Unless you’re Bavarian, AMG is the defining three-letter initialism of German performance cars. The Mercedes division began in the late 1960s as an independent racing engine builder founded by two of the automaker’s former engineers. Despite its close ties to the three-pointed star, outside manufacturers have long coveted AMG powertrains and struck deals to fit the hand-built engines into their cars.
Lotus Emira (2022)
The Lotus Emira launched with a 3.5-liter supercharged Toyota V6 engine, but it was soon replaced with an AMG powerplant. The same turbocharged inline-four from the A-Class A45 AMG was fitted into the two-door coupe. The deal was struck presumably because Geely, Lotus’ majority owner, also holds a stake in Daimler. On a significant note, the Emira is the last internal combustion car that Lotus will ever produce.
Aston Martin DB11 (2017)
Lotus wasn’t the first British automaker to be supplied with AMG engines. The division’s 4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine was put into the entry-level version of the Aston Martin DB11. It was a prominent piece of a technical partnership between AMG and Aston Martin, announced in 2013. The deal also saw AMG acquire a five-percent stake in the British luxury manufacturer.
Aston Martin Vantage (2018)
The same AMG twin-turbocharged V8 engine was put into the current generation of the Aston Martin Vantage. However, the engine wasn’t the most significant talking point of the coupe when it was revealed. Everyone had an opinion of the grille looking like a shark with an overbite. While I didn’t mind it, Aston Martin removed it in a DB12-esque face lift last year.
Aston Martin DBX (2020)
To finish off our Aston Martin trilogy, the DBX was also fitted with the same AMG twin-turbocharged V8 engine. The powerplant is arguably the best aspect of Aston Martin’s first production SUV. The DBX’s 707 variant features a modified version of the engine that produces nearly 700 horsepower.
Pagani Zonda (1999)
Excluding Mercedes, AMG’s partnership with Pagani is its oldest active collaboration. The Zonda was the first Pagani hypercar fitted with an AMG powerplant: a 7-liter V12 engine. Coincidentally, the Italian hypercar was heavily influenced by Mercedes’ racing heritage. The Zonda’s name was inspired by five-time F1 world champion Juan Manuel Fangio, and its shape is reminiscent of the Sauber-Mercedes Group C prototypes.
Pagani Huayra (2011)
A 6-liter twin-turbocharged AMG V12 engine found its way into the Pagani Huayra, the Zonda’s successor. However, the deal with the German engine builder limited Zonda to building just 100 Huayra hypercars, 40 fewer than its predecessor.
Pagani Utopia (2022)
The Pagani Utopia featured the same 6-liter twin-turbocharged AMG V12 engine mated to a manual transmission, a rarity in 2022. As Pagani ponders the methods of fitting a high-capacity battery into a lightweight chassis, it’s unclear whether or not the Utopia will be the Italian manufacturer’s last internal combustion hypercar.
Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 (2006)
The Chrysler Crossfire SRT-6 was an unusual product of its era after Daimler-Benz merged with Chrysler in 1998. The Crossfire shared its platform and 80 percent of its components with the Mercedes SLK R170, effectively a hand-me-down model as the SLK moved on to a new generation. The SRT-6 was AMG’s mouth-watering twist on the Chrysler and featured a 3.2-liter supercharged V6 engine.
Mitsubishi Galant AMG (1989)
AMG’s far-flung 1980s partnership with Mitsubishi was a tale of two sedans. Mitsubishi Debonair V 3000 Royal AMG was a four-door executive carriage, but it didn’t feature an AMG powerplant. However, a special edition of the humble Galant was fitted with a 2-liter Mitsubishi inline-four engine optimized by AMG and debuted in 1989.
Isdera Imperator 108i (1984)
AMG’s first prominent non-Mercedes partnership was with Isdera, a boutique German sports car manufacturer. The Imperator 108i was fitted with a few Mercedes powerplants across its decade-long production run. In its final years, a 6-liter AMG V8 engine produced 390 horsepower. The small automaker only built 30 108i sports cars.
Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993)
Isdera’s 108i successor didn’t feature an AMG engine. However, hands from AMG did tune the 6-liter Mercedes V12 engine that was put into the Commendatore 112i at some point. The same powerplant would eventually end up in the Pagani Zonda.
