The Evolution of Mercedes Engines: A Journey Through Time

My 1992 Mercedes 500 II is a significant step in the evolution of Mercedes engines, marking the next stage in the development of V8 engines. What's fascinating about this sedan is that it was actually built in partnership with Porsche, highlighting the collaboration between these two renowned automotive companies.

Under the hood of my 500 II lies the M 119 V8 engine, a design that saw significant advancements during its production. The M 119 featured double overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, as well as electronic fuel injection. Despite its simplicity, this engine was capable of producing 325 horsepower in 1992 – a remarkable feat for its time. This engine's popularity can be attributed to its reliability, power output, and ease of maintenance, making it one of the beloved Mercedes engines of all time.

Fast forward to the late 1990s, when the M 119 was replaced by the M 113 engine. This new design started out as a smaller engine for the V8 Mercedes but was later adapted for larger vehicles like the 500 SL. The M 113 engine saw significant advancements, including increased power output, and was used in various Mercedes models, including the AMG version of the E 55 S 55 CL 55, which boasted an impressive 470 horsepower without a supercharger. In fact, a modified M 113 engine found its way into the SLR McLaren, producing over 600 horsepower – a testament to its potential.

The next generation of Mercedes engines was introduced in 2007 with the introduction of the M 27 V8, also known as the V64 biturbo. This engine boasted a 6.2-liter displacement and featured variable valve timing (VVT) – a technology that allowed for more precise control over engine performance. The M 27's advanced design enabled it to produce significant power increases while still meeting stringent emissions standards. One of the notable features of this engine is its continuously variable valve timing system, which adjusts the intake valves' opening and closing based on engine speed.

However, like any complex engine technology, the M 27 V8 had its challenges. The most notorious issue with this engine was the head bolts, which could fail and require a complete teardown of the engine to repair. Another problem that affected some of these engines was the camshaft, which would often vibrate excessively due to the continuously variable valve timing system. This vibration could lead to premature wear on the timing chain and required the replacement of costly components.

As we move forward in time, it's clear that Mercedes has continued to push the boundaries of engine innovation. The introduction of turbochargers in some models has increased power output while maintaining fuel efficiency. However, as a die-hard Mercedes enthusiast, I have to admit that I'm not exactly thrilled about the direction this takes our beloved company.

The latest generation of V8 engines features smaller displacements and the addition of turbos, making them even more complicated than their predecessors. While these advancements may provide improved performance, I worry about the reliability and durability of these engines. The Mercedes E 61, in particular, boasts a 6.2-liter V8 engine with advanced variable valve timing technology. This engine's complexity is undeniable, with features like continuously adjustable intake valves and electronic throttle control.

In conclusion, the evolution of Mercedes engines has been a remarkable journey, marked by significant advancements in power output, efficiency, and technological innovation. From the simple yet powerful M 119 to the sophisticated M 27 V8, each generation has built upon the last, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in automotive engineering. While there may be challenges ahead, I'm excited to see where this journey takes us next.

As for my SLK55, I've grown quite fond of it. Despite its limitations when it comes to hauling heavy loads, such as a baby, I think it's a wonderful car that deserves to be appreciated. Perhaps we can find ways to make it more practical without sacrificing its performance or character. After all, who wouldn't want two cars? The SLK55 is already a great companion, and with a little creativity, we might just find a way to keep both it and the baby happy.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enin my last video I came off as a little harsh about the reliability of modern Mercedes and it's pretty understandable because after dyno testing my 2007 Mercedes e63 wagon and having the check engine light pop on again after spending thousands and thousands of dollars fixing it same issue with the previous owner he spent thousands and thousands of dollars fixing it and same with the owner before him it's understandable why I was a little fired up but the check engine light did turn off the next day as I started driving the car a little bit more so really maybe it's not that bad and also there has been one other modern AMG in the fleet that has been totally flawless for nearly the past year that I've owned it and as this Mercedes 2008 slk55 unfortunately though it doesn't look like I'm keeping it because well it can't haul a baby so nearly a year ago I bought this 2008 Mercedes slk55 AMG for my fiance shortly actually before we got married and it was exactly the car she wanted she wanted a convertible Mercedes that was red and finding red is really hard because most people buy new Mercedes and they get black or white or thirty shades of silver and that's about it so finding a red one was really hard but I finally tracked down this slk55 from mercedes-benz of Scottsdale and I had to play a pretty penny for it considering its eleven years old but it has been totally flawless and perfect but now something's happened and I don't know how it happened but my wife is now pregnant she's going to have a baby and this thing it won't baby or maybe it will I like it so much I'm gonna try it's been a long time since I've had to deal with with babies my daughter now is six years old is my wife's first child and I don't remember anything but I do you know I can't put the baby in the front seat because of the airbag and it doesn't have an anchor there so I was thinking maybe a mount like like here but I don't want to drill holes in it so maybe maybe a little bit of tape I don't know yeah look over the tape right across like like so yeah I'll probably be maybe one more just for safety yeah yeah so that will give that a shot let's see okay test number one if the slk55 can baby and i could already tell this is probably a little dangerous because I can't hear the baby cry at all from inside of here something's wrong then I wouldn't know so maybe if I put the top down that would probably help right yeah it's probably a good idea hey there little buddy I'll do three pieces of tape now just to make sure you don't fall again little Tyrone yeah alright little buddy you're not going anywhere alright so far so good the neighbors think I'm an idiot which isn't anything new but the baby seems secure back there and this car is definitely worth trying to figure out how hollow baby in because my wife loved this thing and unlike my terrible luck with cards it's been totally totally flawless for her but honestly it probably doesn't have anything to do with luck really it has a lot to do with this engine as m113 v8 which is the last year the SLK was the last year of this dinosaur of an engine that started all the way back in 1997 and cars like the c 43 AMG the e4 30 CL k 430 and unlike all the newer Mercedes of the ACE which I'll get into here in a little bit it doesn't have all of the complication it doesn't have twin turbos to make it go fast or variable valve timing less electronically controlled so there's not a whole lot to fail but it's still pretty decent power oh yeah 355 horsepower in this little itty bitty cars that's that's really good it kind of makes this thing feel like an LS swap Miata in a tuxedo because you have all of these modern conveniences to now it is a thousand pounds heavier se than a Miata but the power-to-weight ratio just clobbers it this thing's almost 2 seconds faster 260 then a new Miata and it has all the modern conveniences you would need and then some my favorite is the wind scarf so you can have the top down on a chilly autumn day and this will blow air to keep your neck warm it's so nice but still this car isn't overly complicated say in an SL or an S Class because this is the lower this is the cheaper in Mercedes so it doesn't have air ride suspension and it was spared that SBC brakes the electronic brake by wire system that many Mercedes of this era were negatively affected by and Mercedes eventually abandoned that this cars also knew enough to be really simple to diagnose and repair if something goes wrong it doesn't have too many computers where there's tons of things as a brake but enough to make it really easy to figure out what the fault is unlike on some of my older Mercedes so it's not all dinosaur technology it's kind of a great old meets new for Mercedes including the transmission because it has the 7-speed Angi speed shift setup this was the first car to have it back in 2005 of the slk55 and it's something that was widely adopted through the Mercedes lineup later it's pretty easy to find nice examples for under $20,000 like I would sell this thing for eighteen thousand dollars which is a lot of car for the money but the question is do I really want to sell it do I really eighteen thousand dollars but I'd be able to find something nearly as cool to drive that's just like this Oh little buddy are you okay here I'll set you back up no I'm done now we're gonna get a little nerdy here with Mercedes because I think it's pretty cool that I have the complete history of the a spanning almost 50 years for basically the beginning to where things went horribly wrong so let's start with the beginning in my 1985 Mercedes 500sl now for those of you that aren't Miller this is actually my first car my grandeur got this thing new in 1985 and let me start driving it as a teenager I was a really lucky hit but the engine it's ancient it dates all the way back to 1971 when it came out in the s-class the 280 SE 4.5 i believe and it is the m1 17 v8 really simple two valves per cylinder bosch mechanical fuel injection it just feels like it's one big solid piece of invincible metal like Thor's hammer this one's actually the all aluminum kind of rally inspired version the most powerful version they ever made of the m1 17 has 245 horsepower and most of the issues that people have with these are age-related the valve seals will go bad and it starts smoking out of the exhaust or you know the timing chain like attention errs they let go and that mashes a valve into the cylinder but really solid engines you don't really have to worry about it other than the timing chain usually every 20 years or a hundred thousand miles just super solid engines now my 1992 Mercedes 500 II is the next evolutionary step in Mercedes v8s and this sedan was actually built in partnership with Porsche I made a video on it if you haven't seen it yep explaining all that but under the hood of this is the M 119 v8 which saw a big ignore that it saw a lot of advancements like double overhead cams so four valves per cylinder electronic fuel injection but still it's not that complicated this engine put out 325 horsepower which is a lot in 1992 and it's one of those beloved Mercedes engines of all time and it's easy to see why it's simple its serviceable is powerful it's it's just a great engine and my SLK is the further evolution of that and i know you're probably thinking hey this slk55 is a year newer in the e63 but also keep in mind this engine started out in the late 90s to replace the m 119 this is the m113 engine and i think the numbers went backwards because it originally was a smaller engine for the smaller v8 Mercedes but it was eventually adapted all the way up to the 5 liter cars like the 500 SL and in this car it has 355 horsepower which is in the big step over the m 119 but the AMG version in the e 55 in the s 55 CL 55 came with a supercharger and stock was putting out 470 horsepower without issues and people would tune them to way way more a modified m113 engine was also found in the SLR McLaren and that put out over 600 horsepower so they kind of took the M 119 and made it a little more compact efficient and better but it's still an excellent engine you just can't kill it yes three generations of engines spanning almost 40 years of excellence and then we get here to my 2007 East 61st year of the m27 3 6.2 liter v8 but the big difference is in the top-end this is this engine is way more advanced than any of the Mercedes VH to come before it and that's to get a lot more power out of the same size or a little bit bigger engine but also to comply with even stricter emissions standards and to get a little more fuel economy the biggest difference is in the heads which have variable valve timing that is continuously variable it's different all the time it's electronically controlled along with the intake is the size of the flaps of the intake open and close it it's very very complicated and it comes with a lot of issues with all this new technology the famous one with these AMG engines is the head bolts which let go and that requires completely tearing down the engine hasn't happened this one you have with 200,000 miles but it is a common problem another problem which has affected this engine is the cam very aiders this continuously variable valve timing thing it's complicated and it starts rattling on cold start ups and it can let go and toss the timing chain and the cam barriers have to be replaced and it is a major major job I mean just look at all these electronic plugs and everything that's that's in here and then there's the balance shafts which is a bigger issue with the V six version of this the M 272 but it does affect some of the v8s as well and that requires tearing down the engine to replace this little sprocket that helps keep the engine balanced just completely take out the engine tear it down so this is the future and the next generation of v8 which I haven't experienced yet took this complicated engine made it a little smaller and threw a couple of turbos here in the middle even more complicated as diehard of a Mercedes enthusiast that I am I'm not that excited about Mercedes future it's gonna be rough oh I'm trying to figure out how we can get this slk55 to baby because if we can't haul a baby in this thing obviously we can't keep it we should get rid of it well I mean you don't need two cars you can see another one that actually can haul a baby you have treated cars what can I have two I mean I don't know maybe you can I guess so isn't it cute yeah it's very cute it's got a lot of tape on him now it's all your fault how did you get pregnant in the first place then we wouldn't have this problem at all it's I don't even understand how it happened in the first place how does how do people get pregnant where do babies come from oh oh oh that oh oh oh yeah well anyway I guess we're gonna hang on to it I was going to sell it but you seemed to like it so and I like it too so what will keep it thank you for watching hahain my last video I came off as a little harsh about the reliability of modern Mercedes and it's pretty understandable because after dyno testing my 2007 Mercedes e63 wagon and having the check engine light pop on again after spending thousands and thousands of dollars fixing it same issue with the previous owner he spent thousands and thousands of dollars fixing it and same with the owner before him it's understandable why I was a little fired up but the check engine light did turn off the next day as I started driving the car a little bit more so really maybe it's not that bad and also there has been one other modern AMG in the fleet that has been totally flawless for nearly the past year that I've owned it and as this Mercedes 2008 slk55 unfortunately though it doesn't look like I'm keeping it because well it can't haul a baby so nearly a year ago I bought this 2008 Mercedes slk55 AMG for my fiance shortly actually before we got married and it was exactly the car she wanted she wanted a convertible Mercedes that was red and finding red is really hard because most people buy new Mercedes and they get black or white or thirty shades of silver and that's about it so finding a red one was really hard but I finally tracked down this slk55 from mercedes-benz of Scottsdale and I had to play a pretty penny for it considering its eleven years old but it has been totally flawless and perfect but now something's happened and I don't know how it happened but my wife is now pregnant she's going to have a baby and this thing it won't baby or maybe it will I like it so much I'm gonna try it's been a long time since I've had to deal with with babies my daughter now is six years old is my wife's first child and I don't remember anything but I do you know I can't put the baby in the front seat because of the airbag and it doesn't have an anchor there so I was thinking maybe a mount like like here but I don't want to drill holes in it so maybe maybe a little bit of tape I don't know yeah look over the tape right across like like so yeah I'll probably be maybe one more just for safety yeah yeah so that will give that a shot let's see okay test number one if the slk55 can baby and i could already tell this is probably a little dangerous because I can't hear the baby cry at all from inside of here something's wrong then I wouldn't know so maybe if I put the top down that would probably help right yeah it's probably a good idea hey there little buddy I'll do three pieces of tape now just to make sure you don't fall again little Tyrone yeah alright little buddy you're not going anywhere alright so far so good the neighbors think I'm an idiot which isn't anything new but the baby seems secure back there and this car is definitely worth trying to figure out how hollow baby in because my wife loved this thing and unlike my terrible luck with cards it's been totally totally flawless for her but honestly it probably doesn't have anything to do with luck really it has a lot to do with this engine as m113 v8 which is the last year the SLK was the last year of this dinosaur of an engine that started all the way back in 1997 and cars like the c 43 AMG the e4 30 CL k 430 and unlike all the newer Mercedes of the ACE which I'll get into here in a little bit it doesn't have all of the complication it doesn't have twin turbos to make it go fast or variable valve timing less electronically controlled so there's not a whole lot to fail but it's still pretty decent power oh yeah 355 horsepower in this little itty bitty cars that's that's really good it kind of makes this thing feel like an LS swap Miata in a tuxedo because you have all of these modern conveniences to now it is a thousand pounds heavier se than a Miata but the power-to-weight ratio just clobbers it this thing's almost 2 seconds faster 260 then a new Miata and it has all the modern conveniences you would need and then some my favorite is the wind scarf so you can have the top down on a chilly autumn day and this will blow air to keep your neck warm it's so nice but still this car isn't overly complicated say in an SL or an S Class because this is the lower this is the cheaper in Mercedes so it doesn't have air ride suspension and it was spared that SBC brakes the electronic brake by wire system that many Mercedes of this era were negatively affected by and Mercedes eventually abandoned that this cars also knew enough to be really simple to diagnose and repair if something goes wrong it doesn't have too many computers where there's tons of things as a brake but enough to make it really easy to figure out what the fault is unlike on some of my older Mercedes so it's not all dinosaur technology it's kind of a great old meets new for Mercedes including the transmission because it has the 7-speed Angi speed shift setup this was the first car to have it back in 2005 of the slk55 and it's something that was widely adopted through the Mercedes lineup later it's pretty easy to find nice examples for under $20,000 like I would sell this thing for eighteen thousand dollars which is a lot of car for the money but the question is do I really want to sell it do I really eighteen thousand dollars but I'd be able to find something nearly as cool to drive that's just like this Oh little buddy are you okay here I'll set you back up no I'm done now we're gonna get a little nerdy here with Mercedes because I think it's pretty cool that I have the complete history of the a spanning almost 50 years for basically the beginning to where things went horribly wrong so let's start with the beginning in my 1985 Mercedes 500sl now for those of you that aren't Miller this is actually my first car my grandeur got this thing new in 1985 and let me start driving it as a teenager I was a really lucky hit but the engine it's ancient it dates all the way back to 1971 when it came out in the s-class the 280 SE 4.5 i believe and it is the m1 17 v8 really simple two valves per cylinder bosch mechanical fuel injection it just feels like it's one big solid piece of invincible metal like Thor's hammer this one's actually the all aluminum kind of rally inspired version the most powerful version they ever made of the m1 17 has 245 horsepower and most of the issues that people have with these are age-related the valve seals will go bad and it starts smoking out of the exhaust or you know the timing chain like attention errs they let go and that mashes a valve into the cylinder but really solid engines you don't really have to worry about it other than the timing chain usually every 20 years or a hundred thousand miles just super solid engines now my 1992 Mercedes 500 II is the next evolutionary step in Mercedes v8s and this sedan was actually built in partnership with Porsche I made a video on it if you haven't seen it yep explaining all that but under the hood of this is the M 119 v8 which saw a big ignore that it saw a lot of advancements like double overhead cams so four valves per cylinder electronic fuel injection but still it's not that complicated this engine put out 325 horsepower which is a lot in 1992 and it's one of those beloved Mercedes engines of all time and it's easy to see why it's simple its serviceable is powerful it's it's just a great engine and my SLK is the further evolution of that and i know you're probably thinking hey this slk55 is a year newer in the e63 but also keep in mind this engine started out in the late 90s to replace the m 119 this is the m113 engine and i think the numbers went backwards because it originally was a smaller engine for the smaller v8 Mercedes but it was eventually adapted all the way up to the 5 liter cars like the 500 SL and in this car it has 355 horsepower which is in the big step over the m 119 but the AMG version in the e 55 in the s 55 CL 55 came with a supercharger and stock was putting out 470 horsepower without issues and people would tune them to way way more a modified m113 engine was also found in the SLR McLaren and that put out over 600 horsepower so they kind of took the M 119 and made it a little more compact efficient and better but it's still an excellent engine you just can't kill it yes three generations of engines spanning almost 40 years of excellence and then we get here to my 2007 East 61st year of the m27 3 6.2 liter v8 but the big difference is in the top-end this is this engine is way more advanced than any of the Mercedes VH to come before it and that's to get a lot more power out of the same size or a little bit bigger engine but also to comply with even stricter emissions standards and to get a little more fuel economy the biggest difference is in the heads which have variable valve timing that is continuously variable it's different all the time it's electronically controlled along with the intake is the size of the flaps of the intake open and close it it's very very complicated and it comes with a lot of issues with all this new technology the famous one with these AMG engines is the head bolts which let go and that requires completely tearing down the engine hasn't happened this one you have with 200,000 miles but it is a common problem another problem which has affected this engine is the cam very aiders this continuously variable valve timing thing it's complicated and it starts rattling on cold start ups and it can let go and toss the timing chain and the cam barriers have to be replaced and it is a major major job I mean just look at all these electronic plugs and everything that's that's in here and then there's the balance shafts which is a bigger issue with the V six version of this the M 272 but it does affect some of the v8s as well and that requires tearing down the engine to replace this little sprocket that helps keep the engine balanced just completely take out the engine tear it down so this is the future and the next generation of v8 which I haven't experienced yet took this complicated engine made it a little smaller and threw a couple of turbos here in the middle even more complicated as diehard of a Mercedes enthusiast that I am I'm not that excited about Mercedes future it's gonna be rough oh I'm trying to figure out how we can get this slk55 to baby because if we can't haul a baby in this thing obviously we can't keep it we should get rid of it well I mean you don't need two cars you can see another one that actually can haul a baby you have treated cars what can I have two I mean I don't know maybe you can I guess so isn't it cute yeah it's very cute it's got a lot of tape on him now it's all your fault how did you get pregnant in the first place then we wouldn't have this problem at all it's I don't even understand how it happened in the first place how does how do people get pregnant where do babies come from oh oh oh that oh oh oh yeah well anyway I guess we're gonna hang on to it I was going to sell it but you seemed to like it so and I like it too so what will keep it thank you for watching haha\n"