Yahoo Autos Only Two Guys at AMG Are Trained to Build Pagani Huayra Engines
All of AMG's engines are special by their hand-built nature, but some are more special than others. Namely, a the 6.2-liter V8 used in the AMG GT3 race car–yes, a version of the same motor used in the old SLS AMG–and the 6.0-liter V12 that goes in the Pagani Huayra. These ultra-limited production engines are put together in this small corner of the factory by a team of only four mechanics. It looks unassuming in pictures, but this small space is where some of the greatest engines in the world are built.
On a trip to Europe with Mercedes-Benz, I had the opportunity to tour AMG's facilities at Affalterbach, and it's as much an industrial altar to the gods of speed as you think it is. Where the rest of Mercedes has a reputation for being conservative, AMG is where everyone lets their hair down, as it were. The entire factory where AMG's mighty engines are built by hand is impressive, but this section is truly special.
Every mechanic in Germany goes through three years of apprenticeship before two months of additional training if they're hired by AMG, but just four employees get to build these ultra-limited production motors. Two are trained to build the Huayra engine, and three build the GT3 engine. The man pictured working here is Michael Kübler who's the only AMG mechanic who builds both. This arguably makes him one of, if not the most important person in AMG's Affalterbach factory.
Everything about these two engines is unique within the world of AMG, both in their rarity, and all of the extra time it requires to build each.
Where it takes only a few hours to build the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 found in the C63 and the AMG GT, it takes around two and a half days to build the AMG GT3's engine. Since it's installed in a real-deal GT3 race car, every single detail needs to be reported back to the FIA with exact detail, lest their be any suspicions of cheating. Patience is a requirement here.
Unlike the GT3's engine, it only takes around a single day to build the engine in the Huayra, but seeing one on the workbench is an event in and of itself, since Huayra production is so limited. Interestingly, AMG recently decided to outsource V12 production to a Mercedes factory up the road because it was too busy building V8s, but the Huayra's V12 is the sole exception.
Currently, Kübler and his colleagues are cranking out GT3 engines at a rate of around six per week, but it seems that Huayra engine production is waiting to ramp up once again when the specifications of the hardcore Huayra BC are finalized. When I spoke to Pagani representatives at the BC's U.S. unveiling in New York this spring, they said to expect 800 horsepower. Or more.
What's striking about this small piece of real estate in AMG's factory is how uninteresting it appears at first glance. It seems no different from the rest of AMG's relatively small assembly line, but it is. Unless someone told you what was built here, you'd be none the wiser.
