misrepresented...!!

 

[Westheath]

Well its says "Hand Crafted" on the label.

Lost in translation ..........?

Vorsprung Durch Technik'

 

[keefysher]

Ive a signature on/in the windscreen of my AMG Line W166, does that mean the owner of the signature:
1- mixed the sand to make the glass by hand themselves,
2- fitted the windscreen,
3- built the car
4- or its just a marketing thing?

 

[PovertySpec]

Amusing that the article is full of typos and incorrect grammar. He's offering a fine critique of an engineering process, without checking the quality of his own output.

Articles submitted to some low-end and trade magazines often are submitted factually correct and spelling error free and are then re-written by 'editors' for 'house style' and sent to press without being checked for accuracy, without so much as a by-your-leave.

Sometimes, the first the author knows about it is when the angry/mickey taking telephone calls / emails begin.

Cue much anger and embarrassment all round.

I have no idea if this is the case in this instance.

 

[John Laidlaw]

Frankly pathetic. ‘Journalist’ with a bee in his bonnet patched together some inaccuracies from other ‘journalists’ and doesn’t even use the modern invention ‘spell check’ thereby ruining and little credibility he ‘may’ have gained by mistake .....how glad I am that my career deviated from that particular profession....