"ATaylor-Jones" (alanjtaylor)
09/25/2014 at 17:05 • Filed to: LLHH, Twin engines, AMG, Mercedes, A38, A190 Twin
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29|
"ATaylor-Jones" (alanjtaylor)
09/25/2014 at 17:05 • Filed to: LLHH, Twin engines, AMG, Mercedes, A38, A190 Twin | 9
| 29 |
As potential performance cars go, the first generation Mercedes A-Class is not a vehicle that immediately springs to mind. After a Swedish magazine famously rolled one performing the elk test in 1997, chucking one around a corner at speed never sounded like a great plan. AMG had other ideas though, ideas that revolved around doubling the A190's horsepower by doubling the number of engines making the A38.
Disappointingly (or maybe thankfully?) AMG didn't go mad with the engines, ignoring the fact that there are two of them. The engines were lifted straight from the A190 so only developed 125 bhp each giving a total of 250 bhp and 265 Ib ft of torque, figures now dwarfed by the AMG A45. Look under the bonnet of the A38 and it was standard A-Class, the other engine being mounted Smart style under the rear floor. This still allowed a surprising amount of luggage space albeit without any sort of spare tyre.
Mercedes may have tweaked the suspension and fitted stability control as standard but the clever sandwich floor would always ensure a high centre of gravity. To combat this, track widths were increased at both ends and the suspension lowered. Attractive 18 inch 5 spoke wheels sat under subtle wheelarch extensions while braking up front was dealt with by discs and callipers from the E55 super saloon.
The A38 would actually drive on the front engine only with the second being kicked into life with a switch oddly by the electric window controls. A fly by wire throttle and automated clutches made the engineers lives easier although having both gearboxes cable operated from one gearstick may have been a bit of a nightmare. Once both engines were running, performance was actually pretty rapid with 60 being dispatched in 5.7 seconds, not far off a Ferrari F355. The van like shape meant top speed was not quite as impressive at 143 mph.
Driving impressions for the A38 are unsurprisingly scarce considering only 4 were allegedly built. 1998 F1 world champion Mika Häkkinen comes to the rescue here having been interviewed driving his new company car by a German magazine. Assuming he wasn't just being polite, Mika reckoned the car felt screwed together like a Mercedes should keeping all of the luxuries you'd expect. The steering was said to be direct with seemingly some feel although ride quality suffering from the uprated suspension.
Even with all the extra effort, you still can't change the laws of physics. You'll notice precisely no photos of the A38 sideways because like the standard car, it had to have stability control that you couldn't turn off. You get the distinct feeling that the extra grip of those wide tyres might be enough to overcome the 10mm lower stance and widened track should an elk wander into your path. However potentially life threatening it might be however, Mercedes should be commended for the wonderful insanity of this little project. If there's one thing the world needs its more cars with two engines.
Cé hé sin
> ATaylor-Jones
09/25/2014 at 17:17 |
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Two engines? Fine.
Two bog standard engines when AMG were involved? Not so fine. AMG, where was your ambition?
gergey - Wishes vette was Datsun
> Cé hé sin
09/25/2014 at 23:53 |
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Really though.
Within a decade of the first single engine aircraft, people started building twin and then after that, quad engine planes... So where's our wildly impractical car versions of the B-52 with eight engines?!?!
Yimmy_D_Yo
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 11:53 |
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And why not just a 250 hp single engine...
Crest
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 11:54 |
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Now add twin turbo's to each engine, then give me a call
PatrickPM
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 11:56 |
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The Twini did it better; however it did almost kill John Cooper when he tried to drive it
Gary Yogurt
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 11:57 |
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Needs DTM flares and canards.
Buckus
> Crest
09/26/2014 at 11:58 |
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Now drop the standard engines for 2 Chevy small blocks and give me a call.
Mercedes Streeter
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 12:00 |
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Fun fact: The Mercedes A was one of the offspring from Mercedes' project with Swatch. One version of the Swatch concepts became the A-Class, the others became the Smart City Coupe (the smart fortwo). Both cars failed the Elk Test horribly, leading to those adorable pizza cutter tyres on the first generation models.
And strangely enough, Mercedes did the double engine thing with the smart roadster Brabus Bi-Turbo V6. Only it was two smart engines welded into one pulling a ton of boooooooooossssst. Thing was able to accelerate to 60 MPH in under 5 seconds!
taigashen
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 12:02 |
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it looks like a smart car with a benz ml come body kit on it.
KSEGGFTW
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 12:03 |
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SO COOL. I didn't even knew this existed.
Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 12:30 |
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Smaller wheels and more sidewall would do you no harm.
MrMongoose
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 12:34 |
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Was there ever anything that came close to a ''successful'' double engined car? One that was produced but actually had more then a few? I know there was crazy Cadillac that had 2 northstars and a crazier Smart Brabus, anything else?
Blaquer
> Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
09/26/2014 at 12:35 |
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It would make you have to get smaller brakes.
Ben C
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 12:57 |
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I remember this car! Insane!
Stephen
> Mercedes Streeter
09/26/2014 at 13:01 |
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I read somewhere that SMART = Swatch + Mercedes + ART
jalopneek
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 13:03 |
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Does two engines mean two oil changes? Two oil filters? Can you switch to one specific engine when the other one throws a rod? Probably not the last one, seeing as that would double the alternators, A/C compressors, etc.
I wouldn't put it passed the Germans to super over-engineer a larger oil pan that gets its space from fitting inside the passenger seat cushion.
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Stephen
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 13:05 |
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Twin engined A-class? That's cute. I give you the Mosler TwinStar Eldorado
Brede
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 13:19 |
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I remember reading about this in the late 90's. It obviously made a big impression on me.
chucchinchilla
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 13:20 |
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According to a German friend of mine who's father was friends with some MB execs, they also threw an F1 engine in an A-Class (behind the driver) as an engineering project. I'm sure it's sitting in one of their warehouses somewhere..
afterace
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 13:30 |
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I still wonder who the hell looked at this thing on the design board and thought it's a great idea to greenlight it for production. I've driven the second generation model once and absolutely hated it.
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Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
> Blaquer
09/26/2014 at 14:15 |
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True!- but pulling the tire off the bead & grinding the wheel lip into the pavement would lead to sorrow. A car of this shape would love to roll over and play dead.
RazorGP
> Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
09/26/2014 at 15:19 |
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Not sure. you should ask every Mexican in the area over here.
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Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
> RazorGP
09/26/2014 at 15:23 |
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Yes, but culturally, they don't live and die by the hustle that a twin-engine AMG demands.
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RazorGP
> Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
09/26/2014 at 16:09 |
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And nether will those wheels and tires if they keep that rubber band as a sidewall.
Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 16:31 |
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Damn, that's pretty cool. Where'd you dig this up from?
Brockzila
> ATaylor-Jones
09/26/2014 at 18:05 |
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there is one on display here in Melbourne at the Linfox Car Collection along with a host of other exotivs
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ATaylor-Jones
> Camshaft Chris: Skyline/McLaren/Porsche Fanboy
09/26/2014 at 18:41 |
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I was thinking of odd cars and this just popped into my head. I think I must have read about it back in the day.
Chech
> ATaylor-Jones
09/27/2014 at 10:39 |
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I've seen one of these in person, Lindsay Fox has one sitting in his museum in Melbourne. Back in 2012 I took my first look around and snapped some photos, but lost most of them when the laptop died. Went through again a month ago, but didn't bring my camera.
In the far left corner, behind all the Ferraris, it's been moved into the room with the rest of his Mercedes now, crazy bit of engineering, unfortunately at the time I was awestruck by the F40 and didn't take enough photos of it, just the one and that's sadly gone now.
m2m, apex detective
> ATaylor-Jones
04/18/2015 at 08:29 |
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One of the more interesting specimen from the hands of Mercedes’ eager junior staff.
They had a trainee project where they stuffed the 500’s V8 with its 388 hp into a B-Class using little money and replacement parts mostly.
I feel this is strongly related. ;)